Legal Regulation of the Activities of Entities Exercising Control Over the Circulation of Civilian Weapons in the Russian Federation

The relevance of this study lies in the importance of the tasks assigned to federal executive authorities in implementing state control (supervision) over the circulation of civilian weapons, as well as in the specific nature of the administrative and legal regulation in this field. Object of the study: public relations arising in the context of administrative and legal regulation of control over the circulation of civilian weapons. Subject of the study: federal legislation and subordinate normative legal acts that define the organization and procedures for implementing control and supervisory functions, as well as the system of state authorities and their competencies in this area. Methodology: The research is based on both general and specialized scientific methods, including analytical, comparative-legal, system-structural, formal-logical, historical-legal, and sociological approaches. Problem Statement: The article highlights the lack of a clearly structured system of federal executive bodies responsible for the administrative and legal regulation of control and supervisory powers in the sphere of weapon circulation. It also addresses the limitations of applying general legal normative acts to this specific area of control (supervision) at the federal level. Hence, the study emphasizes the need to define a comprehensive list of applicable normative acts, their scope, and to establish a coherent system of control authorities with effective interagency coordination. Purpose: The aim of the study is to provide a scholarly analysis of the existing system of state control bodies overseeing the circulation of civilian weapons, their powers, and the legislative framework that governs their supervisory activities. Key findings: The research concludes that the legal framework regulating the organization and procedures for control (supervision) in the area of civilian weapon circulation is of a special nature. General legal norms that govern state control and supervision do not fully apply to this domain. This highlights the necessity for a distinct legal terminology and for harmonizing all relevant legal norms within this regulated sphere. The study also outlines and analyzes the control and supervisory powers of federal executive authorities involved in this area.

1. Martynov A. V. On the Way to Improving the System of State Control and Supervision. In: Martynov A. V. (Ed.). Topical Issues of Control and Supervision in Socially Significant Areas of Public and State Activity. Nizhny Novgorod, 2015. P. 45–87. (In Russ.)

2. Vlasenko N. A. Conflict of Laws Rules in the Russian Federation: Position and Prospects. Journal of Russian Law. 2017;6:5-18. https://doi.org/10.12737/article_59240612adb802.72001888 (In Russ.)

3. Beketov O. I., Maile A. D. Personalized Police Supervision: Formation, Development, and Current State. Omsk : Omsk. akad. MVD Rossii, 2010. 130 s. (In Russ.)

4. Martynov A. V. Administrative Supervision in Russia: Theoretical Foundations of Its Structure. Moscow: YuNITI-DANA Publ., Zakon i parvo Publ.; 2017. 183 p. (In Russ.)

5. Zubarev S. M. The Control System in the Sphere of Public Administration. Moscow: Norma Publ., INFRA-M Publ.; 2023. 150 p. (In Russ.)

6. Surgutskov V. I., Zaitseva E. V. Licensing and Permitting Police Supervision in the Sphere of Weapons Circulation. Saratov: KUBiK Publ.; 2015. 166 p. (In Russ.)

7. Shmidt A. A. Conceptual Basis of Gun Policy. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Law. 2024;15(2):404421. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu14.2024.206 (In Russ.)

8. Kononov A. M. Organization of Interaction Between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the National Guardon Inssues Within Their Competence in the Field of Arms Trafficking. Scientific Portal of the Russia Ministry of the Interior. 2024;3:35-41. (In Russ.)

9. Mazali R., Ben Natan S., Hachlili N., Lubetzky G., Greenwald M. Loose Guns: Israeli controlled small arms in the civil sphere. How many guns and how much control? Tel Aviv, 2017. 21 p.