List of police firearms in the United Kingdom
Most British police officers are not routinely armed.[1] Instead, they rely on specially trained Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO) to attend incidents where firearms might be needed. Specialist Firearms Officers 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 governed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
Weapons used by Home Office police forces
Firearms used by police officers vary between police forces in the UK. The Chief Constable and Police authority of each force decides the number of firearms officers and type of police firearms available.
In 2010, 5.56mm caliber carbines were widely introduced in case of a Mumbai style terrorist attack.[2][3]
Firearms issued to Authorised Firearms Officers include:
Pistols
- Glock 17 pistol.
- Glock 26 pistol (issued to plain clothes officers of London's Metropolitan Police).
- SIG Sauer P229- (issued to West Midlands Police)
Submachine guns
- Heckler & Koch MP5SF (used by various forces, including Gwent police and London's Metropolitan Police)[4]
Carbines and rifles
- Heckler & Koch G36 variants[5] (used by various forces, including Kent Police and Essex Police)
- LMT Defender AR-15 variant (used By Cheshire Police[6] and British Transport Police)
- Heckler & Koch G3 variant (used for sniping roles)[7]
- SIG SG 550 (551 variant) (used by West Mercia Police), [8] (552 variant) (used by Derbyshire Police)[9] and (553 variant) (used by West Yorkshire Police and Staffordshire Police)[10][11]
- SIG Sauer SIG516 AR-15 variant increasingly used by police around the UK [12][13]
- HK417 Marksman Rifle (used by Surrey Police and West Mercia Police) [14][15]
- HK416C (used by Hampshire Police) [16]
- SIG Sauer MCX (used by various forces' Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFO) including MPS and Police Scotland).[17][18]
Shotguns
- Remington 870 shotgun (used by Greater Manchester Police)[19]
Northern Ireland
Unlike territorial police forces in England, Scotland and Wales, the Police Service of Northern Ireland routinely arms all of its officers.[20] Officers are issued the Glock 17 pistol, phasing out the now obsolete Ruger Speed-Six revolvers previously issued. Historically, long arms were routinely issued: either the Sterling submachine gun and later Heckler & Koch MP5, or rifles such as Heckler & Koch G3s, G36 K and C variants, or HK33s. The latter replaced Ruger AC-556 select fire rifles. Long arms are still routinely carried in areas of higher threat such as North and West Belfast or various border areas.
Weapons used by non-Home Office police forces
British Transport Police
Most British Transport Police officers are unarmed. British Transport police AFOs carry:
- Glock 17 pistol[21]
- LMT CQB 10.5" SBR carbine (may be fitted with suppressor)[21]
Belfast Harbour Police
Like the PSNI, Belfast Harbour Police officers are issued the Glock 17 pistol.
Belfast International Airport Constabulary
Like the PSNI, officers of the Belfast International Airport Constabulary are issued the Glock 17 pistol whilst on duty. Officers are also authorised to carry Heckler & Koch MP5 support weapons, similar to those used by the PSNI prior to the adoption of the Heckler & Koch G36.
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) officers are routinely armed while carrying out their duties. CNC officers carry:
CNC officers also operate the armament on board the ships of the company Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited,[22] which specialise in transporting spent nuclear fuel and reprocessed uranium on behalf of the British Nuclear Fuels organisation.[23] Such ships have an on-board escort of armed police.[24][25] The Civil Nuclear Constabulary use a range of heavier weapons up to automatic cannon of 30mm calibre deployed on the ships.
Ministry of Defence Police
- Glock 17 sidearm
- Heckler & Koch MP5- issue outside urban areas
- Heckler & Koch MP7- standard issue in London and RAF Fylingdales
- Diemaco C8- specialist units
Historic firearms
In the past, police have been issued:
- Webley Revolver
- Lee–Enfield rifles
- Sten Gun
- Sterling Mark 6 "Police"—semi-automatic-only version of the Sterling smg
- Ruger Mini-14 rifle Used in the past by Surrey Police.[26]
- Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver—used in the past by Surrey police.
- Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver—used in the past by Surrey police detectives.
- Parker Hale Safari sniper rifle—used in the past by Surrey police.
- Browning Hi-Power handgun—used in the past by Surrey police.
References
- ↑ Archived 20 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Gardham, Duncan (15 April 2010). "Military-style guns for police to fight terrorists on the streets". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ↑ "Report on the Ninth International Law Enforcement Forum - International Law Enforcement Recommendations on Preventing and Countering Armed Attacks". Interpol. 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ↑ Vikram Dodd (28 October 2009). "Scotland Yard's commissioner scraps plan for armed police patrols in London | UK news". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ Williams, David (27 April 2012). "Tottenham Court Road bomb scare reveals police team preparing for London 2012 Olympics". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "Firearms". Cheshire Constabulary. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010.
- ↑ Wrenn, Eddie; Blake, Matt (27 April 2012). "Topless Tottenham Court Road siege suspect 'demanded a refund from the licence office after he FAILED his HGV driving test'". Daily Mail. London.
- ↑ "Photograph" (JPG). Oi55.tinypic.com. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "British Armed Response Unit". Elite UK Forces. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
- ↑ Archived 1 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Photograph" (JPG). Staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ Greenwood, Colin (18 November 2015). "Chilling new face of police in Britain: Female 'robocops' dressed in military fatigues and armed with semi-automatic rifles are new face of counter-terrorism". Associated Press. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ↑ Vikram Dodd. "Scotland Yard creates SAS-style unit to counter threat of terrorist gun attack | UK news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
- ↑ Middleton, Ashley (2012-10-27). "Firearms unit | Flickr - Photo Sharing!". Flickr.com. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "All sizes | Throckmorton | Flickr - Photo Sharing!". Flickr.com. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "Armed police swoop on Hampshire community (From Daily Echo)". M.dailyecho.co.uk. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ Sculthorpe, Tim (3 August 2016). "ISIS, meet the C-Men: Scotland Yard shows off the first of 600 awesomely armed (and masked) Counter-Terrorism firearms officers who hit the streets today in vans, boats and MOTORBIKES". Daily Mail. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ↑ Musson, Chris; Gray, Rebecca (28 March 2017). "ARMED ALARMED Scots cops don’t have tools to deal with two neds never mind terrorists as they call for armed officers". The Scottish Sun. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ↑ "Chester Chronicle: Chester News, Chester FC, Sport & What's On". Iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "Northern Ireland". Encarta. msn. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2007.
Unlike police forces in the rest of the United Kingdom, the PSNI is an armed force.
- 1 2 "Firearms used by British Transport Police - Freedom of Information Request 794-14" (PDF). British Transport Police. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ↑ "PNTL Fleet". Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ↑ "Nuclear fuel ship docks in Japan". BBC News. 27 September 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ↑ Brown, Paul (20 January 1999). "Nuclear fuel ships to be armed with heavy guns". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ↑ "UK British nuclear fuel ships armed". BBC News. 8 July 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ↑ "Surrey Constabulary: Part 4: A Policing Revolution: 1976-1992". Open.ac.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
