1. The rule in Google's own words. Google Play's Dangerous Products policy (Developer Program Policy, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17517561) is two sentences long and both halves are prohibitions, not declarations you can fill in: "We don't allow apps that facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories." and "We don't allow apps that provide instructions for the manufacture of explosives, firearms, ammunition, restricted firearm accessories, or other weapons. This includes instructions on how to convert a firearm to automatic, or simulated automatic, firing capabilities." There is no regulated-goods declaration form and no age gate that unlocks a purchase flow - the only compliant state is an app that does not do these things at all.
2. "Certain firearms accessories" is a closed list, not a vibe. The same page defines it: "Restricted accessories include those that enable a firearm to simulate automatic fire or convert a firearm to automatic fire (for example, bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears, conversion kits), and magazines or belts carrying more than 30 rounds." Read precisely, Play's restricted list is about full-auto conversion parts and high-capacity feeding devices. Holsters, cleaning kits, optics, slings and range bags are not on this list - but store policy does not override local law, and the requirement that your app comply with applicable law still applies. Google also makes clear the policy follows the content: "Our policies apply to any content your app displays or links to, including any ads it shows to users and any user-generated content it hosts or links to." (Policy Coverage, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9899816)
3. What "facilitate the sale" actually catches. The word "facilitate" is what turns a catalogue app into a violation. In practice the flagged patterns are: an in-app shopping cart or checkout that can complete a firearm, ammunition, explosives or restricted-accessory purchase; a dealer or FFL locator that routes an order rather than merely displaying a phone number and a website; a classifieds, marketplace or peer-to-peer board where users broker transfers; and affiliate or referral links that pay you when a user buys. Illegal Activities states the general rule plainly: "We don't allow apps that facilitate or promote illegal activities." (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9878877)
4. The instructions half is where 3D-print and reloading content dies. Because the ban names "instructions for the manufacture of explosives, firearms, ammunition, restricted firearm accessories, or other weapons", the covered material includes CAD/STL files and build guides for 3D-printed guns (which the Google Ads policy explicitly lists as a banned ad category), machining and assembly walkthroughs, ammunition reloading and handloading recipes, and any tutorial whose end state is a working firearm or explosive. It also explicitly covers "how to convert a firearm to automatic, or simulated automatic, firing capabilities" - so a casual full-auto conversion explainer is the same violation as a gun-selling cart, and the fast-fire accessories on the restricted list are exactly what such a tutorial would be converting to. Deleting the shopping cart while keeping the manual does not fix the app.
5. Hunting, shooting and range games usually survive - on the Violence policy, not on Dangerous Products. Play's Violence policy reads: "We don't allow apps that depict or facilitate gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities. Apps that depict fictional violence in the context of a game, such as cartoons, hunting or fishing, are generally allowed." (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17517561) So a hunting or target-shooting game is generally allowed, while graphic realistic violence, threats to real people or animals, self-harm content, and content that prepares for, plans or glorifies real attacks (Violent Extremism) are not. The line is fiction-in-a-game versus realistic or promotive content - not the mere presence of a weapon on screen.
6. Real manufacturer branding is a separate risk that has nothing to do with the weapons policy. Using a real gun maker's name, wordmark or trade dress in a title, icon, screenshot or in-game item is scored under the Intellectual Property policy (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9888072), not under Dangerous Products - which is why shooting games ship with invented or generic weapon names. Likewise, borrowing police, military or government insignia to look official is caught by Impersonation: "Don't imply that your app is related to or authorized by someone that it isn't", with the published violation example "The app is using a national emblem and misleading users into believing it is affiliated with government." (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9888374) If an app genuinely is the official product of an agency or a licensed retailer, the entitlement has to be documented and the app must still not sell what the Dangerous Products policy bans.
7. Content ratings carry the age signal, not the minor-blocking tools. Weapon content is not on the Age-Restricted Content and Functionality list - that list covers real-money gambling, dating/matchmaking, random chat and anonymous chat apps (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/16302250). Weapons content is handled through the content rating instead: "Misrepresentation of your app's content may result in removal or suspension, so it is important to provide accurate responses to the content rating questionnaire"; ratings "help filter or block your content in certain territories or to specific users where required by law"; and "Apps without a content rating will be removed from the Play Store" (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9898843). Answering the weapons questions honestly in the IARC questionnaire is what keeps an otherwise-allowed hunting or simulator app from being pulled for a rating that does not match its content.
8. Your ad network is stricter than the store - and its rules apply inside your app. Google Ads policy (enforced by AdMob) bans "Guns, gun parts, and related products", listing as banned examples "Handguns, rifles, shotguns, hunting guns, functioning antique guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns and activity as a service, bb guns, 3D-printed guns"; "Ammunition, ammunition clips, silencers, tripods and bipods for guns, stocks, conversion kits, gun-grips, scopes and sights, bump stocks"; and "Ads for instructions on the assembly or enhancement of the functionality of firearms" (https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/16489226). Its Other weapons policy bans "Ads for knives that are designed or promoted in modern-day usage as products that can be used to injure an opponent in sport, self-defense, or combat" (switchblades, fighting knives, sword-canes, balisongs, military knives, push daggers, throwing axes), "throwing stars, brass knuckles, tasers, pepper spray", plus promotional or instructional content for those items (https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/16489730). Note the gap: a scope is legal to sell in most of the world and is not on Play's restricted-accessory list, yet promoting that same scope inside your app's ad inventory is banned by the ad network. And ads in the app "must not be significantly more mature in content than the primary content within the app itself" (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9898843). Block firearms/weapons/combat-knife categories in the mediation console rather than relying on the network to catch them.
9. Enforcement mechanics you should assume. Google's Enforcement Process weighs "app metadata (for example, app title, description), in-app experience, account information (for example, past history of policy violations), any third-party code in apps, and other information provided through reporting mechanisms"; warns that "removal or administrative notices may not indicate each and every policy violation present in your account, app, or broader app catalog"; and states that "Failure to address policy violations in your account and all of your apps may result in additional enforcement actions" (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9899234). Appeals are bounded: "You may submit one appeal per app removal, suspension, or other enforcement action." (https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/2477981) So the first submission has to be audited end to end. Third-party code is your responsibility too - a marketplace, classifieds or social SDK that lets users list firearms puts the violation inside your app.
10. Pre-release checklist. Remove any cart, checkout, order routing or peer-to-peer listing path that can complete a firearms, ammunition, explosives or restricted-accessory sale - including affiliate links and "buy" deep links into dealer sites; strip manufacture content: 3D-print CAD/STL files, build and machining walkthroughs, reloading recipes, and every full-auto or simulated-auto conversion explainer; audit user-generated content (forums, comments, classifieds, DMs) so it cannot be used to broker sales, and moderate it under the User Generated Content policy; describe in the store listing what the app does instead of implying it sells; answer the content rating questionnaire honestly for weapon content; never use real manufacturer brands or state/military insignia; keep ad inventory free of gun, accessory and combat-knife creatives; region-limit distribution where local law restricts the subject matter; and if the same commerce feature exists on your website, make sure the app itself does not carry the transaction. Developer reports of weapons-related rejections and appeals are collected at https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/search/?q=weapons+app+play+store+policy+rejection