Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in Russia?

Yes, with conditions.

Generally legal, but with real rules to follow, usually age verification and, in some places, a low-power threshold.

Tier 3: Moderate

Threshold-based licensing: a permit-free band for low-power airguns, with a licence required above it.

The picture at a glance

Each measure below scores how restrictive Russia is on that part of owning or transferring an airgun, from permissive (green) to firearm-level (red).

ClassificationThreshold-based

Age rule21+

PossessionFree for adults

Transfer / saleLicensed dealer process

TransportCased

AuthorityFederal + sub-national layer

Before you buy or sell

Sanctions are in place. Non-essential travel is discouraged.
Since 15 Dec 2025 Russian ranges may not hand any weapon, airguns included, to foreign citizens, except team members at international competitions (150-FZ Art. 6 item 17, added by 467-FZ).

The rules in detail

Classification

Threshold-based

Federal Law No. 150-FZ 'On Weapons': pneumatic weapons of no more than 7.5 J and calibre up to 4.5 mm may be bought licence-free (Art. 13). Sporting airguns above 7.5 J may be bought only by citizens holding a shooting-sport document from a sports organisation that itself holds a Rosgvardia storage permit (Art. 13, as amended by 467-FZ of 15 Dec 2025). Hunting airguns are capped at 25 J (Art. 3) and require a hunting ticket, a licence and registration. There is no civilian hunting airgun category above 25 J.

Age rule

21+

18+ for licence-free airguns (≤7.5 J, ≤4.5 mm) and sporting airguns; 21+ for hunting airguns, as for all hunting weapons (Art. 13), with exceptions for military service members, professional hunters and indigenous peoples.

Possession

Free for adults

≤7.5 J and ≤4.5 mm: licence-free for adults 18+. Hunting airguns (up to 25 J) require a hunting ticket and a licence, and those above 7.5 J must be registered with Rosgvardia within two weeks (Art. 13). Sporting airguns above 7.5 J and over 4.5 mm may not be used outside sports facilities (Art. 6).

Transfer / sale

Licensed dealer process

Through registered dealers.

Transport

Cased

Cased. Carrying or transporting an airgun loaded inside a populated area, or firing it in a populated area outside a designated shooting place, is prohibited (Art. 6(2.1)).

Authority

Federal + sub-national layer

Federal law; regions administer.

Hunting with an airgun

Allowed with conditions: hunting airguns (≤25 J) only, and only for squirrel, flying squirrel, turtle doves, hazel grouse and crows where regionally listed (Hunting Rules, Order No. 477, item 62.22).

Deer

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Turkey

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Small game

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Predators

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Other big game

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Import & travel

Energy threshold

7.5 J / 4.5 mm licence-free; hunting airguns capped at 25 J

Caliber rule

4.5 mm calibre line: licence-free purchase covers only ≤7.5 J and ≤4.5 mm (Art. 13); sporting airguns over 7.5 J and 4.5 mm stay at sports facilities (Art. 6).

Local & import notes

Visitor procedure

Active sanctions environment; non-essential travel discouraged.

Foreign buyers

Foreign citizens may buy airguns of no more than 7.5 J and calibre up to 4.5 mm in Russia without a licence (150-FZ Art. 14). Anything above that requires the full licensing route.

Keep exploring

Open the interactive mapSee how this compares across the map and switch between legal and hunting views.Ballistics toolkitCheck energy, velocity, and range for any airgun and load.Ammo databaseBrowse 600+ pellets and slugs by caliber and weight.

This is a plain-language summary compiled from primary statutes and official guidance. It isn't legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so verify the current rules with the relevant authority before buying, selling, or hunting.