Are British Gun Laws as bad as California?

I used to live in the UK and owned shotguns and firearms there. There laws and very strict and l was unfortunate to loose my handguns there due to the government giving into to political pressure. So what guns can you own those days in the UK? Well quite a bit as long as you have good reason to own it that is. When you’re done watching it, do you think it’s worse than California? Personally l do by quite a bit and that’s saying something! However, l do love watching videos on gun owners in the UK and l am glad they continue to enjoy their sport.

Rifles
UK law does not provide a statutory definition for a "rifle". Most long firearms with rifled barrels will – by default – be classified as Section 1, and can be held on a firearm certificate. This includes single-shot; bolt-action; Martini-action; lever-action (also called under-lever action); and revolver rifles in any calibre. Self-loading and pump-action rifles are only permitted in .22 rimfire calibre.

Prohibited rifles include:

Fully-automatic rifles
Select-fire rifles
Self-loading and pump-action rifles except in .22 rimfire calibres

Pistols
The 1997 Acts do not ban pistols as such and are drafted in terms of "short firearms". These acts prohibit firearms with a barrel shorter than 30 cm (12 in) or an overall length less than 60 cm (24 in)[6] In practice this includes most pistols and revolvers. Only muzzle-loading pistols (including muzzle-loading revolvers) are explicitly exempted. Small quantities of muzzle-loading pistols and revolvers in various calibers which comply with the regulations are manufactured, such as the Westlake Taurus .357 muzzle-loading revolver.] All other pistols are mostly prohibited in Great Britain, with some exceptions such as pistols used for the humane dispatch of injured animals (such as deer) and some historical firearms.

This law created a new market for "long-barrelled revolvers" and "long-barrelled pistols", firearms with a permanently attached extension to the grip, with overall dimensions larger than those prohibited. Long-barrelled pistols in single-shot, or long-barrelled revolvers, both of any calibre, or semi-automatic in .22 rimfire, are all permitted with a firearm certificate.

Shotguns
Single-, double-, or triple-barrelled shotguns, or those with a lever-action, pump-action, or semi-automatic action and fixed magazine capacity of no more than 2 cartridges are permitted on a shotgun certificate as long as they meet the criteria of having a minimum barrel length of 24 inches (61 cm), overall length of 40 inches (100 cm), and a non-detachable magazine (if present).

There is no limit on the number of guns or amount of ammunition that a shotgun certificate holder can acquire or possess at one time, although each shotgun must be recorded on the certificates.

Cartridges obtained using a shotgun certificate must have at least 5 projectiles each with a maximum size of 0.36 in (9.1 mm). Other types of shotgun ammunition such as solid slugs can only be bought following the grant of a firearm certificate.

Shotguns with a detachable magazine or larger fixed magazine are considered firearms and require a firearm certificate (24-inch (61 cm) rule and 40-inch (100 cm) fixed overall length) or break action shotguns with a minimum 12-inch (30 cm) barrel and overall 24-inch (61 cm) fixed length.

DISCLAIMER: Our videos are for entertainment, documentary, and educational purposes only. Do not try to imitate anything shown in our videos - doing so is at your own risk. Firearm maintenance should only be done by licensed gunsmiths, following all applicable laws and regulations.
Any shooting in those videos occurs at licensed ranges under professional supervision. We are not liable for any injury or damage resulting from viewers attempting anything shown here. We are not attorneys and you should consult with a firearms attorney if you have questions about firearms law.

Our use of other people's footage, when rare, is covered by Fair Use for Documentary and Educational purposes to drive commentary and allow freedom of expression.


00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Shotguns
03:18 - Handguns & LBR
05:05 - Bolt Action Rifles
06:39 - Semi-Auto Rifles
07:36 - Lever Action