# is Russian Roulette legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038 "2001-10-08T03:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/1 "2001-10-08T03:20:19Z")
if not why not? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Call\_Me\_Tech-Mex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@Just\_Call\_Me\_Tech-Mex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Call_Me_Tech-Mex)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/2 "2001-10-08T03:25:11Z")
Suicide is a crime. They put your body in jail, and it can’t collect on it’s insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/3 "2001-10-08T03:30:18Z")
In addition to Tex’s comment, there are other factors. Brandishing a firearm except in self-defense (or on the practice range) is a crime. So is discharging said weapon (similar conditions apply). Check your local laws – these aren’t major felonies, but they’ll get you in trouble and will get your gun taken away. If you live, that is. Actual owners of handguns et al. will be along to clarify all this, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Infidel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@Infidel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infidel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/4 "2001-10-08T03:32:41Z")
Hello CapnCrude- Since you dont own a handgun, I’ll be by to burgle your home in a few hours! ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/5 "2001-10-08T03:32:47Z")
It’s a form of gambling. That’s illegal in most communities. If you shoot yourself, it is discharge of a firearm. That’s illegal in most communities. And even if you don’t fire it, most places have unsafe handling of a firearm laws on the books. Finally reckless endangerment is also illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/6 "2001-10-08T03:50:10Z")
Go for it, Infidel. It’s a small studio apartment in Manhattan. In other words, no entrance is beyond striking distance of my sword. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/7 "2001-10-08T04:15:51Z")
In Australia, we removed suicide as an offence years ago. However, it is an offence to aid or abet a suicide and since you wouldn’t play roulette on your own, then I guess partaking in a game would qualify as a crime if it resulted in someone’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/8 "2001-10-08T04:35:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Hello CapnCrude- Since you dont own a handgun, I’ll be by to burgle your home in a few hours! So by your definition, Infidel, the difference between a law abiding citizens and criminals is that the criminals are the ones who own guns. ---
**Author:** ![Infidel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@Infidel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infidel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/9 "2001-10-08T05:06:26Z")
Little Nemo, talk about jumping to conclusions.Just because I jokingly told CapnCrude I’d burgle his home because he’s unarmed does’nst mean I own a firearm. It also does’nt mean most outlaws own firearms. In fact, there are far more firearms held in law abiding hands than held in lawbreaking hands. I was just kidding CapnCrude for going on the net and saying he was’nt armed with a handgun. For all I know, He probable is. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/10 "2001-10-08T05:24:15Z")
A guy in my town just died from Russian Roulette about two years ago (he was a couple of years younger than me but most of my friends knew him). The guy he was with ran a couple miles home before calling 911. AFAIK no charges were ever filed. The guy that died was 17, I don’t know how old the other guy was, and this was in NC, if any of these facts make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/11 "2001-10-08T05:30:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\*A guy in my town just died from Russian Roulette about two years ago (he was a couple of years younger than me but most of my friends knew him). The guy he was with ran a couple miles home before calling 911. AFAIK no charges were ever filed. The guy that died was 17, I don’t know how old the other guy was, and this was in NC, if any of these facts make a difference. \*\* So, did they try him as an adult? ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/12 "2001-10-08T05:38:46Z")
He doesn’t even know if charges were filed. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-russian-roulette-legal/86038/13 "2001-10-08T05:51:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mersavets \* > \*\*He doesn’t even know if charges were filed. \*\* I’m 99% sure that no charges were filed. The guy that died actually stayed with a really close friend of mine for a few days just a couple days before it happened. I can find out for sure next time I see my friend.