List of police firearms in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Within the British Police, officers are not routinely armed. Instead, they rely on specially trained Authorised Firearms Officer
s (AFO), crewing Armed Response Vehicle
s to attend emergency calls
where firearms might be needed. Specialist Firearms Officer
s are usually trained to a higher standard than an AFO, because they are likely to be the officers required to enter besieged premises. The vast majority of firearms used by the British Police are semi-automatic
.
Police use of force regarding firearms is dictated by the Association of Chief Police Officers
(ACPO). Engagement rules in most circumstances state that the officer is to aim for the central mass
in order to increase accuracy and to effectively incapacitate. The aim of doing this is to incapacitate the person, regardless of the risk of death or injury to the target. Under Operation Kratos
contingency plans which were activated after the 2005 London Bombings
allowed officers to aim for the head, due to the risk of detonating explosives around the central mass of a suspected suicide bomber.
s and Police Authorities
dictating the number of firearms officers and police firearms available to each force.
Despite being armed, Authorised Firearms Officer
s still carry the standard issue telescopic baton, CS
/PAVA
incapacitant spray
and Hiatts Speedcuffs
. However, instead of wearing a stab-resistant vest
they wear a ballistic one. In some circumstances firearms officers carry a mobile phone
and two radios, one for the standard police Airwave
system, and the other to solely communicate with other firearms officers.
Specialist Firearms Officer
s usually wear fire retardant
overalls, along with the ballistic vest and in some cases a police variant of the S10 Respirator
.
The following firearms are commonly issued to Authorised Firearms Officer
s.
s.
Precision (sniper) rifles:
use a range of heavier weapons up to automatic cannon
of 30mm calibre
deployed on the ships of Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited, which transport spent nuclear fuel
and reprocessed uranium
on behalf of BNFL
.
Authorised Firearms Officer
An Authorised Firearms Officer is a British police officer who has received training and authorisation to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because within the United Kingdom, police officers do not routinely carry firearms...
s (AFO), crewing Armed Response Vehicle
Armed Response Vehicle
An armed response vehicle is a type of police car operated by the British police. ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to emergency telephone calls believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations...
s to attend emergency calls
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
where firearms might be needed. Specialist Firearms Officer
Specialist Firearms Officer
A Specialist Firearms Officer is a British Police officer who has undergone training in the use of police firearms, and therefore is authorised to carry and when necessary use a firearm to prevent an immediate threat to life. All SFOs first train as Authorised Firearms Officers which crew armed...
s are usually trained to a higher standard than an AFO, because they are likely to be the officers required to enter besieged premises. The vast majority of firearms used by the British Police are semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
.
Police use of force regarding firearms is dictated by the Association of Chief Police Officers
Association of Chief Police Officers
The Association of Chief Police Officers , established in 1948, is a private limited company that leads the development of policing practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ACPO provides a forum for chief police officers to share ideas and coordinates the strategic...
(ACPO). Engagement rules in most circumstances state that the officer is to aim for the central mass
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
in order to increase accuracy and to effectively incapacitate. The aim of doing this is to incapacitate the person, regardless of the risk of death or injury to the target. Under Operation Kratos
Operation Kratos
Operation Kratos referred to tactics developed by London's Metropolitan Police Service for dealing with suspected suicide bombers, most notably firing shots to the head without warning....
contingency plans which were activated after the 2005 London Bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
allowed officers to aim for the head, due to the risk of detonating explosives around the central mass of a suspected suicide bomber.
Standard weapons (AFO)
Firearms in service vary between police forces in the UK, due to individual Chief ConstableChief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
s and Police Authorities
Police authority
A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
dictating the number of firearms officers and police firearms available to each force.
Despite being armed, Authorised Firearms Officer
Authorised Firearms Officer
An Authorised Firearms Officer is a British police officer who has received training and authorisation to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because within the United Kingdom, police officers do not routinely carry firearms...
s still carry the standard issue telescopic baton, CS
CS gas
2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the defining component of a "tear gas" commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent...
/PAVA
Nonivamide
Nonivamide, also called pelargonic acid vanillylamide or PAVA, is an organic compound and a capsaicinoid. It is an amide of pelargonic acid and vanillyl amine. It is present in chili peppers, but is commonly manufactured synthetically...
incapacitant spray
Lachrymatory agent
Tear gas, formally known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator , is a non-lethal chemical weapon that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even blindness...
and Hiatts Speedcuffs
Hiatts Speedcuffs
Speedcuffs are a model of handcuff which were designed and produced by the now defunct UK based Hiatt & Company. They are now produced by Safariland. They are characterised by their rigid grip between the two ratchet cuffs, this replacing the older type which were linked by a chain...
. However, instead of wearing a stab-resistant vest
Stab vest
A stab vest, or stab proof vest is a reinforced piece of body armor, worn under or over other items of clothing, which is designed to resist knife attacks to the chest, back and sides...
they wear a ballistic one. In some circumstances firearms officers carry a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
and two radios, one for the standard police Airwave
Airwave (communications network)
The Airwave network is a mobile communications network dedicated for the use by the emergency services in the United Kingdom. Designed to be both secure and resilient it allows multiple agencies integrated communications through a nationwide network. It is a secure digital, encrypted network and...
system, and the other to solely communicate with other firearms officers.
Specialist Firearms Officer
Specialist Firearms Officer
A Specialist Firearms Officer is a British Police officer who has undergone training in the use of police firearms, and therefore is authorised to carry and when necessary use a firearm to prevent an immediate threat to life. All SFOs first train as Authorised Firearms Officers which crew armed...
s usually wear fire retardant
Fire Retardant Fabrics
Fire retardant fabrics are textiles that are naturally more resistant to fire than others through chemical treatment or manufactured fireproof fibers.-Terminology and test limitations:...
overalls, along with the ballistic vest and in some cases a police variant of the S10 Respirator
S10 NBC Respirator
The S10 NBC Respirator is a military gas mask used within all branches of the British armed forces, and is currently in working service. The S10 is also widely available to the public on the army surplus market.-History:...
.
The following firearms are commonly issued to Authorised Firearms Officer
Authorised Firearms Officer
An Authorised Firearms Officer is a British police officer who has received training and authorisation to carry and use firearms. The designation is significant because within the United Kingdom, police officers do not routinely carry firearms...
s.
- Glock 17 pistolHandgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
- Glock 26 pistol (in use with the London Metropolitan Police Service)
- Sig Sauer P226 pistol
- Walther P99Walther P99The Walther P99 is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a replacement for the Walther P5 and the P88...
pistol (in use with Nottinghamshire Constabulary) - Heckler & Koch MP5 SF A3Heckler & Koch MP5The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
semi-automatic carbine - Steyr AUGSteyr AUGThe AUG is an Austrian bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1970s by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG . The AUG was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 in 1977, where it replaced the 7.62mm StG 58 automatic rifle...
Semi-automatic carbine, used by some forces instead of the MP5 carbine - Heckler & Koch G36Heckler & Koch G36The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3...
C semi-automatic carbine - SIG 556 carbine (used by Strathclyde PoliceStrathclyde PoliceStrathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West...
). - LMT Defender semi-automatic carbine(AR-15AR-15The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
)(Used By Cheshire Police) - Heckler & Koch L104A1 baton gunRiot gunA riot gun or less-lethal launcher is a type of firearm that is used to fire "non-lethal" ammunition for the purpose of suppressing riots. Less-lethal launchers may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms, usually shotguns and grenade launchers, adapted to...
less lethal option, fires Plastic Attenuated Energy Projectiles - X26 TaserTASER InternationalTaser International, Inc. is a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of the Taser less-lethal electroshock guns in the United States. It is based at Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. Taser is the most common brand of electroshock gun.-History:...
, a non-lethal weapon classified as a firearm - XREP Taser Shotgun , used once in the 2010 Northumbria Police manhunt2010 Northumbria Police manhunt-Birtley shootings:Moat was released from Durham prison on 1 July, and allegedly arrived in the early hours of 3 July 2010 at a house in Birtley where Stobbart and her new partner – 29-year-old karate instructor, Chris Brown – were visiting. Brown had moved to the area from Windsor,...
Specialist weapons (SFO)
The following have in the past been on issue to Specialist Firearms OfficerSpecialist Firearms Officer
A Specialist Firearms Officer is a British Police officer who has undergone training in the use of police firearms, and therefore is authorised to carry and when necessary use a firearm to prevent an immediate threat to life. All SFOs first train as Authorised Firearms Officers which crew armed...
s.
- L1A1 irritant chemical launcher, launches projectiles of irritant substances such as CS gasCS gas2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is the defining component of a "tear gas" commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agent...
or PAVA - Remington 870Remington 870The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
Pump-action shotgun, mainly used for door breachingDoor breachingDoor breaching is a process used by military, police, or emergency services to force open closed and/or locked doors. A wide range of methods are available, one or more of which may be used in any given situation...
Precision (sniper) rifles:
- Heckler & Koch PSG1Heckler & Koch PSG1The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.-Development:...
sniper rifle - Heckler & Koch G3KA4 battle rifleBattle rifleA battle rifle is a military service rifle that fires a full power rifle cartridge, such as 7.62x51mm NATO. While the designation of battle rifle is usually given to post-World War II select fire infantry rifles such as the H&K G3, the FN FAL or the M14, this term can also apply to older military...
, used in sniping roles - Heckler & Koch MSG-90Heckler & Koch PSG1The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.-Development:...
sniper rifle - Heckler & Koch 93Heckler & Koch HK43The Heckler and Koch HK43 is a paramilitary semi-automatic rifle similar to the Heckler & Koch HK33 and is the predecessor of the Heckler & Koch HK93 semi-automatic sporting rifle.-Overview:...
sniper rifle - Heckler & Koch HK417, used in sniping roles
- Riflecraft TMR1 sniper rifle
Ministry of Defence Police
- SIG Sauer P226 pistol
- Heckler & Kock MP7 SFHeckler & Koch MP7The MP7 is a German submachine gun manufactured by Heckler & Koch and chambered for the 4.6×30mm cartridge. It was designed with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989, as these requirements call for a personal defense weapon class firearm, with a greater ability to defeat...
- L85A2 IWSA80The SA80 is a British family of 5.56mm small arms. It is a selective fire, gas-operated assault rifle. SA80 prototypes were trialled in 1976 and production was completed in 1994....
assault rifleAssault rifleAn assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
- In limited use for Nuclear Weapons officers. - L129A1 Long Range Rifle
- Heckler & Koch L104A1 baton gun less lethal option, fires Plastic Attenuated Energy Projectiles
- X26 TaserTaserA Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
, a non-lethal weapon classified as a firearm
Heavier weapons
The Civil Nuclear ConstabularyCivil Nuclear Constabulary
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a special police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations, and for nuclear materials in transit, throughout the United Kingdom....
use a range of heavier weapons up to automatic cannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
of 30mm calibre
30 mm caliber
30 mm caliber ammunition is usually used in autocannon. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30 × 173 mm and 30 × 113 mm and Soviet 30 × 165 mm ammunition widely used around the world....
deployed on the ships of Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited, which transport spent nuclear fuel
Spent nuclear fuel
Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor...
and reprocessed uranium
Reprocessed uranium
Reprocessed uranium is the uranium recovered from nuclear reprocessing, as done commercially in France, the UK and Japan and by nuclear weapons states' military plutonium production programs. This uranium actually makes up the bulk of the material separated during reprocessing...
on behalf of BNFL
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
.