Can I bring my self-defence firearm to the UK?

ShootingUK is the complete shooting resource for the British shooting community. From shotgun licence and shotgun certificate information to gun reviews, game shooting, clay shooting and more.

| Next

Can I bring my self-defence firearm to the UK?

Firearms are highly prohibited in the UK and cannot be used for self-defence!

Friday, 15 June 2007

I have a house in France and have just acquired a gun for self-defence. It is described as being non-lethal. Would it be okay to bring it to the UK for possible use here?

Legal
DAVID FROST says: Certainly not! In Britain any lethal barrelled-weapon counts as a firearm, and the fact the vendor describes it as non-lethal does not mean it would be non-lethal in the eyes of British law.

You do not describe the gun, but I think you may be referring to one of the double-barrelled 12 bore pistols that are on sale in France and fit this description. They are sold with fewer formalities than for a shotgun or rifle.

I have not been able to examine one in detail but those I have seen advertised for sale fire a 2in / 12 bore cartridge with a single rubber bullet, which probably has a muzzle energy in excess of the accepted British limit for lethality.

Cartridges containing less than five pellets have to be on a firearm certificate and you certainly won't have self-defence accepted as a good reason for being allowed to have them here. Moreover, if your gun is similar to the ones I have seen it would fall within the definition of a pistol and be banned in this country.

It is perfectly legal to buy them in France, but I would be careful about using it as French law doesn't give you an unfettered right to shoot would-be villains. Be very sure of your legal position before you point it at somebody and pull the trigger.

Got a question? Contact: sportinggun@ipcmedia.com or Sporting Gun, PO Box 157, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 9FU