From Russia With Love....

[blazer610]

Russian Voluntary Restraint Agreement Amended
Some 74 additional firearms approved for importation into the U.S. from Russia

In early March, the U.S. Department of State reached an agreement with the Russian Federation amending the Clinton Administration Voluntary Restraint Agreement signed on April 3, 1996 which restricted Russian firearms and ammunition importation into the U.S. The effect of the latest agreement is that 74 additional firearms have been added to the list of approved models for importation under the existing trade restrictions. The VRA is believed to be the only trade restriction of its kind existing in U.S. regulations.

Note, in order for the changes to go into effect, the U.S. Dept. of State must forward the new agreement to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) with a formal notice lifting the restriction against importation of the listed firearms. However, according to the F.A.I.R. Trade Group, the organization representing American importers, ATF has not yet advised the import community as to when it will begin processing import permits for these firearms.

Following is a comprehensive list of the 74 firearms approved for importation:

Handguns:

State Unitary Enterprise “Konstruktorskoye Buro Priborostroyeniya,†Gorod Tula - MTs 440 Pistol caliber .32; MTs 57-1 Pistol caliber 5.6mm; MTs 59-1 Pistol 5.6mm; MTs 1-5 Pistol 5.6mm.

Joint Stock Company - Tula Armament Works - TOZ-35M Proizvolniy, Starter Pistol caliber 5.6mm.

Joint Stock Company Izhevsky Mashinostroitelniy Zavod - Biathlon-7k Pistol caliber .22 LR & .22 WMR.

Rifles:

Izhevsky Mekhanichesky Zavod State Enterprise
- Sever Double barrel; Izh-18MN single barrel break action rifle; MR-251 Over/under rifle; MR-221 Double barrel rifle; MR-141K rifle; MR-161K Rifle.

State Unitary Enterprise Konstruktorskoya Buro Priborostroyeneiya Gorod Tula
- MTS 116-1 caliber 7.62x51; MTs 116M caliber 7.62x51; MTs 112-02 5.6mm; MTs 115.1 caliber 7.62mm; MTs 113-02 caliber 5.6mm; MTs105-01 Combination gun 5.6x39/20 gauge; MTs 105-05 Combination gun 20 gauge/7.62x54; MTs 7-17 Combination gun 12 gauge/7.62x51; MTs 7-12-07 Rifle-shotgun 12 gauge/7.62x51; MTs 7-07 Rifle 7.62x51; MTs 109-12-07 Rifle-shotgun 12 gauge/7.62x51; MTs 109-07 Rifle 7.62x51; MTs 106-07 Combination gun 12 gauge/7.62x54; MTs 19-97 Rifle 7.62x51; MTs 19-09 Rifle 9.3x64; MTs 20-07 Rifle 7.62x51.

The following are all semi-auto rifles from the same maker as above:
- MTs 18-3M caliber .22; MTs 125 cal. 7.62x51; MTs 126 cal. 7.62x51; MTs 127 cal. 5.6x39; Berkut-2 cal. 7.62x51; Berkut-2M1 cal. 7.62x54; Berkut-3 cal. 9x53; Berkut 2-1 cal. 7.62x51; Berkut 2M2 cal. 7.62x54R; Berkut 3-1 cal. 9x53; Ots-25 cal. 7.62x39; MTs 20-07 cal. 7.62x51.

Joint Share Company - Izhevsky Mashinostroitelny Zavod

- LOS-7-1 bolt action sporting rifle caliber 7.62; LOS-7-2 bolt action sporting rifle cal. 9.53; LOS-9-1 rifle cal. 9.3x64; Sobol (Sable) bolt action sporting rifle cal. .22 & .22 WMR; Bars-4-1 bolt action sporting rifle cal. 5.6; Saiga semi-auto rifles calibers 5.6, 7.62 .222 & .223; Saiga-M semi-auto cals. 5.6, 7.62, .222 & .223; Saiga-.308, Saiga-308-1 & Saiga 308-2 semi-auto rifles in cal. 7.62; Saiga-9 semi-auto rifle cal. 9x53R; Korshun semi-auto rifle cals. .22 & .22 WMR; Ural-5-1, Ural-6-1 & Ural-6-1 in cal. .22; SM-2 & SM-2-1 bolt action target rifles in cal. .22; Biatlon-7-3 & Biatlon-7-4 bolt action target rifles in cal. 22; Rekord-1, Record-2 & Rekord-CTSM bolt action target rifles in cal. 7.62x54.

Rekord-1-308, Rekord-2-308 & Rekord-308 CTSM bolt action target rifles in cal. 7.62x51; Vepr semi-auto cals. 7.62x39, 5.45x39, .308 Win., .223 Rem., .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua; Vepr-Super semi-auto cal. 7.62x39, 5.45x39, .308 Win., .223 Rem., .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua; Vepr-Pioneer semi-auto cals. 7.62x39, 5.45x39, .223, .222; Vepr-Safari semi-auto rifle cals. 7.62x39, 5.45x39, .308, .223, .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua.

TOZ 109 cal. 7.62x51; KO 44-1 cal. 7.62x53; TO3 78-01 bolt action rifle cal. 22; KO 44 cal. 7.62x53; TO3 99 semi-auto cal. .22; TO3 99-01 semi-auto cal. .22; TO3 55-01 Zubr double barrel cal. 9.53; TO3 55-2 Zubr double barrel cal. 9.53; TO3 120 Zubr double barrel cals. 5.6x39, 7.62x51 & 9x53; MTs 111 double barrel cals. 7.62x51, 7.62x53 & 9.53; MTs 109 double barrel combination cals. 5.6x39, 7.62x51, 7.62x53 & 9x53; TOZ 122 in cals. 223 Rem., 5.6x39, 7.62x53, 7.62x51 & 9x53.

TOZ 125 semi-auto rifle cals. 6.5x39, 7.62x51 & 9.3x64; TOZ 28 triple barrel in cals. 5,6x39, 7.62x53, 7x57R & 7x65R; TOZ 300 triple barrel cals. 5.6x39, 7.62x53, 7x57R, 7x65R & 8x57.

------International Firearms Trade News-------

 

[Nightcrawler]

A VEPR IN .30-06?? (EAA is importing the VEPR Pioneer in this caliber...) A VEPR IN .300 WIN MAG???? VEPR IN .338 LAPUA??

That's just...*DROOL*

 

[Dr.Rob]

Vepr safari?

I'm amused.

 

[thefitzvh]

yay

 

[MAKOwner]

Anyone familar with the manufacturers and know if any of these other than the VEPR and Saiga are "quasi-assault weapons"?? Any others that are AK based that I missed? Any of the handguns military-style stuff? More guns is great, but I don't know what over half of them are...

What's the difference between the Saigas we have now and the Saiga-M?

{EDIT} Found some stuff while searching. This site has pics of a couple of the listed guns. The Berkut 2m looks alot like a Tigr/Dragunov (mentions "tiger" mags), wonder if they could be converted back to look right... http://home.tula.net/tularms/hunt_rfen.htm

This one has a couple more pics of the Berkut rifles: http://www.shipunov.com/eng/str/hunt/berkut.htm If you use the browsing links on the top right of this last one you can get to some info/pics on the MTs shotguns and the MTs 440 pistol which looks like a competition gun.

http://www.molot.net/product-e/ THis one has some pics of the various VEPRs, the Pioneer looks kinda cool, but I guess it's just more of the same. I was hoping for some cool new models...

The 9x53R round sounds interesting in a Saiga, wonder if we'll actually see it. Does Wolf offer that overseas?

 

[Kharn]

Saiga-9 semi-auto rifle cal. 9x53R

Hmm, isnt that the easily suppressed AK round, sorta like .300Whisper?

Kharn

 

[Triad]

No, that's the 9x39. This is the Berkut.

 

[LynnMassGuy]

 

[TCD]

From the US, with $$$$$$$$$$



Sounds like a good trade to me

 

[Tman]

Now that they can import these (assuming BATF approval), who is going to import these, and what will be price be? Hopefully, the price of the Biathlon 7-4 or 7-4A will drop.

 

[cookhj]

sweet.....i can't wait. more russia weapons to choose from. now if they'd only import a civilian legal Bizon and VSS. mmmmmm.....*drool*

 

[BowStreetRunner]

what they need to go find over in Russia are some of the cut down special police nagant revolvers and the winchester 1895 7.62X54R rifles, and send those over here
BSR

 

[alamo]

Thanks for posting.

No Makarovs

Not familiar with the pistols listed.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Tula makes some fine :

and some funky arms

remember the revolver shotgun from the 2001 shotshow?
it was a Tula
http://home.tula.net/tularms/proden.htm


http://toz.vpk.ru/eng/products.htm

 

[Dionysusigma]

Regarding the TKB-022PM in Harry Tuttle's post...

AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHA!!!!

Looks kinda like a bastardized love-child of an AK, an FN P90, and classic '60s ugly plastic...

I believe this fits the bill as "The Tackiest Gun in the World."

 

[MAKOwner]

How does that gun work, there is no room for the action to cycle behind the mag and pick up ammo?? Is it a photoshop or prop "gun" or something??

 

[Tman]

Just looked over the list again. Where's the SV-99????

 

[foghornl]

I'd really like to have something that I can run some of my 7.62x54R ammo in, that I don't have to work the bolt each time.

Ther Mosin-Nagant M-44 is a real [bad pun warning] "Blast" to shot, but I REALLY want a 7.62x54 semi-auto.

 

[sturmruger]

More Russian guns!! I am am excited about this story. I am sure it will be 6-9 months before we start seeing this stuff in the SGN.