10-Sep-2026
Buying your first gun in the UK is less mysterious than it looks from the outside, but the process has its own vocabulary and its own rules, and most newcomers arrive with the same ten questions. This guide answers them in plain English: where you can buy, how online purchases work, what the letters RFD mean, roughly what things cost, and what you need to have in place before you hand over any money. It is written for England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has its own system.
Where to buy
1. Where can I buy a gun in the UK?
There are four places. Gun shops, registered firearms dealers, sell new and used guns over the counter and are the natural starting point for a first purchase. Online marketplaces such as Rightgun.uk list guns from dealers and private sellers across the country, so you can compare far more stock than any one shop holds. Auction houses sell everything from £50 air rifles to six-figure best guns. And private sellers, other certificate holders, sell direct, usually through a marketplace listing. Whichever route you use, the handover itself must follow the rules for the type of gun.
2. How does buying a gun online work?
You find the gun, agree the price with the seller, and then complete the transfer in one of two ways. Either you collect in person, showing your certificate so the seller can record the sale, or the seller sends the gun to a registered dealer near you, who checks your paperwork and hands it over for a small fee. Shotguns and Section 1 firearms cannot simply be posted to your door. Low-powered air rifles can be sold online but must still be handed over face to face or through a dealer, not by ordinary post.
3. What does RFD stand for?
Registered Firearms Dealer. It is the licence held by gun shops and by many gunsmiths, importers and repairers, and it allows them to hold, sell and transfer guns. When a listing says “RFD to RFD” or “RFD transfer”, it means the gun will move from the seller’s dealer to one near you. Rightgun.uk’s business directory lists dealers by area so you can find one close to home.
Browse: All guns for sale · Find an RFD near you · Shotguns · Rifles · Air rifles
What it costs
4. How much does a gun cost?
The range is enormous. A used entry-level over-and-under shotgun from a mainstream maker costs a few hundred pounds; a new Beretta or Browning sporter runs into the low thousands; best English guns from Purdey or Holland & Holland are priced like cars. Centrefire rifles follow a similar spread, with sound used Tikka, CZ and Sako rifles sitting in the middle. Air rifles start at pocket-money prices for basic springers and rise to well over a thousand pounds for premium PCPs. Because so much stock is second-hand, the marketplace is the best place to see what a specific model actually costs today.
5. How much is a pistol, and can I even own one?
Conventional handguns have been prohibited for private ownership in Great Britain since 1997. What remains legal, on a firearm certificate, are long-barrelled pistols and revolvers that meet the minimum dimensions, muzzle-loading pistols and revolvers, and air pistols below the legal power limit, which need no certificate in England and Wales. The Handguns section of Rightgun.uk shows what is available; prices span from modest air pistols to several thousand pounds for a good long-barrelled revolver or a fine muzzle-loader.
6. What is the difference between a firearm, a shotgun and an air rifle?
In UK law, the word “firearm” covers any lethal barrelled weapon, but the paperwork splits them into groups. A shotgun, smooth-bored, no magazine holding more than two cartridges, needs a shotgun certificate. A rifle, a shotgun with a larger magazine, or a high-powered air rifle is a Section 1 firearm and needs a firearm certificate with a specific reason for each gun. An air rifle producing under the legal power limit needs no certificate in England and Wales but does need an air weapon certificate in Scotland. The certificate you hold determines what you can buy.
Browse: Handguns for sale · Shotguns for sale · Beretta shotguns · Tikka rifles · Weihrauch air rifles
Getting started
7. Do I need a licence for an air rifle?
In England and Wales, not for a rifle under 12 foot-pounds or a pistol under 6 foot-pounds, provided you are over 18 to buy one. Scotland requires an air weapon certificate for all air guns. Above those limits, an air rifle is a Section 1 firearm and needs a firearm certificate. This is why air rifles are the usual first gun: you can buy a genuinely good one and learn to shoot without waiting for a certificate application.
8. What is a PCP air rifle?
PCP stands for pre-charged pneumatic. Instead of a spring, the rifle stores compressed air in a cylinder filled from a hand pump, dive bottle, or compressor, and releases a measured amount for each shot. PCPs are recoilless, quiet, usually multi-shot, and easier to shoot accurately than spring rifles, which is why they dominate the mid-range and premium market. The trade-off is the cost and hassle of filling. If you want simplicity and independence from air supply, a spring or gas-ram rifle from Weihrauch, BSA, or Air Arms remains an excellent choice.
9. How should I store and transport a gun?
Shotguns and Section 1 firearms must be stored securely, in practice in a proper gun cabinet bolted to the structure of the house, and your local firearms department will inspect it before issuing a certificate. Air rifles must be kept out of reach of anyone under 18, and a cabinet is the sensible way to do that too. In transit, a gun should be unloaded, in a slip or case, out of sight and, for a rifle, ideally with the bolt or a vital part kept separately. A gun should never be left unattended in a vehicle.
10. How do I choose my first gun?
Decide what you will use it for before you decide what to buy: clays, game, pest control, target shooting or a mix. Then handle several guns at a shop or shooting ground, because fit matters more than badge. Buy second-hand from a respected maker rather than new from a budget one; a used Beretta 686, Browning B525 or Miroku MK38 will serve for decades and hold its value. Finally, book a lesson. An hour with an instructor will save you from buying the wrong gun and teach you more than any article.
Browse: Beretta 686 · Browning B525 · Miroku MK38 · Safes and cabinets · Shooting schools and dealers
Find your first gun on Rightgun.uk
Rightgun.uk lists thousands of new and used guns from registered dealers and private sellers across the UK, with a business directory to help you find a dealer for the handover. Browse by type, make and price, contact sellers directly and take your time; the right first gun is out there.
Further reading: How to buy a gun in the UK, Buying your first shotgun, Good practice when buying from an RFD, Understanding Section 1 and Section 2 firearms, Spring vs PCP air guns and How to transport firearms legally.
