GTN Issue 85

SEASON OF SHOWS BEGINS

As we begin a new year, trade shows let us look forward with optimism

BSS ON ITS WAY AGAIN

As we line up for another year in the gun trade, the season of shows begins in earnest, with Shot Show, IWA and the British Shooting Show all taking place in a six-week period. Senior management at major manufacturers and distributors will once again be clocking up the air miles to keep up-to-date with the latest global developments and product releases.

This year looks set to be a make or break year for many major trade shows, as exhibitors and visitors get used to the post-Covid landscape where face-to-face meetings have often been supplanted by technology. And the very real issues facing the trade around supply mean it will be hard to guarantee quantities of goods delivered with the timeliness that shows require, giving retailers in particular some challenging decisions over attendance.

THE GREATEST SHOWS ON EARTH — WHERE WILL YOU GO THIS YEAR?

• SHOT SHOW, 17-20 January, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas

The big daddy of them all bigger, brasher, better

• JAGD & HUND, 24-29 January, Exhibition Centre, Dortmund Growing in importance every year and now with 400-plus exhibitors

• BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW, 17-19 February, NEC Birmingham

UK show that’s a hit with punters and industry alike

• IWA, 2-5 March, Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg

Key European trade event looking to reestablish itself

• STALKING SHOW, 15-16 April, Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford

Not a large show, but one with a specific focus that works for some

• NORTHERN SHOOTING SHOW, 6-7 May, Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate

Smaller show with a fast-growing reputation and lots of room to expand

IWA REVEALS 2023 LINE-UP

IWA OutdoorClassics 2023 will be held at the Nuremberg exhibition venue in Germany from 2 to 5 March, when the world’s leading trade fair for hunting, shooting sports, outdoor activities and security will host a wide range of prominent manufacturers from around the world as well as many new international exhibitors.

Visitors to IWA 2023 can look forward to new developments in a number of areas. Prominent among these are the new special exhibition areas created for the optics, Airsoft and knifeware sections. These spaces will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the products on show and engage in in-depth dialogue with the exhibitors. The Optics Testing Area will have a dark room, the Airsoft Shooting Range will have its own shooting stands, and the Blade Demo Area will include an attractive stage design. All information on the special exhibition areas and opportunities for exhibitors to participate will be available soon at iwa.info/en

“IWA OutdoorClassics will once again be the meeting place for the industry for decision-makers and thought leaders, and will offer space for networking, products and assisting the decision-making

process,” asserted Thomas Preutenborbeck, Member of the Executive Board.

“Alongside our long-standing honorary sponsors, we are also very pleased this year to be working more closely with the World Forum of Shooting Activities (WFSA) and the professional European industry organisations Institut Européen des Armes de Chasse et de Sport (IEACS) and Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition (AFEMS), which will offer contributions of international relevance to the discussion.”

It certainly seems that IWA will complete on its promise to welcome many companies from around the world for this year’s show. Currently, nearly 900 exhibitors from a total of 48 countries have already committed to taking part.

Just under 30 percent of these will be first-time exhibitors at IWA. In addition to these new faces, visitors can also look forward to seeing number of returning exhibitors who were unable to participate at IWA 2022 for various reasons, not least Covid. Manufacturers such as Leica, Merkel Jagd- und Sportwaffen GmbH and C.G. Haenel GmbH are counted among the faithful returning participants.

“Following a short absence, we are looking forward all the more to IWA next March,” said Olaf Sauer, Managing Director of Merkel Sportwaffen GmbH and C.G. Haenel GmbH. “The pandemic showed that we need interaction with industry professionals more than ever before.”

Full details of current registrations can be viewed online at iwa.info/en/ausstellerprodukte

Britain’s largest indoor shooting show is gearing up to open its doors this February at Birmingham’s NEC.

Scheduled to run from February 17 to 19, the organiser’s website is claiming that some 204 exhibitors have committed to the show. However, GTN’s investigations have revealed that some on the list, like Viking and Range Right, have not booked.

Never the less, major names including BSA, Sportsman Gun Centre (SGC), RUAG, Highland Outdoors, GMK and Future Publishing have all told us that they will be attending next year.

Gary Lamburn from SGC told GTN: “We have some exciting new products from Pard, FX and Element Optics that we cannot wait to show, along with some updates from a favourite brand.”

Nick Levett-Scrivener from Shooting Star also confirmed his company’s attendance, while commenting: “We’re looking forward to the BSS after last year’s positive take-up and good feedback from the trade and retail.”

GMK’s Karl Waktare was also quick to offer his backing for the show, telling us: “The British Shooting Show has become an event not to be missed. It’s great to start the year on a good note and catch up with people across the trade, but also to speak to the shooters who are using our products. We’re looking forward to sharing all our great products and discussing what’s coming in 2023.”

GTN approached organisers FRL Media to ask them how ticket sales were going, but they declined to answer. They did, however, give us a typically bullish preview interview ahead of the show that we have run on page 11.

One thing that should bode well for the show is that the ticklish issue of paying for parking seems to have been resolved this year with all tickets coming with parking at the NEC included. An adult one-day ticket is £25.60.

EYES ON TARGET.

IWA OutdoorClassics is the world’s leading trade fair for hunting, shooting sports, outdoor equipment and security. It’s the only event that brings together all the international decisionmakers and market players from the industry. Over the four-day exhibition, experience live displays of new products and discuss trends and developments with your community in a dedicated setting – to help your business grow.

Published by: Stable Events, Invision House, Wilbury Way, Hitchin, England, SG4 0TY

www.guntradenews.com

Editor-in-Chief: Steve Faragher, steve.faragher@guntradenews.com

Art Editor: Joe Burt

Production Editor: Jon Palmer Advertising: Emma Parker 07734875522 emma.parker@stableevents.org, Lee Hurst 07949 111 539 lee.hurst@thegamefair.org

Publisher: James Gower

Head of marketing: Gemma Payne

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Subscriptions Customer Care: gtn@ subsaver.co.uk or call 0800 953 0033

Contributors: Stuart Farr, Diggory Hadoke, Mat Manning, Caroline Roddis, Alex Sayer, Liam Stokes, Simon West

It has become a highlight of my year to take out all the last year’s Gun Trade News and read them through, to try to take stock of where we have been and what we have been through together in another year in the trade. You can see the highlights on page 13, and they make for some interesting, if slightly gloomy, reading.

What is clear from the past year is that we have some fundamental issues affecting our trade and our ability to turn a reasonable profit, and that those issues don’t seem to be going away soon. I’m talking, of course, about the licensing issues that continue to dog our customers, the distracting lead debate that divides us, and the post-Brexit supply issues that seem to keep dominating our business.

Add in pestilence, plague, death and inflation and we are obviously dealing with a very toxic mix. I heard only this month from one major show organiser who is finding it hard to make exhibitors commit, not because they don’t believe they will do well if they are there, or that they do not see the need for shows and exhibitions, but because large numbers, especially in retail, just are simply not sure if they will have the extra stock to make attending a show worthwhile.

Regular readers of my editorial will by now have probably concluded that I am a fairly gloomy type, always seeing the worst in the environment in which we operate. Actually that is not true. I am an optimist, just one living through difficult times and with a sense of responsibility to report those issues to you.

There are bright spots. I have a genuine sense that we are slowly winning the battle for public opinion. Wild meat is one reason for this, and chimes with a sense that our old-fashioned, nonfactory production of delicious proteins is more sensible in a world that recognises climate change, and that is increasingly aware of the value of the conservation of our great countryside that we represent at our best. Similarly the growth in air rifle ownership and usage, unlicensed and unrecorded, gives me heart and hope for our future. Through my close relationships with the content publishers operating in our industry I know that the magazines

and YouTube channels that are showing the greatest profitability are the airgun-centred ones.

So it’s not all doom and gloom, and I reckon if you have weathered another year, and maybe even turned a profit, then you completely deserve to put your feet up in front of the fire (obviously, don’t turn the central heating on—too expensive) and pour yourself a large one of whatever is you enjoy drinking. And here’s hoping that with some action on licensing, some clarity on lead, and some progress in the economy, next year could well be better than this.

Steve

Finn Administration/HR Manager

Shelley

You may have heard similar comments and, while it’s important to note that no insurance company covers everything, some insurance claims are rejected because clients ignore problems and don’t take advice when something has happened.

SHOULD I TELL MY BROKER?

If you’ve just shot a customer by mistake, then you’ll possibly be torn between giving first aid or calling your broker! But what if you’ve heard of a problem with a gun you’ve sold causing injury or damage?

• CHARGE FOR AND RECORD YOUR WORK If you work on a weapon, charge for it – and make sure your charges allow for time to keep a record.

• IT WILL PROBABLY BE OK, ALTHOUGH If something happens, make a note of the full circumstances straight away – leave it for six months and you may be distracted by a Court Summons.

• DON’T, IN ANY CASE, ADMIT GUILT Even if you think you are in the wrong, you may well void your insurance cover. But it’s always OK to say you’re sorry.

• KEEP WRITTEN RECORDS

No apologies for repeating this: write it down! Most official bodies take the view that if it ain’t written down, it don’t exist.

• TALK TO YOUR BROKER

Another repetition, but please talk to your broker or insurer if you have ANY worries. If you leave it and it becomes a problem, you might not be covered.

In short – don’t ignore problems and do seek advice. We insurance brokers are almost human – please talk to us.

Guncover looks after the needs of over 500 RFDs and 100 shooting grounds – why not give us a call? 0121 327 1977 www.guncover.co.uk

Guncover is a trading name of Aston Lark Limited. Aston Lark Limited is registered in England and Wales, No. 02831010. Registered office: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF. Aston Lark Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, No. 307663.

“Bl**dy insurance companies, take your money and don’t pay out.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Around the UK and abroad, all the top stories digested

Edgar Brothers distribution deal for Airgun Technology

Edgar Brothers has completed a deal to distribute products from Airgun Technology (AGT), backed by the British distributor’s three-year warranty and service protection. The new deal means Edgar Brothers will join existing partners Regael Ltd and Vector Air as UK distributors for the Czech airgun manufacturer. AGN Technology s.r.o. was established in 2013 by Evgeny Pigrov, a well-known name in the competitive world of airgun field target events, with the ambition to produce perfect precharged pneumatic airguns. AGT caters to every discipline with an extensive range of PCPs, from bullpup through carbine to full-length long rifles, using unique design features like the dual bottle ‘King and Prince’ models and luxury materials of carbon fibre, walnut, and high-grade aircraft aluminium. All models are regulated and can be supplied at UK Airgun limits (Sub 12ft/lb) and full power, with a choice of calibres from .177 to .30.

Bird flu continues to rage in France

A second year of disruption to game bird supply looks increasingly likely as bird flu continues to rage through the department of Vendée in Pays de la Loire, western France.

Vendée is a major centre of game bird production for the French and international markets and, with the department now seeing nearly a third of all cases reported in France, and its neighbouring department of Deux-Sèvres also badly affected, it now seems increasingly likely that the disruptions in supply we saw last year will be repeated in 2023.

On 3 December, Agence France Presse reported that 34 locations in Vendée had been identified as affected in October and November, in breeding farms for turkeys and ducks. On 8 December, French news service Ouest France reported that nine new areas in the department had been affected by “la grippe aviaire”, and that the situation was being monitored daily by state services.

The word “crisis” has not yet been used, with the regional authorities so far preferring to speak of an “évolution rapide de la situation”.

On this side of the Channel, though the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland currently appears to be stable, several new cases have been reported in England, notably in East Anglia, but also elsewhere, including a number in Hampshire.

Tom Heapy, Edgar Brothers’ Shooting Sports Director, commented: “The UK PCP market has been going through a growth phase over the last couple of years, and we have been looking out for a partner who can match the demands and deliver an industryleading product. We’re confident we have found this partner in Airgun Technology (AGT). Having seen

first-hand their production facilities and their dedication to quality control, we have every confidence in their ability to deliver a first-class PCP air rifle. As with all great brands, it’s vitally important that there is good availability and a solid and reliable UK support network. Edgar Brothers will ensure that this is the case for AGT.”

Girl Gone Wild

A new frozen ‘wild meat’ brand is available in the UK. Girl Gone Wild has launched with five serves-two ready meals containing venison and pheasant. Founder Mel Phipps’s mission is to “redress some widely held misconceptions” about venison and pheasant. See ggwfoods.co.uk

Barbour to open in Cirencester

Clothing manufacturer Barbour will open a new store in Cirencester. Agents for the firm have applied for planning permission to carry out internal refurbishment, erect new signage and repaint the shop front at 37 Market Place.

Le Chameau helps Dogs Trust

Le Chameau raised £18,865 for Dogs Trust over the Black Friday weekend via a giveback scheme. For every order placed on their website between 15 and 29 November they donated £5 to the animal welfare charity

Purdey smells the steel

Traditional gunmakers Purdey have taken a bold step into the 21st century with the new steel-proofed-asstandard Purdey Sporter. Made entirely at Purdey’s London factory, the new Purdey Sporter has been designed for the rigours of modern shooting and is perfectly suited to handling high cartridge volume. It is available in dedicated 12-, 20- and 28-bore action.

The new Purdey Sporter combines all the features of the original Sporter with some new additions. Among these is Purdey’s special anti-corrosion coating, which is applied to all internal parts of the action

to provide protection against rust, a problem that can be the cause of a large number of mechanical and functional problems.

This new gun also features its own Rose & Scroll engraving pattern as well as the classic Purdey starburst on the base of the action. This is a reinterpretation of Purdey’s traditional Rose & Scroll pattern, which the manufacturer has been using for nearly one hundred and fifty years. It also means that the Purdey Sporter is fully incorporated within the Purdey range of shotguns.

Leica Geovid voted best rangefinders

Leica’s market-leading Geovid Pro 32 10x32 rangefinding binoculars have been awarded Outdoor Life’s highly coveted ‘Editor’s Choice’ award and ‘Best Overall’ in the ‘Best Rangefinders for Hunting in 2022’ category. Now in their 18th year, the annual awards are judged by a panel of optics experts, including Outdoor Life Hunting and Conservation editor Andrew McKean.

The judges’ test was divided into objective and subjective criteria, according to ten categories including measuring optical resolution, low-light performance, image assessment, functionality, ergonomics, versatility, durability and value. Objective evaluations included a resolution test and measurements of field-of-view, eye relief, and true magnification. They also ran every optic through a lowlight test, measuring how deep into the twilight each product could determine detail on a black-and-white resolution target.

Judge Andrew McKean commented: “Simply the smartest, most technologically ad-

vanced rangefinding binocular we’ve tested, it has the added attributes of best-in-class glass and coatings. And it’s sized right for hunters. Lastly, we assessed the extras, including the accessories that it ships with and each submission’s warranty terms. We picked one overall winner to receive our Editor’s Choice award—this year, that goes to Leica’s ground-breaking Geovid Pro 32.”

For enquiries contact ryan.trenka@leicasportop-

Schöffel helps Kids Country

Meanwhile, Schöffel Country raised £17,950 for Kids Country over the same Black Friday weekend, again through a giveback initiative. Kids Country provides hands-on experiences of food, farming and the countryside.

‘Unexpected guests’ appear at Gun Trade Dinner

This year’s Gun Trade Dinner attracted not only 100 industry members but also former US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, our image suggests… The after-dinner collection raised £5,800 for the Gun & Allied Trades Benevolent Society fund.

cartridges

an using European shotgun on protesters

Fr protesters

investigation by France 24 has found that shotgun cartridges made by Franco-Italian manufacturer Cheddite have been used on rs in Iran. The investigators made their discovery after calling on Iranians to send photos of ammunition recovered from protests.

fra to curb deer numbers

fra and the Forestry Commission have set out proposals to control deer numbers in a bid to protect trees, wildlife habitats and crops, according to a report in Farmers Weekly Defra estimates that there are now 2,000,000 deer in Britain, a sharp increase on the 450,000 believed to have comprised the population in the 1970s

BASC Eat Game Awards

It is time to cast your vote for the BASC Eat Game Awards. The BASC is promoting the Eat Game Awards as “a showcase for everything that’s brilliant about wild British game”, and says: “We need your help to find our winners!”

The nominations phase for the Eat Game Awards has closed and a shortlist has been produced in eight categories: best game butcher, best game influencer, best game cook/chef, best game restaurant or pub, best game educator, best small retailer, best added value game product or innovation, and best large retailer. The nominees include new names, with some previous winners also making the shortlist.

Voting is open now for all eight award categories. To cast your vote, simply go to https://basc.org.uk/ vote-now-in-the-eat-game-awards. Here you’ll also find links to the nominees’ websites to give you a bit more background on each to better inform your voting intentions.

The process is straightforward and completely free. Voting closes on 10 January. The top three in each category will then go through to final judging, and the winners will receive their accolade at the Eat Game Awards in London on 23 March. There is a further link on the website where you can buy your tickets for the awards ceremony.

Welsh general licences protected

Proposed changes to general licences for Wales appear to have been avoided, for now. The licences, under which farmers, gamekeepers and pest controllers do their jobs, have become considerably more limited in scope in recent years and further restrictions seemed likely in 2023 after a challenge by environmental campaign group Wild Justice brought the subject into political focus.

However, it does now seem that shooting and countryside organisations have managed to fend off these changes, for the time being at least. A spokesperson for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation said: “The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation had sight of preview versions of the licences. In those, NRW (Natural Resources Wales) had proposed changes that we believed would make the licences unwork able. We suggested changes to these licences.”

Some Welsh gamekeepers and pest controllers re mained unimpressed. Pest shooter Rhys Allan said: “The situation may not have got worse, but we still don’t have some of the major tools we need to protect Wales’s wildlife effectively.”

Alex Sayer joins Fieldsports Press

Alex Sayer joins Fieldsports Press, powering their Gundog Journal and Fieldsports Journal social media accounts. Speaking of the appointment, Alex said: “I’m delighted to be working closely with the Barrs at a publishers that covers the shooting sector almost exclusively. The team is really close and the company very connected, which means we are able to offer our followers and subscribers things like Fairfax and Favor gifts—we do lots of prize giveaways that are a lot of fun! People have long said print is dead but I believe the reverse is true; it offers value and permanence in a society that is ever more disposable. There is no better example of recycling than reading someone else’s magazine!

“I’m also working alongside Rebecca on Sporting Shooter, which I must confess I’d not really read before but highly recommend, especially because a subscription now includes shoot-

ing insurance. Fieldsports Press is an innovative and exciting company that delivers value to your pocket and adventure to your doorstep. I can’t wait to see what the New year brings.”

*Shooting insurance is included with subscriptions to Sporting Shooter, Airgunner, Airgun World, Rifle Shooter, Clay Shooter and Fieldsports Journal

New Mat Manning airgun show

Mat Manning's new airgun show, Airgun Action, a new fortnightly show dedicated to airgun shooting, is now available on Shooting & Country TV (@ShootingCountryTV).

In the first episode of the show, Mat sets his sights on invasive grey squirrels, but with activity still slow around his feeding stations, he adopts a different approach and goes out in active search of the destructive rodents. It proves to be the right decision and Mat makes a decent bag of bushy-tails in front of the cameras—even showing how peanut butter can be used to tempt greedy squirrels.

In the 20-minute show’s review slot,

Mat puts the Niksan Escalade C from Just Airguns through its paces.

Applications open for BASC Council

IN PARLIAMENT

20 October 2022

“If you live somewhere like York and see more and more severe flooding because grouse moor shooting practices have damaged the upper catchment, you will want to see that practice stopped and the land restored. Our incredible natural environment was created to be in perfect balance, but our interference has caused so much harm. ”

“Serious failings” in lead ammunition review, says BASC

BASC has accused the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of serious failings over its lead ammunition re view. BASC says the HSE is “marking its own home work” after the agency failed to respond to feedback and pushed ahead with proposals to restrict the use of lead ammunition.

BASC’s Dr Connor O’Gorman said: “Firearms and ammunition manufacturers, shooting organisa tions, gunshops, clay grounds, rifle ranges, clubs and syndicates and individual shooters have all shown a willingness to engage constructively in last year’s two-month call for evidence. However, our collective feedback was clearly not listened to because the HSE ploughed on regardless with a lead ban proposal, largely cut and pasted from proposals published by the European Chemicals Agency a year earlier.”

Dr O’Gormon has written to the House of Com mons Environment Audit Committee, asking for it

Rachael Maskell, Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport),

Banbury

THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW

The British Shooting Show bucks the doom and gloom of the last few months as it prepares to open its doors at the NEC on February 17-19

“IT’S GREAT, EXHIBITOR attendance numbers are, yet again, up on previous years. It’s going to be a great Christmas for many of our visitors if our ticket sales are anything to go by. I like to imagine them opening those envelopes on Christmas morning, and receiving the gift of British Shooting Show tickets!”

We’re talking to Phil Challands of FRL Media Group, the people behind The British Shooting Show as it enters its 15th year. Recognised throughout the industry as the UK’s largest ‘must visit’ industry event, “It’s placed on a pedestal in line with other prestigious worldwide events such as IWA in Germany and the Shot Show in the USA,” Phil affirms.

The ambition began back in 2008 with what started as a shooter’s dream—to start an event purely for shooters covering all aspects and disciplines.

Phil explains: “While there are an abundance of country fairs throughout the UK, the market would embrace a dedicated shooting show, the idea went.

The Great British Shooting Show was born to serve this requirement, starting from humble beginnings at Newark showground, what followed has been exceptional growth year on year.”

These days the event is a regular fixture at the UK’s largest event centre, The NEC, Birmingham. This centralised location offers direct motorway and rail access, and for international visitors, direct flights to the event centre from around the world.

“The sheer visual overload on entering the exhibition halls is a credit to our industry,” explains Phil, “from the likes of the global manufacturers’ massive commercial island sites with thousands of items on display to the creative and bespoke companies proudly displaying from a smaller booth, the British Shooting Show proudly promotes and supports our smallest exhibitor and our largest global companies with equal exuberance.”

“The ethos of the British Shooting Show is very simple—service the gun trade and not get embroiled in distractions and dilutions outside of our sector. Staying focused enables our platform to deliver a massive continued and dedicated visitor base, while the manufacturers strive to achieve the finest products to serve our ever-demanding public visitor and trade business alike, the quality product ranges from clothing, optics, shotguns, rifles, airguns, night vision, game shoots, luxury holidays, competition shoots and much, much more. The British Shooting Show remains the UK’s undisputed finest platform to promote and educate retail and public alike.”

Industry

“The British Shooting Show simply works,” enthuses Phil. “The massive importance placed on the show by the industry is rewarded by the sheer financial boost the event brings, that being millions of pounds to the gun trade every February.

“Last year alone we had Boss & Co. securing yet another gun order, this time a triple set of shotguns, Bentley selling three vehicles, and that success went all the way to first-time exhibitor Hilditch Wood Design, who secured an enormous gunroom contract— when we heard about that our morale was boosted exponentially!”

One of BSS’s greatest successes is the chance for manufacturers to talk to retail; there have always been pre-booked meetings with the retail sector taking place across the whole show weekend.

According to the organisers, next year will be no different, with many of the company’s meeting slots already having been filled on Friday and Saturday. This can also be confirmed by the level of prebooked meetings taking place in the British Shooting Show meeting rooms, they say.

“Discussion over the summer with retailers has been extremely interesting,” Phil reveals. “July, August and September were somewhat mixed, the topic in most cases was that retailers currently had no stock and were unsure if they would receive products and have enough stock for the show. Here we are in De-

cember with very buoyant retailers reporting plenty of stock arriving daily and on time for the show. The British Shooting Show constantly markets across the printed sector and our massive digital platform; both have played an enormous part in promoting all the exhibitors attending, this offering being another aspect to the UK’s finest industry event having the largest shooting visitor database available. Over the past 15 years this data has proven invaluable and is testament to our company’s continued growth.”

“Continuing with that key word ‘Growth’, we would like to reveal our next phase—Gun Review—our online version of a world recognised TV series where three chaps talk about cars. The Gun Review series brings something completely ridiculous… Three chaps talking about guns!”

“John Allison and Jonny Carter’s concept meeting took place at the British Shooting Show Headquarters with the remit of bringing the new generation of shooters into our wonderful sport. Episode One is live to the world and has been met with overwhelming support from viewers.”

“One last thought—exhibitors and visitors can rest assured the British Shooting Show (as registered firearms dealers ourselves) do everything we can to make working with us a pleasure and a very safe one at that—safe being the operative word. The NEC complex enables the gun trade to operate in a completely safe and secure environment.” GTN GTN

“ The BSS constantly markets across the printed sector and our massive digital platform ”

The BSS offers a great chance for the public to meet the makers

2022: A MIXED BAG

While gloom and doom continued in politics and the economy, the gun trade stayed the course

Some

Hopefully this was the last major twist in the pandemic’s tail, but for a while it felt like we were all back at square one. Optimism began the year.

Brexit, however, may still rumble on for a while. When will any of our political leaders become bold enough to tackle the outstanding issues?

The Guns on Pegs annual survey continues to grow in importance for the industry, highlighting trends and issues at the coal face.

Farewell, Your Majesty. The Queen’s

marked a nadir in a year that was middling at best. The industry lost one of its strongest supporters.

The Turks have been coming for a long time, and the Guns on Pegs survey revealed just how much progress they were making in shotgun sales.

We’ve done what we can, now the fate of lead ammunition is out of our hands. At least we can concentrate on fresh starts, just like IWA.

Another success story: SGC has continued to pick up distribution deals, and later in the year made the move into owning a shoot for themselves.

The HSE proposals got their first real airing, and a shocked industry came together in a relatively united front over the next six months.

death

The beginnings of what now seems to be a fairly steady course towards further consolidation in our sector: bigger, more robust firms taking over.

No guns, no pheasants, as a toxic storm of Brexit, war, avian flu and general economic decline gelled together in another tricky period for the trade.

more of the same as Beretta continued its ambitious growth-by-acquisition programme. Has it stopped there? We will have to wait and see…

Annual Home Office figures showed a decline in the number of licensed shooters; at the same time we all knew that airguns were still flying.

Are you independent or one of a chain? Who do you report to?

There are two branches to this company. We are independent and everyone reports to me, basically. The two shops swap stock between them and so, between us, we can get our hands on almost everything our clients want.

The one member of staff you couldn’t live without and why…

That’s not a very fair question—they are all valuable members of staff. Some of them do the online stuff, others are on the front line. I’m close to all my staff. They are all my right-hand people.

But if I really could only choose one, I think that would have to be my son, Johnathan. Not just because he’s my son but because, in a business sense, he knows how I work, how I like things done, and we are very similar. That’s probably why we have such animated chats!

Tell us a little more about yourself, and why you’re running a gun shop tell us what your passions are…

I love shooting and try to go to a different country each year, trying out the different quarry, the variety in hospitality customs, and of course the food!

I’m in the trade because I like meeting people. When it comes to business, I like to do things that are different. I like to offer something different. That’s what I do. My main passion is customer service. There’s a lot of computers around these days, so face-to-face interactions are more and more important. I like to do what is best for the customer.

We do a very thorough gun fit service. Sometimes the gun that fits best is the cheapest. If that’s the case, that’s what I’ll recommend. We are lucky here because there’s an onsite gunsmith and I’m a gunsmith too, so we can do professional alterations here and cast a stock, no problem. I’ve done gun fits for quite a few professional shotgun coaches—which reminds me… I’m on the lookout for a couple of gunsmiths if anyone would like to get in touch?

What has been the most successful product (or area) for you in the past year?

We have had a great deal of success with the Typhoon F12. Perhaps that’s because we are the sole UK distributor, that might be something to do with it. All joking aside, do check out the F12. It’s a boxfed Section 1 shotgun. Definitely worth a try, and practical shooting is a great genre that brings people into the sport.

What’s your clientele like?

I have anyone and everyone in my shop. I don’t judge people. They can come to me to buy a pellet or a Purdey, We treat everyone the same because you just never know…

What was your best day ever?

This isn’t to do with work but it is to do with shoot-

ing. I took my son Johnathan out on a walked-up day. He was about ten and I presented him with his first over & under, a Laurona. (I was importing them at the time.)

Shortly afterwards he saw a hare, and pointing at it, screamed, “Look Dad!”

I said, “Don’t point at it, shoot it!” He missed it with the first and rolled it over with the second barrel. What a brilliant moment that was, to see your son do that. That was my ‘best day ever’. I think I was more pleased than he was.

Who’s your best customer?

I always have a strong rapport with my customers, as I’m sure we all do, but there is one gentleman who always buys from us. He rings me up and asks whether I’ve got this or that in, and if I say yes, he snaps my hand off and asks when the soonest delivery will be. He never asks the price. We both look after each other.

What’s your funniest or most memorable story about a customer?

I suppose it was at the Game Fair a few years ago. While we were on the stand, there were some kids running round, absolute riot, out of control up and down the aisles, so I shouted at the top of my voice: “Right, you two. Stop!” The kids just froze.

One of the mums was so relieved someone had taken control of the children for her she said she was taking me home with her!

Another time, I was showing a lady a knife and she asked me how sharp it was. I rolled up my sleeve and stripped some of the hair off my wrist with it, to demonstrate the sharpness. She got quite excited and said she was taking me home so I could shave her legs in the same way!

I’ve got lots of stories like that and they always make my day. I can safely say I’ve got a lot of happy memories from customers in the shop and from people out at the shows.

What do you anticipate will be the biggest trends for the next year?

We’ve invested heavily in both air pistols and air rifles. Both are on the up. When my son was young and in the Scouts, I really tried to work with them to put on some shooting but it didn’t happen. Nowadays, though, the Scouts are doing shooting, and Cheshire Gun Room supplies them.

When you order stock, what’s the first thing you put down?

I’m constantly ordering guns and air rifles. We are only just keeping up with the demand. The Weirauchs, BSAs and Berettas just fly out the door.

Any other interesting facts about the business?

I wasn’t really looking for another shop when Bolton came along. I believe the police were closing down Target Sports, so I went to have a look and thought it would be a good idea to buy the building, which I did. We tore it apart, instated a new team, got some fresh blood in, and that worked well. The Bolton branch looks after one half; Manchester and Stockport looks after the other. There are some customers in Bolton that have never left the town. Overall it was a fantastic move for the company and it is a successful shop.

What do you like about working in a gun shop? The staff and the customers.

Are people surprised when you tell them you own/run a gun shop?

Obviously, there’s a lot of people out there that already know what I do. When it comes to strangers, I normally say I’m involved in the Fieldsports sector. Another good line is “I have a couple of retail outlets.” After a while, if we get on okay, I might tell them I have a shop with sporting shotguns and they always say, “Oh, I bet that’s interesting.” And it sure as hell is! GTN

For our featured Store of the Month this month we travel up to the northwest of the country to meet John Farrugia of the Cheshire Gun Room

“ I’m actually on the lookout for a couple of gunsmiths if anyone would like to get in touch ”

John Farrugia runs two outlets as the Cheshire Gun Room

Johnathan is John's righthand man, and his son too, which is nice.

AIRGUN HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022

Mat Manning looks back on the most memorable airgun and optics releases from the past year

AFTER two years of disruption to production, distribution and just about everything else in the airgun supply chain, 2022 turned out to be something of a vintage year.

Several established gunmakers unveiled impressive new hardware to bolster their position at the top of the industry, while a few new names rocked up to stake their own claim on the airgun scene.

From programmable PCPs to affordable breakbarrels, the past year has seen a whole raft of new airgun launches. Some excellent optics also hit the market, with digital day and night scopes not only boasting enhanced performance but also getting more affordable.

Here are some of the most memorable highlights from the past year’s new airguns and optics.

BROCOCK GHOST

Daystate’s sister company Brocock rebranded as BRK towards the end of the year, and on the same day launched its new Ghost PCP. The gun emphasises the synergy between the two businesses, drawing on many of the Alpha/Delta Wolf features, including a super-rigid monobloc chassis, but powered by a fuss-free mechanical action.

The first airgun to bear the BRK moniker, the Ghost is a rugged bullpup built to withstand the rigours of field use while also delivering excellent accuracy. Available in several formats, including

AIRMAKS ARMS

Most of us got out first glimpse of AirMaks airguns on the CDR Guns stand at the British Shooting Show in February. Since then, the Prague-based business has gone from strength to strength.

AirMaks airguns have a tactical look and feel, and the range includes some extremely compact models. The Caiman is a clamshell-stocked bullpup, the Katran is a rifle with a folding stock, and the Krait is a utilitarian bullpup designed for functionality. The latter incorporates a lot of adjustability, and all models come in a variety of calibres, barrel lengths and

PARD NV008S

Pard already had an enviable reputation for producing affordable, compact and reliable night vision optics that are easy to use, and the new NV008S and NV008S LRF, unveiled by Sportman Gun Centre at the British Shooting Show, has become another favourite with airgun shooters.

Like its predecessor, the new model remains extremely compact, but is equipped with even more features. Its sharp colour daytime viewing and impressive night vision image quality are backed up by a ballistic calculator and a rangefinder (LRF model only) that can accurately gauge distance to target out to 1,200m. The display can even be set to show dials giving a live reading of cant and vertical angle—a nice

a super-stubby version, it is equipped with a firing cycle which remains smooth even at extreme power levels. But its standout feature is adjustable power with 20 different output levels on sub-12 and highpower models.

BSA R-12 CLX

Legendary Birmingham gunmaker BSA Guns marked its 160th anniversary last year with the launch of the Ultra CLX. This year the business maintained the theme when it unveiled its new flagship airgun, the R-12 CLX Pro.

This regulated PCP boasts a slick sidelever action, 12-shot magazine and sumptuous Minelli thumbhole stock. Although the R-12 looks similar to its predecessor, the R-10, almost all components are new to the model, although the versatile CCS shroud/silencer system is still present.

ASELKON AIRGUNS

Aselkon is another brand that hit the scene with a bang in 2022. The Turkish business was already a leading manufacturer of cranes but recently turned its design and production knowhow to shotguns and then to airguns. Distributed in the UK by RayTrade, Aselkon airguns deliver affordability without

DAYSTATE ALPHA WOLF

Just as we thought that Daystate had hit the pinnacle of airgun technology with its electronic Delta Wolf, along came the Alpha Wolf. Similar to its predecessor, the Alpha Wolf comes with updated firmware and the ability to connect to your PC for update downloads and tuning tweaks. If that’s not enough, it comes in an eye-catching red laminate stock that can’t possibly be missed on the range.

Other features include quick barrel and calibre change and a seemingly endless choice of tuneability via its touch-screen electronic interface, as well as onboard chronograph, electronic air regulation, ART barrel, adjustable cheek support and butt pad, fully-adjustable trigger, high-capacity carbon bottle and multiple accessory rails.

Traditionalists

name suggests, has a bolt-action cocking and loading mechanism and sits inside an elegant sporter stock.

any apparent corner-cutting on build quality and performance. The Aselkon RX1250 is a cracking entry-level break-barrel that retails for around £160. Its stylish synthetic thumbhole stock is sculpted for comfort and robust enough to stand up to unforgiving field use. Available in .177, .22 and .25 calibres, and equipped with open sights, it weighs just 3.2kg.

touch that helps to keep shots on the mark when you’re tackling tricky targets at night.

Other features include video recording, one-shot zero, a choice of reticles and an onboard illuminator that gives a detection range of up to 200m.

HIKMICRO ALPEX A50T

HikMicro has had a remarkable year, launching numerous infrared and thermal optics, all of which combine competitive pricing with excellent performance and easy operation. Unsurprisingly, airgun shooters have been quick to embrace the brand.

Just a few months after its launch, the HikMicro Alpex A50T is becoming a firm favourite with shooters who use airguns for round-the-clock pest control. Supplied with its own illuminator and mount, it produces a very sharp infrared image by night as well as full-colour viewing by day and in twilight courtesy of a 1920x1080 sensor resolution, 50hz frame rate and 1024x768 HD OLED display.

Shaped like a normal telescopic sight, and built around a 30mm tube, the Aplex is equipped with a choice of reticles in a variety of colours, and an integral rechargeable battery with a very impressive runtime. Other features include one-shot zeroing, multiple saved zero profiles and recording direct to onboard memory. GTN

were pleased to see the R-12 CLX Bolt Action variant added to the BSA Guns line-up towards the end of the year. This airgun shares all the innovations of the Pro model, including a redesigned regulator but, as its

bottle sizes. Equipped with famously accurate CZ barrels, the AirMaks range of PCPs is available in a variety of power levels.

EARLY

Unimpressed by the general state of the world, vintage gun expert the heaving showrooms of Norfolk

VIEWERS of the evening news could be forgiven for thinking that the world is going to hell in a Lada handcart, courtesy of Vlad the De-railer of Western economies.

There is very little good news around and highstreet spending has tumbled. Hospitality businesses are facing closure and there are no staff to do the work that companies need to get done in order to work themselves out of the slump.

We are facing a modern Winter of Discontent, with mail and rail workers taking industrial action, NHS staff calling for strikes and the Government telling everyone they have no money—partly because they seem to have given quite a lot of it to Michelle Mone.

Amidst the ‘doomsters and gloomsters’ of Johnsonian fable, one of our number, at least, is celebrating Christmas a few weeks early. That is the gun trade’s very own master of opportunism, Nick Holt. Should the Ukraine War descend into Armageddon, cockroaches and Nick Holt will doubtless survive and even thrive!

Standing proud in a sea of economic sewerage, Holts appear to have shown the world that there is still demand for old guns, that the buyers will come if you create the right environment for them, and that as one door closes, another one opens. The rest of the trade would do well to take note and make alternative plans.

The Holts sale

I watched the sale online. I watched as the lots in which I had an interest sailed past their reserves, past my upper-most limits, and into the realms of retail purchase. When auctioneers are selling guns for more than a dealer can expect to make, the trade falls away and the direct-to-end-user market takes over. Holts have been pushing this for years and the market now seems to see them as a retail environment. Moreover, an internet retail environment. As expected, American buyers came in strongly to take advantage of the weak pound. Australian interest in British gun sales is also robust at present.

The headliner for the sale results had to be the dual between one man in the room and one man on the telephone scrapping it out for a 20-bore Boss over & under.

When it topped out at £130,000 on the hammer, with the telephone bidder in the ascendent, there was an almighty slap as the loser smacked his catalogue into the seat in disgust. Deep pockets or not, everyone has a limit. I wonder if he is now sitting at home, wondering where he will find another one like it for less money.

Where the auction best bucked the market was in the impressive feat of selling all but two of over eighty boxlocks in the sale. They were realistically priced but some made double the estimate. A lot of these sold to American buyers making the most of the British shooter’s disdain for these lovely old guns and the weak pound. They will turn over for a good profit on the US market.

This success is at least partly attributable to the efforts of Holts in promoting the guns and pricing them sensibly.

The efforts of Dickson owner J-P Daeschler are reviving the fortunes of the brand and Dickson guns are now making very good money. Some of those sold at Holts, even with thin barrel walls, one hit a figure three times what the estimate had been when bidding was finally over.

A Boss over & under, steel proofed in 2018, estimate £85-£95,000, sold for £130,000

reversal in the trend of empty auction rooms ”

at auction than he would have done if he had sold them privately. They are quite clearly very hard to value accurately.

As the totals began to come in, it became apparent that the sale had been a huge success, with 84% sold on the day of the sale and the remainder already attracting bids through the online sales platform allowing viewers to bid on each un-sold lot listed.

December 1 saw the Sealed Bids auction (of over five thousand lots) close and the huge task of assessing the bids made and working out who had bought what, then invoicing them and preparing purchases for collection or despatch began.

When the dust had settled, the entire sale had netted £2,200,000 in guns sold.

So, we have, this month, seen a reversal in the trend of empty auction rooms, and a resurgence in purchases even in a falling market. Perhaps many of

Victoria to give as a gift to husband, Prince Albert, in 1850. Another notable was a Purdey .500 (3 1/4in) black powder double hammer rifle made in 1876 for Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond. There was also a very good Thomas Horsley side-lever hammer 12-bore.

Dickson enthusiasts will have noted a very unusual Beesley-type self-opening sidelock ejector, built in 1910, which is one of very few made by the Edinburgh firm. With a very active Dickson Owners’ Club now in existence, this would provide a great talking point at gatherings of predominantly roundaction owners.

Gavin’s estimates looked rather optimistic at first reading but I have seen sought-after and rare pieces sell there for far in excess of what I would have expected before, so I will be interested to see how the sale goes.

A pre-World War One glazed sign measuring a little over two foot tall sold for £1,100, well in excess of its £200-300 estimate

ALL IN GOOD FAITH?

Legal expert Stuart Farr ruminates on the gun trade’s old habits, and suggests that sometimes a bit of paper might be sensible to go along with the time-honoured handshake

IN my professional life, there is one thing which really stands out for me about the gun trade. Of all the industries and sectors I have experienced, within the gun trade it is noticeable that the humble handshake not only persists as a method of doing business, but when it is used it actually seems to mean something. It is not used merely as an idle gesture.

For me—and I suspect for many others—that is symbolic. It speaks volumes of an industry which is steeped in history, has seen both good and bad times, but is nonetheless comfortable in its own skin.

We all got out of the habit of shaking hands with each other during the lockdowns, and to be truthful it felt a bit weird. For me, it is one of those social interactions which I missed the most. Elbow bumping was fine as a substitute, I suppose, but it was a bit of a novelty and lacked the sincerity that comes from a firm handshake. And of course we should definitely not refer to the handshaking phenomenon as the ‘gentleman’s’ handshake any longer, because women shake hands too and have been doing so for just as long as the blokes. It all means the same thing, whoever does it.

Shaking hands has its pros and cons. By that, I don’t mean the physical consequences associated with disease transmission (urgh!). I am referring to its social meaning. Besides, I personally don’t spit on my hand before I shake. That’s a bit of a ‘no-no’, especially in these post-pandemic sensitive times. Some still do, though in all conscience it is not something I am seeking to encourage.

The good

To its benefit, a handshake on a ‘deal’ confers trust and confidence between the handshakers. It acts as an unspoken commitment to see the deal through, and it also signifies a bond of mutual respect between the parties.

The downside to shaking hands is that it often replaces anything which could otherwise have been easily confirmed in writing. It is therefore more prone to misinterpretation—as to the precise terms of the deal, rather than the intent or honesty between the parties.

Miscommunications which are then ‘sealed’ by a handshake can sometimes give rise to embarrassing moments, or even, in some cases, entrenchment. Admittedly, this is less so now that communications have improved so greatly but, nevertheless, I have come across instances where a handshake deal can become a very protracted affair indeed, especially if one party decides to dig in their heels (and by ‘heel’ I am obviously referring to all heel variations, including, for instance, the wellie and the stiletto!).

the contract itself. And in doing so, they must exercise extreme care in terms of what they ask for.

The bad

Occasionally, the Courts take a look at this to see whether the law needs to change, and generally speaking the Courts decide that is doesn’t. This happened recently in the 2022 case of Optimares SpA -v-Qatar Airways Group QCSC.

The Qatar Airways case concerned a contract for the design, manufacture, sale and delivery of airline seats for commercial aircraft. The airline unilaterally terminated the contract just as the supplier was on the verge of delivery. The justification was that the supplier had already missed several deadlines for delivery and so there was a genuine concern that

The case demonstrates how important it is for contracting parties who want to express a requirement to act in good faith should do so very carefully and precisely; otherwise the risk is that the good faith provision could be rendered meaningless.

The ugly

To my mind, ‘good faith clauses’ are counter-intuitive in many business transactions because, it seems to me, merely requesting a good faith clause implies that one, or both, of the parties does not trust the other to begin with and is more concerned about protecting themselves should any bad faith element creep in somewhere.

Some contracts will enable one party or another to exercise a contractual ‘discretion’—in other words, the contract itself empowers a party to make its own decision regarding the performance of the contract without input from the other side. In cases such as these, the courts will generally require the party exercising its discretion not to do so irrationally or unreasonably.

A handshake therefore introduces an important element of ‘good faith’ into any business transaction. But why do I say ‘introduces’? Was there no obligation or duty of good faith otherwise? It may surprise you to learn this but, in the eyes of the law, no, I’m afraid there wasn’t!

Save in relatively few exceptions (insurance contracts being one notable example), it is long established that English contract law lacks a doctrine or duty to act in ‘good faith’. Good faith is therefore never implied into contracts. Instead, there is a general recognition that parties to contracts can look to protect their own specific commercial interests. If they wish to introduce a good faith requirement, then parties must expressly write such a commitment into

the supplier would ultimately fail to meet its commitments. The supplier sued and argued that the airline’s decision to terminate had been made in bad faith. The supplier sought to rely on a contractual term which required the parties to ‘act in good faith in the performance of their respective responsibilities and obligations’.

In a decision which, in my view, exercised profound logic, the court held that termination of a contract did not fall within the meaning of ‘responsibilities and obligations’ and so the good faith clause did not apply. It let the airline off the hook and said it was entitled to look after its own commercial interests when terminating; it did not have an obligation to act in good faith.

So, when that is all said and done, maybe that is where the answer lies as to why the gun trade goes around doing all this handshaking funny business: what the law lacks in terms of injecting a duty of good behaviour into relationships, the trade makes up for it in abundance.

Having said that, there is no escaping that, despite the world becoming a much smaller place, there are still relationships which haven’t yet been formed or those which need time to bond. Consequently, please pause before stretching out your hand and consider whether everything is in place, and that you have adequate protections behind you. A written document can provide these for you and, once the proper wording is in place, there is no reason why the handshaking cannot then commence with gusto and confidence. GTN GTN

“ It is long established that English contract law lacks a doctrine or duty to act in ‘good faith' ”

BEST BUYS

Highlights of reviews from consumer magazines

HikMicro Falcon FQ50 Pro

Paul Austin runs the rule over HikMicro’s Owl replacement

HikMicro are back with yet another thermal release in the form of the Falcon, a direct replacement for their Owl series of spotters. In essence it’s a very simple device but that’s not a bad thing. Navigation is straightforward, with four nicely raised buttons driving all the key functions.

The first is for power on/off, with a short press for standby; it boots in roughly eight seconds. The next button toggles between pic and video capture via an extended press, while the third switches between the four colour modes – white hot, black hot, red hot and fusion. The final button resets the sensor with a long press and cycles between the four mag settings. The base mag of 2.6 is fine but I always prefer 2.0, or close to it, so in that regard the Falcon is better suited to anyone shooting over open country.

The big USP, at least from a marketing perspective, is the unit’s <20mK NETD thermal sensitivity, which technically outperforms the <25mK NETD of the Pulsar Helion 2 XP50 Pro. The Pulsar still sets the standard for thermal spotters in my opinion, but costs roughly £950 more.

Although the Falcon technically has the edge, it’s more a matter of taste than of technology. The bias of the image leans towards the primary heat source, which at close range delivers exceptionally detailed images of the quarry. The problem is that this does tend to detract form the overall picture, so foreground and background elements do tend to lose some detail.

It’s great in open country and there’s absolutely no chance of missing any opportunity, but in complex shooting scenarios such woodland I prefer the more balanced image of the Helion. The Falcon is by no means alone in this heat-source-centric approach, as

the iRay range also follows this system. As I say, it’s more a matter of taste than technology. The Falcon is a great spotter for the money and definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a thermal that delivers exceptional detection at a distance.

Ceská Zbrojovka 457 Synthetic

I chose four different subsonic loads for this test. First up were my old faithfuls — the Eley 38-gr subs. In cold conditions, their average velocity was a sluggish 942fps and 75ft/lb, but for all that they achieved 0.45in 30-yard groups and 0.65in 50-yard groups.

The Norma subs actually shot a bit faster than the Eleys due to their 40-gr bullet weight, reaching 944fps for 79ft/lb. They achieved 0.65in 30-yard groups. Moving on to heavier loads, the newer CCI Suppressors were quiet and used a 45gr bullet at 939fps and 88ft/lb to hit 0.55in 30yard and 0.65in 50-yard groups. Certainly a hard hitter. Going the opposite way, the RWS Z Lang 29-gr bullets achieved 746fps and 36ft/lb for a quiet, shorter-range load, and produced 0.95in 30-yard groups.

This 457 Synthetic will be used primarily for rabbiting, and initial handling and shooting were favourable. Even with scope and sound moderator fitted, the rifle is still lightweight and allows a stress-free shooting stance. It feels well planted in the hand—even in the odd positions often necessary out in the field—and I prefer the better-positioned safety on this model for hunting use. Similarly, the soft-touch finish to the stock and sling studs aid grip and deaden sound, perfect on a hunting rifle. I shot some longer-range bunnies out to 80 yards

time too, which speeds up the firing pin travel and thus enhances accuracy and consistency in your group sizes.

this CZ. And that digital camo pattern was very effective in concealment and reducing stock flare that could otherwise spook the bunnies.

CZ’s rimfire combines accuracy with reliability at a competitive price, says Bruce Potts

So enamoured was I with my innate ability to hit things that I started to get a little silly, calling for random birds with an unloaded gun, seeing how far I could push my luck. The gun was magic, I was less magic, but I left the experience with a

Beretta BRX1

Straight-pull rifles that require no pivoting movement of the bolt to operate have always been popular in Europe due to their speed, which is beneficial for the continental style of driven game. Why is it, then, that straight pulls are becoming more widespread, with more manufacturers turning to this type of system and a number showing up more regularly in British gunshops? Most shooters don’t like change but many think they need that fast action for a second shot or simply like something a bit different.

Beretta has ventured into the rifle market with its own linear design with the BRX1. The gun has some really interesting features, such as the interchangeable barrel system for calibre exchange out in the field, reversible linear bolt handle, pre-set three trigger weight options, an eight-lug bolt (16 for magnum calibres) for utter strength and reliability with a three-position safety. It also possesses an integral Picatinny scope rail, detachable magazine and twopiece high-performance black polymer stock with spacers to alter length of pull (LOP).

The recommended price is £1,500, which is another incentive to look at this exciting new rifle.

The top half of the action is all bolt, with a covering plastic shroud and bottom half that runs on twin parallel rails either side of the action; a singlerelease catch to the left allows the whole bolt to slide out to clean the barrel. You can now see the large stainless-steel eight-lug bolt head that engages when fully forward into the rear of the barrel chamber and abutments. A small inset extractor removes the spent case and ejection is courtesy of the sprung plunger, and the whole bolt head can be reversed so cases are ejected from either side. Again, very handy. Manipulation of this linear bolt system is via the static bolt handle: just pull back and then forward. There is no

big smile on my face and the sudden urge to find a 28-bore version of this gun to bring home and join the family.

But where does this gun ultimately belong? The model on test is yearning to be used for traditional

movement of the bolt handle, as with some straight pulls that have two positions. This feels a more assured, locked or not, so no mistakes in the field.

The bolt handle can be deployed via a single push button released to the left side, making this rifle truly versatile. At the rear of the bolt is the three-position sliding safety catch: position 1 (topmost) is shoot; position 2 locks the trigger but frees the bolt for safe loading and unloading; and position 3 has both the trigger and bolt locked.

I like the barrel with its Sporter 16mm diameter muzzle thread for 14mm/1 metric and matt blued finish. It is easily removed from the chassis and so calibres can be exchanged. It also has a long cantilevered Picatinny rail that projects over the top of the action without contact, so scope fitting it is easy.

To conclude, the question remains: do you really need a straight pull? I think the Beretta BRX1 answers this by shooting so well and at a price as keen as the rifle is efficient. What are you waiting for?

Bruce Potts says Beretta’s new BRX1 linear bolt action is heading to the top of the stalking rifle charts

PUTTING GAME ON THE CHRISTMAS TABLE

Liam Stokes from the British Game Association extends his sincere hope that eating game is for life, and not just for Christmas

WHETHER we like it or not, Christmas and New Year is a time for game. Game sales surge at this time of year, and supermarkets multiply all their wild meat lines. Given that it is our job to get game onto people’s plates, I might sound a little ungrateful for this sudden interest in our sector. But we want to grow beyond the festive period. We talk of “all year round” as the mountain top for which we are aiming.

So we can be a bit Scrooge-like about the festive excitement for game. “Oh, now you want high-welfare, wild-harvested meat!” But we’re not alone in that sensation. Butchers who pass the rest of the year busting a gut for customers spend December putting crowd-control measures in place to handle the queues of newly-conscientious consumers desperate for a free-range turkey.

This year of course, the rush for turkeys hit a road bump in the form of bird flu. I wrote about this extensively in my last column for Gun Trade News, and its impact on the game meat sector. Since then— and I type this while touching all the wood I can lay my hands on—the effect on shooting has not been quite as bad as we feared. There are certain areas, certain shoots, that have been decimated, and my heart goes out to them. But in many places the season continues unabated.

Shift in patterns

The effect on the game sector has in fact been indirect, a shift in patterns of demand driven by the far worse repercussions being experienced by the poultry sector, and the free-range poultry sector espe-

cially. A great deal of British game is currently being exported, in feather, to the Continent. This has long been business as usual with wild-shot mallard, but this year there is a roaring demand for game birds in Europe, to make up the shortfall in the farmed duck that constitutes a significant percentage of European Christmas table birds. The interesting question is whether this trend is a flash in the pan, driven by the bird flu epidemic that has sadly carried off so many farmed ducks around the world, or whether it might prove a little more sticky. Much will depend on whether bird flu remains endemic and the on-going regulatory response to the disease.

Similar considerations abound in the UK, where free-range producers are reeling. The exact make-up of the problem is hard to get a handle on. The press is full of stories of festive turkey shortages, and it is certainly true that free-range producers are taking the brunt of the storm. The food industry data we monitor is very clear, turkey availability (like eggs) is way, way down, and free-range is especially hard to come by.

Yet, anecdotally, the way this news is being spread is causing a headache for small producers who are not experiencing problems with AI. Small-scale

farmers have taken to the press to bemoan a drop in demand as consumers are reading about turkey shortages and opting for alternatives. This is likely to be a highly localised situation, because a quick trip to your local butcher’s or farm shop would show the laws of supply and demand in full swing.

Not deer

At BGA we did just such market research, and found whole free-range turkeys being sold for £90-plus, crowns going for over £40, and butterflies for £35. Pheasants, by comparison, were around a tenner a brace. What, then, to do with this information?

This is a challenge because a great many game shots, shoot owners and game cooks are also somehow engaged in farming. Even if they aren’t, game shooting is one thread in the rich tapestry of rural life and the working landscape. It is always difficult to strike the balance between promoting game and running down the alternatives, and this is something over which we often take criticism.

The fact is, any positive choice is also inherently a negative choice. By choosing game, you are for at least that one meal choosing not to eat, for example, turkey. And so the choice is comparative by nature.

It is not always enough to talk about the value of game in isolation. It’s leanness, or its micro-nutrient content, or even its environmental credentials, only make sense in comparison with other choices. So all food marketing, to some degree, implies criticism of the competition.

This issue becomes all the more sensitive, perhaps, when the point of difference is price and the driver is a disease. Yet it is my view that BGA exists to promote game, and it would be a failure in our responsibilities to everyone who donates to the cause not to share the simple fact that, this season, one of the key virtues of game is price.

This is an unusual promotional angle for us. We all know game can be obtained for free if you’re willing to put in the work or make the right friends, but it tends to arrive braced up with bailer twine and in need of plucking and drawing—skills that have long since fled the vast majority of modern cooks. So we tend to promote processed game, ready-tocook—and that is expensive, in comparison (that word again) with other seemingly similar meats.

An opportunity to position game as the more affordable option cannot be missed, especially at a time of year when people want high-welfare, and at a point in the economic cycle where everyone is feeling the pinch. The festive shopper wants freerange—and argue as much as you like about the early weeks spent on a game farm, game in season is as free-range as it gets. I hope farmers understand this is not about doing them down: it is about building game up. And let’s be honest, turkey is always going to do pretty well at Christmas!

“

There is a roaring demand for game birds in Europe, to make up the shortfall in the farmed duck ”

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY BOWL IN THE WINDOW?

Skinner's Dog food

Skinner’s work hard to be one of the most recognised brands in fieldsports, sponsoring Shooting Times’ famous dog of the week for example. So why not cash in on some of that marketing spend yourself? Huge range with a variety of prices.

Roger Skinner Limited 01379 384247

Bisley Deluxe 6mm Gundog Slip Lead

All Bisley leads are proudly made in the UK, the new 6mm Gundog Slip Lead is no exception. Manufactured in a premium rope, this lead is compact by its design to easily be rolled up and popped in a pocket when not in use. The Deluxe 6mm Gundog Lead is available in four colours; green, red, blue or natural, and is 6mm in diameter with a length of 120cm. The leads feature a rubber stop and nickel slide.

RRP £9.95

John Rothery Wholesale 023 9224 5350 sales@bisley-uk.com

Acme Dog Training Clicker

RRP £16.49

John

Pure Meat Stick

The award winning Pure Range is made from the finest cuts of 100% fresh meat… that’s it! Grain and gluten free—no additives, no preservatives, no fillers… nothing. These delicious meat sticks are responsibly sourced from Europe and made from the best cuts of human-grade meat. They are suitable for all breeds and both kibble and raw-fed dogs can enjoy the benefits of these treats. There are 12 varieties to choose from, and with several healthy and hypoallergenic choices there is something for every dog, no matter how complex their dietary needs.

eties to choose from, and with several healthy and

RRP £3.99 (50g)

JR Petproducts 01874 250 036 enquiries@jrpetproducts.com

Dog Bed Rouge

This 1000 denier, scratch-resistant dog bed comes in three different sizes to perfectly suit the canine companion in your life. The firm foam bed-wall provides support for the soft tweed inner and double-sided cushion, creating the perfect spot to snuggle up and relax after a long country walk. The dog will ike it,

too. Available in three sizes: small (60cm), medium (70cm), and large (80cm).

RRP £80-£120

Le Chameau 01572 772 444 customerservices@lechameau.com

Market Opportunities: Dogs

Le Chameau Dog Coat Rouge

Keep your four-legged friend warm and dry with a dog coat for the chilly winter months. Available in three sizes—small (35cm), medium (47cm) and large (58cm)—ensuring most dog breeds are catered for. This dog apparel is perfect for all weather conditions and activities, ensuring your dog will stay comfortable out in the hardest of weathers or ter-

rains. The durable outer fabric and luxurious fleece

lined inner will keep your pet warm and comfortable on long walks. A hole at the neck means you can attach your lead to your dog’s collar when wearing the coat.

RRP £35 Le Chameau 01572 772 444 customerservices@lechameau.com

Dog Lead Rouge

Tuffies Dog Bed

RRP £35

Le Chameau 01572 772 444

to-use clip and ring for attaching waste bags.

This premium leather dog lead comes in Le Chameau's luxurious Rouge colour, perfectly matched to the premium dog collar. This hard-wearing, resilient leather lead with reinforced handle will remain strong and in good condition even after walks in the harshest of elements. It features antique brass buckles and tags which include an easyto-use clip and ring for attaching waste bags.

Ruff And Tumble Drying Coats

Ruff and Tumble’s Drying Coat dries your dog in minutes and takes the hassle out of managing wet dogs. Imagine a car that isn’t mud splattered and whiffy, or a kitchen without a heap of smelly, damp towels. Simply slip a Ruff and Tumble Drying Coat over your wet dog, fasten around the belly and neck with easy-to-use Velcro, and your job is done. Two layers of absorbent towelling wick away wet from your dog, and the soft cotton is comfortable and cosy for them to wear.

RRP from £31.95 (Country Dog pictured £46.95)

Ruff And Tumble 0333 207 9960 ruffandtumbledogcoats.com/pages/contact-us

Animology Dirty Dawg

No Rinse Shampoo

Dirty Dawg is a vitamin and conditioner enriched no-rinse dog shampoo spray with a deep cleaning action that removes dirt and odour. It has a mild pH balanced formulation and is infused with the Animology signature scent for a fresh smelling coat. The Animology no-rinse shampoo sprays are a great way to help keep your dog clean between washes, effectively loosening dirt, helping to keep your dog clean and fresh.

RRP £5.50

John Rothery Wholesale 023 9224 5350

sales@bisley-uk.com

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Pawfit 2

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better. Optional soft covers turn them into luxurious

Handmade in Scotland, Tuffies offer a huge range of beautifully-crafted dog beds, from the Mini Wolf Den (pictured) to large unchewable beds designed for the more boisterous incumbent. They are made with waterproof fabric and can be washed clean. The beds are filled with a futon mattress, not simply stuffed, so keep their shape and comfort much better. Optional soft covers turn them into luxurious hideaways.

RRP from £67 to £202 Tuffies 01888 563288 sales@tuffies.co.uk

Dog Transit Box

Lintran have a massive range of dog transport boxes to fit every vehicle, and will also offer a customised box at a small premium. All Lintran boxes have a leak proof base (to contain any “accidents” and mud), so are easy to clean. The black powder coated metalwork features lockable double doors and a mesh roof panel for great ventilation. They are lightweight and easy to handle on your own. Boxes feature solid white sides as standard, keeping harmful UV rays and heat from your dog, in fact temperatures inside the box can be up to 20°C cooler compared to a black box.

RRP from £360 Lintran 01673 88 59 59 info@lintran.co.uk

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• Fully waterproof up to 3 metres (IPX8)

• Up to 6 days battery life

• Embedded SIM with coverage in both Europe and North America

RRP £49.50 plus subscription (from £3.99/month)

Latsen Technology sales@pawfit.com

LAWKS–A-LAWDY

Caroline Roddis wonders if we’ve ever had it so good, with dishy Rishi as our number one

SO Keir Starmer wants to abolish the House of Lords. It’s not my idea of a good policy, even considering the absolute muppets who these days get propelled into those plush red seats due to years of dedicated cronyism, but it did get me thinking about representation.

It’s tempting to think that, by virtue of having masses of land to manage, the few remaining hereditary peers are a bastion of rural sentiment against a tide of elected MPs who, by and large, wouldn’t know one end of a pheasant from the other, and who at the mention of roe would probably start ecstatically toasting blinis.

But is that true? Look at MP Nadhim Zahawi, who, as the newspapers keep dredging up, had to repay part of an expenses claim for energy bills as “taxpayers were paying for the electricity supply to his stables”. Sounds pretty countryfied to me. Or what about Neil Parish, a man so dedicated to rural affairs he spends his time googling tractors?

Prime beef

On a more serious note, however, we do of course now have one very prominent champion in the Commons: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Not only is he the MP for a constituency which cannot even in the most lithe stretches of the imagination be described as urban, but he’s clearly not been backwards when it’s come to engaging with the issues of the local area. The image used to illustrate this is frequently the one of him out with the Moorland Association in 2018, in which he’s standing in the countryside clad in a black Barbour and black Hunters, which I can only imagine he’s chosen specifically to match his black suit trousers. I mean, it’s committing a few crimes against country fashion, but man, can that boy wear an ensemble!

Er, where was I? Oh yes, representation. Prime Minister Sunak’s country credentials were forever burnished by his eloquent contribution to the grouse shooting debate in Parliament in 2016. The reason I know this is not because I read Hansard religiously, although belatedly I realise that it might be just the ticket to cure my insomnia, but rather because upon his accession to the premiership the industry proudly cited this as proof that he’s one of our own.

As it happens, the Hansard entry is definitely worth a read, because it really does feel like Sunak understands. Take, for example, this excerpt from his first paragraph:

prepared to look those people in the eye and explain to them why their livelihoods are worth sacrificing.”

Turkey voters

Stirring stuff, and even in the unlikely event it was more political flim-flam than a speech from the heart, at least the silver-tongued clothes horse is on our side. Interestingly, despite his support for fieldsports being not only a matter of public record but also loudly trumpeted by our industry upon his accession to the top job, the media has so far been relatively uninterested at taking a cheap shot at Sunak on these grounds.

representation

“To many, the image of the losers of a ban on grouse shooting seems clear: old men of a bygone age, sporting tweed jackets, expensive hobbies and outdated views. Nothing could be further from the truth. The real victims of a ban are not caricatures; they are ordinary working people in constituencies such as mine in North Yorkshire—the farmer’s wife who goes beating at the weekend so that her family can make ends meet through difficult times; the young man able to earn a living in the community he loves, as an apprentice to a gamekeeper; the local publican welcoming shooting parties with cold ales and hot pies.

“Let us be absolutely clear: those who support a ban on grouse shooting should do so only if they are

Unfortunately, I think this is less because they’re now above such things and more because there’s still a sense of sheer relief that Truss has gone and, well, wouldn’t we all like things to just be calm for a while?

Support for grouse

Elsewhere in what might be termed ‘media’, Mark Avery’s blog did, unsurprisingly, carry a postelection piece about Sunak’s support for grouse. Discussing Sunak’s response to the 2020 petition around blanket bog burning, a response which differed to that of other Tory MPs, Avery wrote: “Quite a big difference [in the response], and quite a swerve for the Chancellor to make from the party

line—but entirely understandable, though not laudable, if one wants to keep in with the richest members of one’s constituency.”

The insinuation is, of course, that a Conservative MP is incapable of simply acting according to their own beliefs and morals, and their every action must instead be a question of moving towards the source of greatest profit. Funnily enough, that pretty much sums up my opinion of the members of Wild Justice.

In the same way that all Avery managed to do was point out that Sunak is an MP who stands up for his constituency, the less pleasant denizens of social media haven’t had much success either—although scanning through all the Tweets directed @ rishisunak is further proof that you have to have a bomb-proof ego to survive in politics, not to mention a general lack of concern for the rudeness and illiteracy of our nation.

Am I tempting fate by saying this? Possibly. Given how keen his predecessors have been to keep their love of shooting on the DL, it seems inevitable that the media attacks will come. I suspect, however, that Sunak, who seems to be someone who genuinely cares about the countryside rather than who eats, shoots and leaves (you know who you are, former PMs), is already well prepared for this. And hopefully we are too.

They say that the key to representation is seeing people like you in places that command attention and respect. If you ignore the lack of respect currently associated with the Prime Minister role (again, you know who you are, former PMs…), then having a dedicated countryman in Number 10 means that we have a reason to face the future with renewed determination and optimism. And a definite reason to have Sunak’s back, even if it is clad in a black Barbour. GTN GTN

“ The key to

is seeing people like you in places that command attention and respect ”

That one of Rishi Sunak out with the Moorland Association in 2018

THE TRADE WINDS

Simon West, head of the GTA, rounds up what has been a tricky year for the industry and peers forward to see what is to come

FAR less frequently now, I get asked, “What does the GTA do for me?” but I always welcome the challenge to ensure we keep your trade’s association on track. This year we have been dealing with a growing number of challenges but, at the same time, I feel we are getting ever more traction with the decision makers we need to reach. I’m sorry to start with lead, but this is vital to all of us. Through a desire to stay matched with Europe on chemical restrictions—and probably with a hint of political ambition—the Government made its proposals on moving away from lead in ammunition in outdoor use through the Health and Safety Executive restriction process. The HSE largely copied what had been produced in Europe by their chemicals agency, the ECHA.

When we were asked to contribute evidence to the consultation last year, I provided detailed information on a wide range of topics. That seemed to fall on deaf ears and the proposals that were published back in May showed little sign they were listening. We have now had the second phase of consultation where we submitted further detailed evidence on what the industry could realistically achieve and where there were technical issues in their proposals. I do not have huge confidence in the process but I have recently picked up that they realise there is a need to talk to industry. I hope so. I will certainly be keeping the pressure on.

Licensing

On delays in licensing. We have been reporting to the Home Office for some time that there are unac-

ceptable delays in some areas. The message I got back six months ago was that it was a force-level issue—and not their problem.

Following my Freedom of Information request to the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing in August (which she was unable to answer at the time), I have now discovered that both the NPCC lead and the Home Office are taking an interest and have compiled the data. In a parliamentary committee recently, the Policing Minister actually reported there were seven forces over which he had concerns. Finally, through GTA pressure, there is

There's more

Other things I am working on at the strategic level at present include the review of firearms licence fees, the removal of moderators from licensing control, the trade’s interest in the future of the police licensing computer management system, the criminal use of firearms, import and export licensing, airgun safety, licensing officer training and approved professional practice, medical checks, paper applications. By making progress in all these areas we will be able to help you maintain your ability to operate and do business in the gun trade.

manufacturing and machining apprenticeship programmes to build our capacity. If you would like to take on an apprentice in your workshops, please let us know. Once we have a working link with a course provider, I hope we will be able to spread the model out nationwide.

We will also be running the Trade Conference again next year. Following on from this year’s popular event, we will pick topical issues and provide a forum to exchange information and viewpoints that can benefit all of us.

somebody taking an interest at the national level and helping to rectify the situation. There is now sharing of best practice, reallocation of resources and an urgency to get licensing back on track.

Where I have seen particular issues, I have sought to engage at the local level. In Devon and Cornwall, through direct engagement, we have made the staff aware of the challenges to small businesses through delays and their inappropriate use of temporary Section 7 permits. I think this message hit home and I’m delighted that they agreed to work with the trade, reduce the use of permits and process a block of longawaited variations. And the meetings continue.

Beyond that, we seek to be proactive in support of trade needs. We continue to deliver the very well received RFD training courses with Paul Green, our new technical advisor at the helm. In 2023 we will also be offering airgun only one-day RFD training courses. Paul and I are also in the process of writing a new ‘RFD Handbook’, a quick reference guide for all your desks.

As a trade, we are desperately in need of more trained gun fitters, gunsmiths and gunmaking craftsmen. We will be returning to our ‘careers in the gun trade’ recruiting efforts in 2023. I am in discussions with training providers to link us to existing

That list of current activities may not address all your issues. We are here to assist with whatever challenges you might be facing. Between me, Lin and Paul, I think we have the skill set and determination to deal with most things. We will be at shows, game fairs and other shooting events, and we are always available by phone or email; please keep the communication coming. We cannot operate without you as members. Thank you for your support and for empowering us to maintain the trade’s operating environment and business opportunities. GTN

“ I feel we are getting ever more traction with the decision makers we need to reach ”

Simon with representatives of the Metropolitan Police Force and the Home Office at this year’s excellent Trade Conference in Bisley