yes, definitely not "hard men", more like what you described, except various intelligence agencies who don't always wear a gun, are also included.
Though I cannot argue. I rely on my intuitive knowledge of Russian which is hard to use as a rational argument. This knowledge tells me that "силовые структуры"/"structures of force" are organizations that use force to solve problems. And I think that all of them wear guns. But I may be wrong with that last statement, and moreover language is changing, so the generally accepted meaning of the word can differ from what I had learnt in my childhood.
It is a security agency, a.k.a. the “secret police.” (It does, of course, spy on the populace.)
They are also a military branch and have military ranks, although they don't wear uniforms. The FSB acts like a combination of FBI, a border patrol and secret police.
They are also the group allowed to carry out an assassination on foreign soil (according to Russian law), although they are not allowed to authorize such a mission on their own.
Apologies if this comes off abrasively. This is a genuine question that thought to myself when I read your comment. I can't think of a better way to phrase it.
2 (b) to carry on the person; wear a sword
Maybe it's regional. I've never heard it said that way before. "Are you wearing a gun"? "Concealed wearing laws"? Doesn't sound right, but I guess people do use it.
Don't cops ask "Do you have a gun on you" or "Are you carrying?". I think most of us would find it weird if a cop asked us "Are you wearing a gun?".
> Don't cops ask "Do you have a gun on you" or "Are you carrying?"
In person, I’be most frequently observed the former (fortunately, not much experience), but on TV both cops and crooks tend to use “carrying” with an implied direct object a lot.
> I think most of us would find it weird if a cop asked us "Are you wearing a gun?".
Sure, because that's not what a cop is likely concerned about.
I like this usage right here:
> A gun holster is an accessory which is designed to allow someone to wear a gun on his or her body.
Native speaker, I have heard other native speakers say (or seen them write) “wear a gun” quite a bit. “Carry” seems to be more currently common, but far from exclusive.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=carry+a+gun&ye...
"Wear a gun":
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=wear+a+gun&yea...
Shorter: "Carry" is about twice as popular as "wear".
Although you can put on a holster. ;-)
I think this may come down to regional dialect differences, but it doesn't make this pedant look good (and I generally love pedants.)
"Wear" differentiates from things that you carry in your hands or pockets or a bag. Things that are part of your dress, like watches, ties, and handguns in holsters, are more "worn" than "carried", though it could be either.