How easy is it to buy a gun in the UK?

Posted by Cornishlee@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 23 comments

Serious question, not trying to insight anything. We continue to see in the news about how easy it is to get firearms in the US. Freedom to bear arms etc. gun ranges all over the place where anyone (I think) can turn up and pay to fire weapons. I’ve even heard about vending machines that you can buy ammo from ffs! That and you can buy guns I. Supermarkets along with the ammo with next to no questioning at all, if any! So my question is, how do you buy a gun in the UK?? I don’t need one or want one but was just thinking, I have absolutely no idea where to go to buy one? I’ve never seen a shop that sells guns to my knowledge. I think maybe something to do with farmers supplies but you don’t really see farming supply shops for me to find out. Anyone bought a gun and if so where from and how many hoops do you have to jump through? My guess is loads! I’ve heard stories about having to have different bits of the gun in separate places or maybe keeping the ammo separate?

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23 Comments

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Subject-External-168@reddit

There are 500k shotgun owners across the country, it's not that difficult to jump through the hoops. As it's your right to own a shotgun effectively the onus is on the police to show why you shouldn't. You don't need permission to shoot on someone's land or to be a member of a gun club. You need a safe, ammo can be stored anywhere. Firearms are different and the licence is much harder to obtain. It also covers air rifles >12ft/lb. Ammo has to be kept in a different safe from the rifle. A reason is needed, for mine that is my smallholder has chickens, and so has foxes. Handguns are banned in GB for normal people. The law says guns <60cm so some people have handguns with ridiculously long barrels to get round that.

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Cornishlee@reddit (OP)

So you have to have a bigger gun than 60cm?! I’m guessing that’s to discourage walking around with concealed weapons but sounds backwards in logic.

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Subject-External-168@reddit

I'd imagine it was just legislation written in a rush to get handguns banned. They look like this: [https://www.thecountryman.com/guns/all-new-guns/long-barreled-pistols/](https://www.thecountryman.com/guns/all-new-guns/long-barreled-pistols/)

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knightsbridge-@reddit

First, the only guns you can legally own in the UK are shotguns and rifles. Handguns and automatic weapons cannot be legally acquired by members of the public. You need to apply for a license to own firearms. This involves the police running a full background check, including checking if you have any previous criminal convictions or mental health problems. You must state what specific gun(s) you intend to purchase, including where you're going to keep them and where you're going to keep the ammunition. You must also provide at least one referee who'll vouch for you. You must also find a doctor registered with the General Medical Council who's willing to attract that you are medically fit to own a firearm. The police will then assess if you have *good reason* to own a firearm. You can't have one just because you want one, even if you pass the background checks. As part of this, you'll need to give at least one place where you have legal permission to discharge a firearm (since it's not legal to do it anywhere unless you have permission from the landlord). The most common reasons given are for hunting, shooting clubs, and rarely for farmers. If you pass the background checks, and the police agree that you have a good reason for owning a firearm, you'll be granted an ownership certificate. The police will also place a marker on your medical records, allowing your doctor to see that you own a firearm. You'll also be granted an ammunition certificate. This will allow you to purchase ammunition of the specific type and calibre for the gun(s) you own. You must repeat this process, in full, every five years to renew your license. If you are found to have lied on your application at any point, this is a criminal offence (and your license will almost certainly be revoked, potentially permanently).

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Cornishlee@reddit (OP)

Wow. So much detail thank you. Compare that complexity to buying a gun and ammo in Asda (Walmart)!

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ITFarm_@reddit

I believe you can obtain a licence for a handgun. But, the terms of use a very very very different and requires permission and approval by high members of the police. Possible, but basically impossible.

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and101@reddit

As far as I know you can still legally own a handgun to use for the humane dispatch of animals.

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knightsbridge-@reddit

Police ownership is its own separate thing, I believe. Also, trivia: it's still possible to acquire a handgun for private ownership in parts of Northern Ireland. I have no idea why.

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Perfect_Confection25@reddit

Personal protection weapons still allowed in NI. Also handguns were never banned here, because at the time of Dunblane, firearms ownership in NI was a very different landscape to GB.

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SilvaShadow1@reddit

From my understanding from working in a shop dealing in firearms. There are specific jobs/reasons in which one is able to acquire a handgun beyond police use in the the UK besides NI. Dispatch of a animal is a reason I am aware of however there are a lot of rules and regulations that make it next to impossible however I have seen it

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ITFarm_@reddit

Indeed, police ownership is a different thing. I’m talking about the public. Northern Ireland one stems from errrrrr some history errrr

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MoanyTonyBalony@reddit

You can get handguns that have extensions on them to make the whole thing physically longer. Or normal ones for self defence in Northern Ireland.

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Tinker_sailor1@reddit

You have to apply for a firearms licence through the police. When you submit your application, you have to specify your calibre, and reason for wanting it, and you need a bloody good reason, too. The police will then come round your house and interview you, and have a look where you intend to store them. It usually has to be in a cabinet fixed to an external wall with a minimum of 10mm bolts which will have to be in place at the time of the interview. Once they're satisfied, they might issue your licence, but you can ONLY own the calibre that you specified on your application. If you attend a shooting range, it's highly unlikely you're going to be approved for a .308 rifle, as there aren't many high calibre ranges you can go to. I think there are maybe 2 places you can go to fire a .50 cal rifle in the UK, but I could be wrong. If you intend to own a shotgun, that's a separate licence and easier to get, but you can submit the application with the rifle one. But shotguns have their criteria too. One that holds any more than 3 shells is highly illegal. Once you do get a licence, you can visit gun shops, or use websites like gunstar to buy them from, but checks are stringent. The range I used to go to, only allowed up to .44 pistol ammo as its max calibre. There's a lot to it, and it's a nightmare. If you haven't got that really good reason to own one, you haven't got a good chance. But even when I went to a shooting range, I had to build a profile with the range, recording what rifle I fired, what calibre and the number of shots fired in that session to help with my application as the police would have spoken to the range to prove I went there as my good reason. Honestly, it's a fucking ballache.

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ITFarm_@reddit

True, but pew pew

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MoanyTonyBalony@reddit

Something like 140 people are licensed to own a .50 cal in the UK. I remember it from some story trying to generate outrage.

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ITFarm_@reddit

You need a licence. To obtain, then you need to be a full member of something like a licensed gun club for a year I believe. The gun club will have you as a probation member for 6 months where they will judge you. You’ll need to submit an application to your police. They would background checks, medical checks and you will need to prove you can store your guns securely and NO ONE has access. If you partner has access, that’s bye bye. You can only use the guns in licensed venues, or hunt on land with clearer evidence of approval from the land owner. The guns can only be transported between the venues and nowhere else unless for very specific reasons. Shotguns and rifles are the easiest to get approval for as they are used for hunting or target practice. There is limited used for hand gun, so it’ll may be more harder. This is a very loose guidance for the purpose of an overview. It’ll be more detailed than that.

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MoanyTonyBalony@reddit

Or just land that gives you written permission to shoot. That's what most people have.

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Easy-Echidna-7497@reddit

Legally or illegaly? If the latter, then quite easily from the black market

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feetflatontheground@reddit

I used to drive past a gun shop on the way to work every day. They tend to sell fishing and hunting equipment. I wouldn't know the ins and outs o buying one. I assume you'd need to have a license, and there'd be a lot of paperwork to fill in.

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tmstms@reddit

Funnily enough, there is a gun shop in my town and I do drive past another regularly on the way to the seaside. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/firearms-licensing-police-guidance gives you info on the procedure to get a licence.

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256-sheff@reddit

There is gun shops, just not normally on your usual high streets. If you have a shotgun ticket or a firearms cert it's very easy.

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