For some years now, in the Western world it has become the new form of democracy: when they fail to convince their citizens, governments switch to impositions and mandatory restrictions. Whether it is health policies, immigration, or environmental protection, they know what is good for us – even if we citizens don't agree. So no wonder that on 10 July 2025, the UK Government announced that it plans to introduce legislation to restrict lead ammunition already by summer 2026, with a further three-year transition period (rather than the five set out in an official report last year) running until 2029. The restrictions on the sale and use of lead ammunition will apply in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is unaffected.
The new measures will ban shot containing more than 1% lead and bullets with a lead content of more than 3%, that will no longer be sold to the public.
UK: what will be banned
As you can read in the FAQs published on the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) website, all shotgun calibers will be affected, and not just for hunting use: lead ammunition will be banned on established clay grounds, ad hoc clay shoots, sim days and even if you’re using traps on your own ground. The ban also affects rifle calibers of 6.17mm and larger, including .243. Only small calibers such as .22 centerfires and rimfires are unaffected by the planned ban.
Once the ban is active, you will be prohibited to use and purchase lead ammunition.
Officially, the reasons for the ban are to “protect iconic British wildlife and clean up the nation’s waterways” and the fact that “no safe concentration levels of lead exist, lead always has a negative effect on human health”.
Over the years we covered extensively the lead theme from the EU perspective here on all4shooters.com (you can find some articles at this link), highlighting the issues for shooting sports and hunting, the methodological biases, the crooked data, the possible industrial and social consequences and the overall lack of common sense in the “anti-lead crusade”. But Keir Starmer's government – ideologically closer to the EU than previous UK governments – has clearly decided to follow the same path.
“The Government has shortened the expected timeframe for shotgun ammunition from five years to three years on the assumption that the ammunition is readily available,” you can read in the BASC's response, “and we urge government to adhere to a five-year timescale proposed by the Health and Safety Executive”.
EU Commission: The ban on lead in ammunition as part of the REACH Regulation is still causing a need for discussion in Brussels
The planned restriction of lead in ammunition as part of the REACH Regulation continues to cause disagreement among EU member states. At the meeting of the REACH Committee in Brussels at the end of June 2025, the European Commission presented an internal paper (according to a communication from FACE) with amendment options in order to find a consensus solution. A vote has apparently not yet taken place. Instead, the member states are to submit further comments on the options by August 21, 2025 at the latest, which will then be discussed at the next meeting of the committee in October.
The short transitional periods are the main source of criticism: 18 months for centerfire ammunition, three years for lead shot. Trade associations consider these deadlines to be unrealistic. In addition, there is no review clause for rimfire cartridges - despite the lack of equivalent lead-free alternatives.
Both proposed laws, the EU's and the UK's, have one thing in common: just like the EU lead ban, the British ban on lead ammunition will hit shooters, hunters and the gun and ammunition manufacturers hard. And once again, it is we the citizens –and in this case especially sport shooters and hunters, but also those employed in the arms and ammunition business – who will have to pay the price.
