Industry News
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INDUSTRY NEWS Around the UK and abroad, all the top stories digested
Highland Outdoors has expanded its range with three new brands
Lead ammunition review The Health and Safety Executive and Environment agency will jointly launch the public consultation element of their two-year lead ammunition review in April. This consultation will follow the publication of a ‘restriction dossier’, a document that will set out what restrictions the agencies propose to introduce on the use, sale and manufacture of lead ammunition.
Licensing fee review
Highland on the up again Highland Outdoors has continued its recent expansion, adding three new brands to its roster in the last month. Firstly they will be distributing Effecto airguns from April. Part of the Turkish Huglu group and with markets in 60 countries, the team at Effecto have collective experience of over 100 years in air rifle production. Effecto pledges to all its users that they will enjoy higher efficiency and more accurate shots with all Effecto products. Taking pride in their versatility, Effecto strives to be accessible by marksmen of all ages and sizes, and aim to make its brand widely known by all audiences. Highland will also be acting as the distributor for TriggerTech triggers TriggerTech offers the only triggers to operate without sliding friction. This departure from sliding friction enables TriggerTech to engineer the ideal release characteristics into all of its triggers.
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Zero-creep: Triggertech’s FRT triggers offer an exceptionally crisp break (like a glass rod) and guarantee that your accuracy and precision will improve. Reset: Triggertech’s TKR technology ensures reset is extremely short, yet remains tactile and forceful enough for you to make follow-up shots with accuracy, precision and confidence. Overtravel: Triggertech’s TKR Technology minimises overtravel so your sight picture experiences less disruption and sets you up for the perfect reset. Adjustability: Triggertech’s CLKR Technology features an easy-to-access adjustment screw that provides positive feedback, enabling you to adjust your trigger’s pull weight quickly and with full confidence.
Last but not least, and also starting in April, Highland will distribute well-known Arken Optics, headofficed in the US and manufacturing in China. Arken scopes are designed to be rugged and protect against the introduction of tracking errors, which Arken reckons can be as high as 1.5% in some scopes after they have been used for a while. Using the best materials and the most advanced features available, Arken Optics is the first in the industry to offer a precision tracking guarantee and stand behind its products 100% by providing a Lifetime Warranty on every scope they build. “We are hugely excited to be working with Arken Optics and have made a substantial commitment to carry a comprehensive range of their products. Exciting times ahead!” said Steve Kelly, Commercial Sales Director. arkenoptics.com
GMK clean up While regular maintenance of rifles and shotguns is crucial, it is difficult to find products that have been developed for this purpose. Liqui Moly offers the Guntec line, which is dedicated precisely to this purpose. It is now distributed through the Hampshirebased wholesaler GMK. Tim Keller, who is responsible for the British market at Liqui Moly, is looking forward to developing the relationship with GMK: “GMK is one of the leading wholesalers in shooting sports and has been in the market for over 50 years. This experience and the company’s network is worth its weight in gold. We couldn’t wish for a better partner to offer our Guntec range for sports shooters and hunters.”
Welsh Game Fair launched The team behind the Game Fair and the Scottish Game Fair has announce the launch of the first GWCT Welsh Game Fair. The event will take place from 9-11 September 2022 at the historic Faenol Estate near Bangor in northwest Wales and is being organised in full partnership with leading conservation charity the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). The event will raise money to support the GWCT’s charitable work and give a welcome boost to the region’s economy.
The GWCT Welsh Game Fair will feature fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, game cookery, falconry, horses and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink. Visitors can look forward to a wide range of attractions, displays, live debates, shopping at hundreds of trade stands and family entertainment, all with a countryside theme. The Clay Shooting Line and Gunmakers Row, both extremely popular elements of the Scottish and National Game Fairs, will feature alongside a wealth of Welsh produce.
Clever cartridges Edgar Brothers has won the rights to be the sole UK distributor for Clever shotgun cartridges. Based in Verona, Italy, Clever have been producing ammunition for 70 years, working to their philosophy of “Passion, innovation and quality”. During this time, they have enjoyed great success, including 7 Olympic gold medals and over 70 World Championships. Clever cartridges are chosen by many of the world’s top trap and skeet shooters. But the range isn’t limited to competition loads. Clever manufactures a comprehensive selection of game cartridges in 12, 16 and 20 gauges, including lead-free options. Tom Heapy, director of shooting sports at Edgar Brothers, commented: “Re-establishing the supply of Clever in the UK market will present an excellent opportunity for competitive shooters to have a consistent cartridge choice when shooting at home and abroad.” For more information, contact shootingsports@ edgarbrothers.com
April will also see the beginning of a review of firearms licensing fees. The fees for firearm and shotgun certificates were last reviewed in 2014. Since then campaigners and some senior police officials have called for the full cost of applications to be met by the applicant, a move which would see fees increase steeply. BASC is committed to oppose increasing fees until the performance of licensing departments improves and more efficient systems are introduced.
Stalking show England’s first ‘Stalking Show’ will take place at the Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 April. The show, which is organised by a small group of stalking enthusiasts, will feature big brand displays with all the latest gear, plus tracking dog demonstrations, chefs showcasing ‘field to fork’ ideas, taxidermy, vehicles, hunting holidays and Highland ponies. thestalkingshow.co.uk
£250,000 Scottish fund A new pot to fund for those wanting to gain practical skills in the land and nature-based industry has been described as a “great opportunity” by BASC Scotland. People can apply for £500 or more to cover the cost of practical and technical courses like first aid training and safe use of chainsaws and ATVs. The Scottish Government’s £250,000 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption Practical Training Fund is to be administered by Lantra and delivered through the SkillSeeder platform. Applications close at the end of March.
Botham shooting British Game Assurance has teamed up with legendary cricketer Lord Botham to host a clay shooting challenge on Friday 1 July at Royal Berkshire Shooting School to raise funds to help the not-for-profit safeguard the future of shooting. Teams of four Guns: £1,500 (insurance, shotgun hire, cartridges and clays all included). To book, contact Louisa Clutterbuck via 0203 727 5204 or events@britishgameassurance.co.uk
Glock championships This year’s Glock National Championships will be an event for everyone who enjoys or wants to try pistol shooting in the beautiful Northern Ireland setting of Newry on June 9-11. Jointly hosted by Viking Arms and the NITSA. facebook.com/NITSArange
