The Complete, No-nonsense Guide for 2025

Owning a shotgun or rifle in Britain carries real responsibility. This guide sets out the legal musts then shows how to build a tidy, practical storage setup that keeps your guns safe, satisfies your Firearms Enquiry Officer, and protects your investment. It blends current Home Office and HSE guidance with field-tested tips from The Instinctive Shooter.

“Good storage is not about buying the biggest safe, it is about putting the right cabinet in the right place, fixing it properly, and running a simple routine every time the gun comes out or goes away.”
David Bellamy, Managing Director, The Instinctive Shooter

What the law expects, in plain English

The police will assess your whole setup during licensing. In most homes, secure storage means a purpose built cabinet fixed to the structure of the building. New cabinets should conform to BS 7558, and ammunition for section 1 firearms must be kept secure, ideally in its own lockable container. Shotgun cartridges do not have to be locked by law, but locking them is advised, especially where there are children. Key control is part of your security duty. GOV.UK

A first grant involves a home visit and a physical inspection of your security. Renewals may also involve a visit, at the police’s discretion. GOV.UK

If you buy, sell or otherwise transfer a shotgun or section 1 firearm, you must notify your issuing force within seven days. If a shotgun is loaned for more than 72 hours, both parties must notify within seven days. GOV.UK, BASC

If you change address, you must tell your force without delay and follow their process for updating storage details. Met Police, Ask the Police

Cabinet choice and siting that passes inspection

Pick a cabinet that meets BS 7558 and fix it to brick, block or concrete. Place it out of sight, ideally in the lived-in part of the house, and use the maximum number of fixing points. Garages and lofts are not automatically ruled out, but they need extra thought: loft joists may not be designed for load, and garages should meet door and window standards with the alarm covering the storage area. GOV.UK

Practical tips from our installers

• If the neat location is on a stud wall, fix through the plasterboard into the masonry behind, or fit a steel backer plate that spans multiple studs.
• In an attached garage, fit the cabinet well away from the vehicle door, ensure any external doors and windows meet modern security standards, and include the garage zone on the intruder alarm. GOV.UK
• In lofts, check load paths and use coach screws or chemical anchors into structural members, not chipboard flooring. GOV.UK

Ammunition, powders and black powder, what goes where

Section 1 ammunition should be secured separately, for example in an internal lockbox or a second cabinet. Shotgun cartridges can be stored outside the gun cabinet, but locking them is sensible for safety and to reduce theft risk. Keep all ammunition away from heat sources and escape routes. GOV.UK

Shooter’s powder, smokeless propellant, can usually be stored without a storage licence up to 10 kg net mass, subject to the Explosives Regulations 2014. Above that, licensing applies. Always check the label and your local authority rules. HSE

Black powder is different. To acquire and keep it you need an explosives certificate from the police. Some substitutes and certain propellants, for example products labelled UN0499 or UN0501, also require an explosives certificate, so check the UN number and ask your Explosives Liaison Officer if unsure. Avon and Somerset Police, Devon and Cornwall Police Firearms

Keys and access, the bit that catches people out

Only authorised people should have access to cabinet keys. Store both primary and spare separately, ideally in a discrete key safe. Do not label keys, and do not keep them in obvious places. If keys are lost or stolen, treat your security as compromised, get a professional safe engineer to open and re-lock, and tell your force if there is any risk of unauthorised access. GOV.UK

Real-world scenarios, and what we recommend

New applicant, small terrace, only stud walls available
We use resin anchors through the plasterboard into masonry, or a hidden backer plate across studs. We provide a short method statement to show your FEO exactly how the cabinet is anchored to the structure. This aligns with the guidance to fix to the building fabric, not just to furniture. GOV.UK

Cabinet in an integral garage
Upgrade the vehicle door security if needed, apply window locks to PAS 24, and extend the house alarm to cover the garage zone. Site the cabinet far from the vehicle door and keep it out of sight. GOV.UK

Cold, damp outbuilding risk
Blued steel and walnut do not love condensation. Add a low-wattage dehumidifier rod or a desiccant rota, and let cold guns acclimatise in the case before locking away. Place ammunition well clear of heaters or escape routes. GOV.UK

Moving house
Plan the installation at your new address first, consider temporary storage with an RFD if needed, and submit your transfer notifications within seven days. Update your address details with your force without delay. GOV.UK, Met Police

Short-term loans between friends
A shotgun can be loaned for up to 72 hours without entry on the borrower’s certificate or police notification. Longer than 72 hours requires notification within seven days, by both parties. Always follow your certificate conditions. BASC

Insurance, what is covered and what is not

Public liability is usually bundled with membership packages. BASC membership includes up to 10 million pounds public liability, which is helpful if you damage property or injure a third party while shooting. This is not the same as insuring your guns. BASC

For the guns themselves, consider specialist policies that cover theft and accidental damage at home, in transit and at the ground. BASC’s shotgun and rifle policy, and Ripe’s shooting insurance, are common options. Many home insurers will specify that guns must be kept in a suitable cabinet, so get that confirmation in writing. BASC, Ripe Insurance

Kit we trust for a tidy, compliant setup

• BS 7558 cabinets from reputable makers, tall enough to avoid cramming, with an internal lockbox for section 1 ammunition. GOV.UK
• Fixings that match the fabric, rawl or expanding bolts for brick, block or concrete, and resin anchors through dry-lining. GOV.UK
• Key control, a compact key safe located away from the cabinet, or a cabinet with a mechanical combination lock if you prefer to remove keys from the equation. GOV.UK
• Moisture management, a dehumidifier rod or silica gel rota, plus a quick wipe down and acclimatisation routine after wet or cold outings.
• Powder storage, HSE-style plywood box for black powder once certified, and clear labelling of any propellant’s UN number so you know whether an explosives certificate is required. HSE, Devon and Cornwall Police Firearms

Your action plan, step by step

1. Pick the location, lived-in area first. Avoid the obvious. If using a garage or loft, meet the extra construction and alarm advice. GOV.UK
2. Install a BS 7558 cabinet and fix it properly to structure. Photograph fixings for your records. GOV.UK
3. Separate ammunition from firearms, and lock section 1 ammunition. Keep all ammunition away from heat and escape routes. GOV.UK
4. Sort your powders, verify the UN number, hold the correct police certificate for black powder or listed substitutes, and check HSE storage thresholds. Devon and Cornwall Police Firearms, HSE
5. Lock down key control, primary and spare stored separately in discrete locations. GOV.UK
6. Document the setup, keep a simple log and your purchase receipts for cabinets, alarms and insurance.
7. Know your notifications, seven days for transactions, without delay for address changes, keep force emails handy. GOV.UK, Met Police

How The Instinctive Shooter can help

• Pre-inspection advice, we review photos or do a site visit, confirm siting and fixings, and supply a short method statement you can show your FEO, mapped to the Firearms Security Handbook. GOV.UK
• Cabinet supply and installation, BS 7558 units with the right anchors for your walls and floors, plus internal ammo lockers.
• Moisture control kit, dehumidifier rods and desiccant plans that actually get used.
• Black powder readiness, templates for ER4a applications, storage box options, and a quick check against HSE thresholds. Avon and Somerset Police, HSE
• Move day storage, short term placements through our RFD partners, and a checklist for seven day notifications. GOV.UK
• Insurance sanity check, a neutral walk through of your cover, from BASC member benefits to specialist policies, so there are no surprises after a claim. BASC

Straight Answers on Gun Storage in the UK