It is no secret that in the UK firearms ownership is much more difficult than in the United States. Even so, what firearms ownership that does go on in the UK has its own set of rules and regulations specific to the region. The Firearms Security Handbook serves to act as a guide to navigating the oftentimes misunderstood world of firearms ownership as it exists in the United Kingdom.

The Firearms Security Handbook is produced every year by a joint effort of the FELWG (Firearms Explosives Licensing Working Group), the National Police Chiefs Council in England, Wales and Scotland, and of course, the British Shooting Sports Council. The yearly publication brings UK shooters, collectors, and gun dealers updates to the various guidelines for the storage and transportation of firearms.

One example from the handbook details how critical components to rifles such as the bolt can be stored separately from the remainder of the rifle outside of the normal locked location, however, it is worth noting that these storage conditions almost always have to be up to the same construction standards as where the rest of the firearm is stored.

Some other details in the handbook go over how certain homeowners may store their gun cabinets in the garage instead of the occupied portion of the house. Meanwhile, owners of mobile homes are under a different set of guidelines, being suggested to “target-harden” the dwelling to make it more suitable for firearms storage.

Aside from these guidelines, there are other extremely helpful items for those in the UK who may be new to firearms. Section 2.9 advises owners to be mindful of the location of their security cabinet (gun safe) as they tend to have a high weight-to-footprint ratio and could possibly buckle the supporting floor. The manual even goes as far as to offer suggestions for securing their safes and exteriors of their dwellings in order to deter and stop would-be thieves.

If you’re a gun owner in the UK, this handbook may be a handy resource for you and your family. The 51-page document contains a load of in-depth technical data for everything from storing to displaying firearms at various venues. You can access the document here. If you’re not in the UK, it’s always interesting to see how gun owners in other country’s store their guns. If you do live in the UK or have experience dealing with the firearms community in the United Kingdom, drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts and experiences.