Legal gaps and threats to public safety from free circulation of deactivated weapons using digital technologies: ways to improve criminal legislation

Relevance . Current weapons legislation of the Russian Federation does not take into account the impact of rapidly developing digital technologies on illegal arms trafficking. Deactivated weapons are freely sold on the Internet without the need for licensing, which creates legal gaps. Combined with the availability of information on weapon conversion and the availability of specialized components, these weapons can be easily modified to fire live ammunition, posing a serious threat to public safety. Purpose : to study is to study the public danger of free circulation of deactivated weapons using digital technologies, as well as to develop proposals for improving criminal and other legislation to increase the effectiveness of combating crime in this area. Objectives : include the analysis of legal gaps in the legislation regulating the circulation of deactivated weapons, the study of relevant judicial practice, the assessment of the impact of digital technologies on the distribution of deactivated weapons through Internet platforms and the availability of information on their modification, as well as the development of proposals for improving legislation and the differentiation of criminal liability. Methodology . The research is based on general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as formal-logical, formal-legal and methods of interpretation of legal norms. The results of the study show that the free circulation of deactivated weapons via the Internet creates conditions for their illegal modification and use for criminal purposes, which is confirmed by the analysis of judicial practice. Conclusions . The authors propose to tighten the legislation on the circulation of deactivated weapons by introducing mandatory licensing, strengthening control over their sale and circulation through digital platforms, and clarifying the differentiation of criminal liability for the illegal circulation and modification of weapons.