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”.
Just like the EU lead ban, the UK's lead ammo ban will severely affect shooters, hunters and the gun industry. And once again, citizens are the ones who have to pay the price.
