Rubber bullet weapon shortage: Hungarians preparing for self-defence

Although strict regulations in Hungary prevent us from buying up weapons in bulk – as is the case in the US – in the run-up to a crisis, non-lethal self-defence weapons have been selling fast since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

The Hungarian news portal növekedés.hu looked into what is legally available and for how much, and also found out which deadly weapons can be bought without papers. As the news portal reports, it is a well-known trend in the United States that when the population fears a crisis, gun sales spike.

In Hungary (and in the whole of Europe), the rules on access to firearms are much stricter. However, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – and the panic that came with it – has already shown that when the public’s sense of security plummets, the purchase of available self-defence equipment is on the rise. The purchase of weapons that can be held without a licence has started.

Many non-lethal weapons have been purchased

At the same time, 300,000 of these gas alarm pistols, which are unsuitable for killing people, have already been purchased. This is only an estimate, as they are only recorded in police statistics if the owner applies for a licence to carry (and does not only want to keep the weapon at home).

What a gun shop offers for self-defence to a customer who has no licence or training is a simple and quite cheap gas or pepper spray. It can be an efficient tool in even the most inexperienced hands. Basically, its use and operation is no different from that of an ordinary deodorant or air freshener.

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What is legal and what is not?

Gas spray (containing CS, which is an irritating, emetic gas) can be worn and used by anyone for legitimate self-defence, even in public places, as long as the amount does not exceed 20 ml. However, pepper sprays are prohibited.

“This legislation is different in reality, because if self-defence is justified, the body taking action will not have a problem with the fact that the victim used pepper or CS gas, and the 20 millilitre limit is also not taken so seriously,” says Gergely Kerpics, head of the airsoft business unit of Gun Brokers Hungary Kft. However, he is quick to point out that he does not recommend anyone to break the law.

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Weapons that can be deadly but are still legal

The interesting thing about the domestic legal system is that while the use of pepper spray, which is basically made of natural materials, is prohibited, anyone can buy a crossbow in the store. In this category, for a relatively modest price, there are quite serious weapons available, which can be used to fire a lethal shot without any further ado, writes növekedés.hu.

Like the gas alarm pistol, the rubber bullet gun does not require a licence, you just need to be 18 to buy one, writes napi.hu. However, rubber-loaded guns can only be used on private property, while only pepper, CS gas and alarm cartridges are allowed on public property. Nevertheless, there are hardly any left in the shops, so many have been bought up.

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Source: növekedés.hu, napi.hu