"Ultima ratio regum" in translation into Russian - "the last argument of the kings." These Latin words began to be minted on cannons back in the days of Cardinal Richelieu, but to this day they can be seen on the trunks of quite modern guns. The past centuries have not changed the meaning of this, which has become winged, expression: when all the arguments in the dispute of the two states have been exhausted, armed force is the last method of persuasion.
Not only kings and presidents are conflicting, but also ordinary people who cannot roll out formidable guns as proof of their superiority over an opponent. They have to look for other ways to take revenge, and here a lot depends on the current legislation of a particular state. In most countries, the free sale of firearms is prohibited, but it does not always stop those who want to shoot - by hook or by crook they try to acquire "pocket artillery", one of the examples of which is a makeshift gun. The creators of such weapons are mainly driven by purely criminal interest, but it also happens that honest, but overly naive people use their inventive talents clearly for other purposes, but in the end they find themselves in jail.
The technical characteristics of such artisanal weapons depend on design talents and the degree of “bloodthirstiness” of its creator (or customer). It is enough for someone to have a home-made pneumatic gun firing with plastic bullets (balls) and having more psychological than killer effect. Such a weapon is based on the principle of pneumatics, that is, there is no combustion reaction of a certain amount of gunpowder in it - the charge is pushed out by the force of compressed air. But the home-made pistol "Melkashkash", intended, as the name implies, for firing with small-caliber cartridges, it is quite possible to equate to weapons of dangerous lethal effect. There are also such "craftsmen" who create designs of a monstrous caliber, size and type, like those that can be seen in fantastic action films. But upon closer inspection, this iron monster is nothing more than a makeshift gun. Such mechanisms pose a threat primarily to their owner, and for these reasons. Firstly, the illegal manufacture of firearms (as well as storage, marketing and the like) is a serious offense. Secondly, even the most ingenious gunsmith will not be able to assemble a reliable design in artisanal conditions, while the “home” production of ammunition is a particular danger. There is no guarantee that, at the first shot, a makeshift pistol will not fall into pieces, inflicting severe damage to the arrow, or even taking his life.
From all that has been said, it is obvious that possessing such a specific type of weapon as a home-made pistol is a troublesome, risky business, and it is simply illegal. Its effectiveness is extremely low, and there is no need to talk about the moral side. And therefore, the proud royal motto on the "trunk-samopal" would have looked extremely inappropriate.