How buying a gun in Pensacola works
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Florida law allows.
Florida is stricter than most of the South on the buying side. The buyer must be 21 for any firearm from a dealer, with a narrow exception for law enforcement and military members buying a rifle or shotgun at 18. There is a three-day waiting period, excluding weekends and legal holidays, or until the records check clears, whichever is later, and counties may extend it to five days. Holders of a Florida concealed weapon license are exempt from the wait, as are rifle and shotgun buyers with a hunter safety certificate or a Florida hunting license. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement runs every dealer check.
Dealers in these communities all work for Pensacola-area buyers:
- Gulf Breeze
- Milton
- Cantonment
- Pace
- Perdido Key
- Navarre
- Century
- Molino
- Ferry Pass
Carrying a gun in Escambia County
Florida has allowed concealed carry without a license since July 1, 2023 for people who meet the eligibility rules, and you must carry identification and show it on demand. After a First District Court of Appeal decision in September 2025 and guidance from the Attorney General, open carry is also lawful statewide, subject to the prohibited locations list and the rule against threatening exhibition. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issues the optional concealed weapon or firearm license, and following a 2026 appellate ruling it now issues to qualified applicants 18 and older.
Hunting near Pensacola
Florida runs four deer zones with staggered dates. General gun season is November 7 to January 24 in Zone C, which covers Duval and most of Hillsborough, and November 26 to 29 plus December 12 to February 21 in Zone D in the western Panhandle. Zone B, which takes in eastern Hillsborough, runs December 5 to February 21. Rimfire rifles are not legal for deer, centerfire semi-automatic rifles are limited to five-round magazines, and full metal jacket ammunition is prohibited. Feral hogs may be taken year round on private land with permission.
Escambia County is in Zone D, unit D1, where general gun season runs November 26 to 29 and again December 12 to February 21. Blackwater River State Forest holds the nearest large block of public hunting.
Blackwater River State Forest and the Escambia River swamps put pine woods deer and hog country within forty minutes of downtown, and the Navy and retired military community shapes what sells here.
Public shooting ranges near Pensacola
The public ranges below are run or officially listed by state wildlife agencies, state forests or the national forests in the states we cover. Most ask for a hunting license, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency and U.S. Forest Service public range lists, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.