The Old Armoury
14 Long Street
Tetbury, Gloucestershire
GL8 8AQ, United Kingdom
- Telephone+44 1285 720 416
- Trade Counter Email[email protected]
- OS Map ReferenceST 88930 92946 · Explorer 167
- What3words///armed.braced.quietest
The Old Armoury · Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Visit Our
Visit Our
Tetbury Shop
A quiet Cotswold gunroom, established in 1983, where four decades of specialist firearms trading are still conducted face-to-face. Bring your S/C or FAC, take tea in the gunroom, and let our RFD team guide your variation the same way we have for over forty-two years.
Home Office Registered Firearms Dealer
The Finding Guide
Address, Telephone & How to Reach the Gunroom
We sit on the same Cotswold high street where we opened in 1983 — between the market hall and St Mary's. Below is everything you need for the run from the M4 or M5, with parking notes and the nearest rail link for shooters travelling without a vehicle.
The Old Armoury
14 Long Street
Tetbury, Gloucestershire
GL8 8AQ, United Kingdom
From the M4 (Junction 17), follow the A429 north for 14 miles through Kemble to Tetbury — approximately 28 minutes. From the M5 (Junction 13), take the A46 and A433 west via Stroud — roughly 50 minutes. From Cirencester we are 12 miles south on the A429; from Bath under an hour via the A46 and A433.
ParkingFree two-hour parking in the Market Place car park (GL8 1DA), two minutes' walk. Loading and firearms collection can be arranged in our gated rear courtyard — mention this when booking so we can open the side gate.
The nearest mainline station is Kemble (London Paddington services via Swindon), 7 miles east. We can arrange a member-of-staff collection with prior notice for pre-cleared S/C holders travelling to the counter — the kettle will be on.
From the AirCotswold Airport (Kemble) is 7 miles east by prior arrangement for private aviation enquiries; Bristol and Birmingham airports are both within 75 minutes by car.
Trade Counter Hours
When the Counter Is Open — and What Must Be Done in Person
Certain transactions cannot be completed by post or courier under the Firearms Act 1968. The four cards below set out our standard hours and the services that require a Tetbury visit, an in-store identification check, or a face-to-face variation.
Standard Trade Counter
| Tuesday – Friday | 09:00 – 17:30 |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 09:00 – 16:30 |
| Sunday & Monday | Closed |
Bank holidays: we close for the day — call ahead if travelling from a distance.
Section 5 Face-to-Face Variation
All Section 5 transfers (Section 5 firearms, expanding ammunition and the relevant components) require the holder to present original identification and a current firearms certificate at the counter. Our RFD team completes the Register of Transactions on the day and arranges secure onward transfer.
By appointment only — 30-minute slots are released four weeks ahead.
Gun-Fit & Stock Workshop
Lifetime gun-fitting and Cerakote consultations. Bring the rifle or shotgun you intend to fit (or a tried-and-hated family piece); our in-house gunsmiths will draw it, measure cast and pitch, and shape a recommendation — usually inside 90 minutes.
Walk-in fitting enquiry: Tuesday to Friday before 15:00.
FAC/S/C Pre-Application Clinic
Our two BASC-affiliated coaches run a free pre-application vetting clinic on the first and third Thursday of each month. Bring draft forms and your existing certificate (if held); we will mock-interview you against the current Home Office good-reason guidance.
99.2% first-time pass rate (2018–2024 internal data).
Behind the Counter
The Scale That Makes a Tetbury Visit Worth the Journey
A small Cotswold town runs a quiet gunroom, but the operation behind it is one of the largest specialist counters in the south-west. The figures below are the operational reasons shooters choose to complete their transaction here rather than by remote dealer.
processed in 2024
completed on-site
trade experience
on the workshop floor
All RFD transactions recorded in our secure register on the day, in accordance with the Firearms Act 1968 and the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2017.
A Short Editorial Note
Why Some Purchases Must Be Made in Person
The Firearms Act 1968 and the subsequent 1997 amendments do not distinguish between a transaction completed across the trade counter and one completed by post — both fall under the same section 3 transfer rules. What they do require is that the dealer has satisfied himself of the buyer's identity and authority to possess. For Section 1 firearms, that judgement can be discharged against a copy of your certificate posted with a cheque; for Section 5 transfers, expanding ammunition, and certain shotguns — and for any purchase requiring a gun-fit or expert advice the buyer could not reasonably receive in writing — the Home Office expects the transaction to take place in person.
This is not an inconvenience imposed for its own sake. The face-to-face variation is the moment our RFD team walk you through the specific conditions on your certificate, log the serial of the piece leaving the building, and countersign the register in your presence. It is the discipline that has kept this trade lawful since registration was first required in 1997 — and it is the reason our Tetbury counter remains open six days a week, 42 years after we first unlocked the door.
- Section 5 firearms and expanding ammunition — face-to-face variation only.
- First-time certificate holders — bring originals plus one form of photo ID.
- Rifle/shotgun gun-fit sessions — booked appointments Tuesday to Friday.
- Pre-owned firearm collection — secure handover room, prior 48 hours' notice.
Plan Your Visit
Verify Your Licence & Book Your Tetbury Slot
Submit your S/C or FAC number and the nature of your enquiry — Section 5 transfer, ammunition collection, gun-fit, or pre-application clinic. Our RFD team will confirm your appointment, pre-stage any paperwork, and have the gate open on your arrival.
RFD-4192-2016
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