31-Jul-2026
If you have started looking into shooting in the UK, whether that’s target shooting, deer stalking or simply understanding what you can legally own, you will quickly run into the phrase “Section 1 firearm”. It appears in gun shop listings, certificate applications and club paperwork, usually without explanation. The sections refer to the Firearms Act 1968, the backbone of UK firearms law, and knowing what each one covers is the first step to understanding what you can own and on which certificate. This guide explains the categories in plain English, without the legalese.
One note before we start: this is a general guide for the shooting community, not legal advice. Licensing is administered by your local police force, and their firearms licensing department is always the right place to confirm how the rules apply to your circumstances.
The short answer
A Section 1 firearm is any firearm that requires a Firearm Certificate (FC) to possess. In practice, for most shooters this means rifles, rimfire and centrefire, along with muzzle-loading pistols, long-barrelled pistols and revolvers meeting specific dimensions, and shotguns that fall outside the Section 2 definition (for example, those with a magazine capacity greater than two rounds). Sound moderators for Section 1 firearms have also historically been treated as items to be listed on the certificate, so it is worth checking the current position with your licensing department when you apply.
The defining feature of Section 1 is the “good reason” requirement: each firearm slot on your certificate is granted for a stated purpose, such as target shooting at a Home Office approved club, vermin control or deer stalking on land where you have permission.
Section 2: Shotguns
Section 2 covers the ordinary sporting shotgun: a smooth-bore gun with barrels of at least 24 inches, a bore no larger than 2 inches, and either no magazine or a non-detachable magazine holding no more than two cartridges. This is your classic game gun or clay gun, a side-by-side, over-and-under or semi-auto restricted to two-plus-one capacity.
Shotguns in this category are held on a Shotgun Certificate (SGC), which works differently from an FC. There is no good-reason requirement for each gun, and no limit on the number of shotguns held, provided you have secure storage. This is why the SGC is the most common entry point into UK shooting. A semi-auto or pump shotgun with a larger magazine capacity moves the gun into Section 1 territory, the same gun mechanically, but a different certificate. If you are weighing this up, our guide to Hushpower moderated shotguns shows a category where the distinction often comes into play.
Section 5: Prohibited weapons
Section 5 covers prohibited weapons, the category most people are asking about when they search “are handguns legal in the UK”. Modern cartridge-firing handguns, fully automatic firearms and various other items sit here, and they cannot generally be owned by private individuals except under narrow exemptions (certain historic firearms held as curiosities, for example, or specific occupational authorities granted by the Home Office).
The practical consequence: the pistols you can legally shoot in the UK are muzzle-loading pistols, air pistols under the legal power limit, and long-barrelled pistols built to Section 1 dimensions. Each of these has its own following in UK target shooting.
Where airguns fit
Most airguns do not require any certificate in England and Wales, provided they stay under the legal power limits: 12 ft·lb for air rifles and 6 ft·lb for air pistols. Air rifles over 12 ft·lb, the popular FAC-rated PCPs used for pest control, become Section 1 firearms and need a slot on a Firearm Certificate. Scotland operates its own separate Air Weapon Certificate scheme for all airguns.
This is why you will see both unregulated and “FAC” versions of the same air rifle model listed side by side. Browse the air rifles on Rightgun.uk and you will spot the distinction in listings; always check which version you are looking at. Our comparison of air rifles and rimfire rifles covers how the certificate requirements shape that choice.
How to buy a gun in the UK: The process in brief
For newcomers, the path runs broadly like this. First decide what you want to shoot, because that determines the certificate. Clay or game shooting with a conventional shotgun means applying for a Shotgun Certificate. Rifle shooting means joining a Home Office approved target club or securing stalking/pest-control permission, then applying for a Firearm Certificate with your good reason evidenced.
Applications go to your local police force and involve background checks, a medical information check with your GP, secure storage (a police-approved gun cabinet) and usually a home visit. Once granted, buying the gun itself is the easy part: face-to-face transfer through a Registered Firearms Dealer, with the details entered on your certificate. Timescales vary considerably between forces, so apply well before the season or club membership you are planning around. For what happens after purchase, see our guide to transporting firearms legally.
FAQs
What is a Section 1 firearm in the UK? Any firearm requiring a Firearm Certificate, principally rifles, plus certain shotguns (such as those with magazine capacity over two rounds), long-barrelled pistols and FAC-rated air rifles over 12 ft·lb.
Can you have hunting rifles in the UK? Yes. Centrefire and rimfire rifles are legally held on a Firearm Certificate with good reason; deer stalking, foxing and vermin control are all recognised purposes, evidenced by permission to shoot over suitable land.
Is a shotgun a Section 1 firearm? Usually not. A conventional shotgun (barrels 24"+, capacity limited to two in the magazine) is Section 2 and held on a Shotgun Certificate. Higher-capacity shotguns fall under Section 1.
Do air rifles need a licence in the UK? Not in England and Wales if under 12 ft·lb (6 ft·lb for pistols). Over that limit they are Section 1 and need an FC. Scotland requires an Air Weapon Certificate for all airguns.
Ready to start looking?
Once you understand the categories, the listings make much more sense. Explore rifles, shotguns and air guns for sale across the UK on Rightgun.uk, every listing sits within a dedicated shooting marketplace, so you are browsing among people who know the process as well as you now do.
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