Nah, its similar to the application process for a shotgun, but requires a proper safe (Shotgun just needs a locker) and you need special justification for large calibres ie. That they are the only thing suitable for the specified use. Up to around .303 is easy enough for a normal person.
Hopefully they liberalise the laws (that probably seems ironic to an American), I hesitated buying a 9mm Glock 17 a few years ago, had other more pressing concerns at that stage of my life and when I looked back into it...it had become illegal