Every firearm here is a non-firing replica. They do not fire, they cannot be made to fire, and they are built to be looked at, handled and mounted rather than used.
What they are is convincing. The weight is close to the original, the proportions are right, and on many of them the action works: bolts that cycle, magazines that release, hammers that fall. At arm's length across a room, most people cannot tell. That is the point, whether the piece is going on a wall, into a display cabinet, onto a stage or into a re-enactment kit.
Over 120 pieces, from the flintlock era to modern service weapons and the guns of film and gaming. All of it held in our own warehouse in Bacup, Lancashire: nothing drop-shipped, nothing on backorder from a supplier we have never met. If we say it is in stock, it is on a shelf forty minutes from Manchester.
Browse by era and theme: World War I & II · Wild West & Civil War · Pirate & flintlock · Modern & movie firearms · Call of Duty · Star Wars · Cosplay-safe foam · Accessories
Can you buy replica guns in the UK?
Yes. This is the question we get asked more than any other, so here is a straight answer.
Non-firing replica firearms are sold legally in the UK. You need to be 18 or over, and that is not a formality: we verify it before your first order is dispatched.
The law splits replicas into two groups, and which group a piece falls into depends on the age of its design, not the age of the item.
Imitation firearms: designs from before 1870
A replica of a gun whose design and mechanism date from before 1870 is an imitation firearm, but not a realistic one in the legal sense. That covers flintlocks, blunderbusses, Brown Bess muskets, pirate and boarding pistols, percussion revolvers such as the 1851 Colt Navy, and most American Civil War-era pieces. These can be sold to anyone aged 18 or over. Browse the pirate and flintlock guns.
Worth knowing: several guns people think of as "Wild West" are later designs. The Colt Single Action Army and the Winchester 1873 both date from after 1870, so replicas of them fall into the second group.
Realistic imitation firearms: modern designs
A replica of a gun designed in 1870 or later, which looks so real that for all practical purposes it cannot be told apart from the genuine article, is a realistic imitation firearm. Most of our world war, modern and movie replicas are built to exactly that standard, which is why they look the way they do.
Carrying any replica in public
This applies to every imitation firearm, pre-1870 designs included. Having one with you in a public place without lawful authority or a reasonable excuse is an offence, and it is up to you to prove the excuse. Keeping a replica at home is not a public place, so private display is not affected.
In practice: transport pieces boxed or bagged and out of sight, only when you are going somewhere you need them, and never carry one openly. A replica that looks real will be treated as real. Armed police responses to replica firearms are not rare.
Guidance only, not legal advice, reflecting the law in England and Wales. If you are unsure whether a specific piece suits your circumstances, ask us before ordering.
What "non-firing replica" actually means
The term covers a wider range of build quality than most people expect, and we would rather set the expectation than have you disappointed by a box.
At the top end, the piece is a mechanical reproduction. The bolt cycles, the magazine drops out, the hammer falls, the safety moves, and because it is built from metal and wood in the original's proportions it has real weight. These are the pieces that surprise people when they pick them up.
In the middle sit the display pieces: correct externally, correct in dimensions, with some working parts but not a full mechanical reproduction. For a wall, a cabinet or a photograph, the difference is invisible.
At the light end are the cosplay and event pieces: foam and lightweight construction, made for conventions and stage use where metal is not permitted. Those live in our cosplay guns collection.
Product pages say which is which. If it is not clear on a piece you are interested in, ask: we have handled all of it.
Browse by era
The world wars
The Lee-Enfield, the M1 Garand, the Thompson, the MP40, the Luger, the Sten, the Browning Hi-Power. Thirty-one years in which the infantry weapon went from a bolt-action rifle a Victorian soldier would recognise to the first true assault rifle.
Browse the World War I & II collection, or read our guide to the iconic guns of WWII for the history before the hardware.
The Wild West and the American Civil War
Winchester repeaters, Colt Navy revolvers, Smith & Wesson Schofields, Sharps carbines, Derringers and the double-barrelled shotguns that furnished every Western ever filmed. The pieces here are as much about the mythology as the history, which is the appeal of the era.
Browse the Wild West and Civil War collection.
Pirates and flintlocks
Boarding pistols, blunderbusses, Brown Bess muskets, percussion pistols and the elaborate 18th-century sidearms that were built to be seen as much as fired. Popular for costume, and among the most decorative things in the whole range on a wall.
Browse the pirate and flintlock guns.
Modern and movie firearms
Where the history stops and the screen takes over: the Walther PPK, the AK-47, the M16, the Winchester from Shaun of the Dead, the Colt from Supernatural. If you can picture the scene, there is a fair chance we stock the gun.
Browse modern and movie famous firearms.
Gaming
The fastest-growing category we have. Call of Duty covers the WWII arsenal the games made famous to a generation who met the MP40 on a screen rather than in a museum. Star Wars and the wider gaming weapons range cover the rest.
What are you buying it for?
For a wall or a cabinet: buy on looks and weight. A display-grade piece does everything you need, and the money is better spent on a more interesting gun than on a mechanism nobody will operate.
For re-enactment: buy the mechanically accurate version. You will be handling it in front of people who know, the action matters, and the weight matters more than you would think after four hours.
For film, TV or stage: tell us what the production needs. Requirements vary by production and by venue, and the right answer is often not the most expensive piece.
For a convention: check the event's weapons policy first, then buy foam. Most conventions prohibit metal props whether or not they function.
As a gift: the pirate and flintlock pieces are the safest bets. They are visually spectacular, need no fandom knowledge, and sit in the pre-1870 group.
Why buy from us
Everything on this page sits in our warehouse in Bacup. We are not a storefront over someone else's stock: we buy it, we hold it, we pack it. That means we can tell you what a piece weighs, how the action feels and how the finish looks under a lamp, because we have picked it up.
New customers complete age verification once, before the first order is dispatched. Free UK delivery on orders over £200.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy replica guns in the UK?
Yes, if you are 18 or over. Replicas of guns designed before 1870, such as flintlocks and percussion pistols, can be sold to any adult.
Do replica guns fire anything?
No. Everything in this collection is non-firing. They do not chamber live ammunition or blanks, and they cannot be converted to do so. Blank-firing and airsoft guns are different products under different rules.
Do the moving parts work?
On many of them, yes: bolts cycle, magazines release, hammers fall, safeties move. It varies by piece, and the product page says which. Foam cosplay pieces have no working parts by design.
Are replica guns heavy?
Usually heavier than people expect, because the metal-and-wood pieces are built in the original's proportions and materials. It is the thing photographs cannot convey and the most common surprise when the box is opened. Foam cosplay pieces are the exception.
Can I take a replica gun to a convention?
Check the event's weapons policy first. Most conventions prohibit metal props whether or not they function, which is why our cosplay guns exist in event-safe foam.
Can I carry a replica gun in public?
Having any imitation firearm with you in a public place without lawful authority or a reasonable excuse is an offence, and you have to prove the excuse. Transport pieces boxed or bagged, out of sight, and only when you are going somewhere you need them.
Do you sell replica guns to under-18s?
No. All buyers must be 18 or over, and new customers complete age verification before their first order is dispatched.
What is the difference between a replica and a prop gun?
In everyday use they mean the same thing: a non-firing reproduction. "Prop" tends to be used when the piece is destined for film, stage or costume, and "replica" when it is for display or collecting.