GTN100

BRITAIN’S ONLY SHOOTING INDUSTRY PUBLICATION

ISSUE 100 APRIL 2024

DIGITAL EDITION

SGC MOVE SWIFTLY TO BAG PERAZZI RIGHTS Czechoslovak Group awards exclusive distribution to new venture

While at IWA, GTN learned that Sportsman Gun Centre (SGC) had landed the exclusive UK rights to distribute Perazzi from its new owners.

SGC owner Gary Lamburn told GTN that the changeover is immediate, but added that Perazzi would not be directly distributed via the SGC network, but would have its own distribution department and separate phone number.

SGC’s co-owner Aboo Cattran confirmed that while the Sportsman brand would not be directly involved in the deal, SGC would be providing financial and logistical support to the new venture.

Perazzi was previously being distributed in the UK by industry stalwart Mark Swift’s startup Artemis Outdoors, which continues to represent major brands such as Bergara, Anschutz and Zbroia.

As we revealed in our cover story in the March 2024 edition of Gun Trade News, Czech defence and industrial company Czechoslovak Group agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Armi Perazzi last December.

CSG, owned by entrepreneur Michal Strnad, has seen rapid expansion thanks

IWA FOOTFALL IS UP A WHOPPING 15% ON LAST YEAR'S SHOW IWA OutdoorClassics was held in Nürnberg on 29 February to 3 March this year, just one short week after the British Shooting Show, which may explain why it felt this year as though the usually substantial British contingent was largely missing.

Whether we Brits came or not did not seem to matter howerver, as the organisers reported a staggering 15% rise in the overall number of visitors as compared

to the show in 2023. They came from all over the world with 120 countries represented in the massive halls of the Nürenberg Messe sending a total of 40,000 people through the doors.

Exhibitor numbers were up as well, with 1,072 businesses and organisa-

in part to sharp increase of supplies of equipment and ammunition to Ukraine as well as acquisitions.

Perazzi, which makes guns for top sport shooters and hunters, is based in Botticino in the northern region of Lombardy. The founding family retains the remaining 20% stake.

tions exhibiting at the show.

This year also marked a significant milestone for the event, as it is now 50 years since the first ever IWA was held in 1974.

Bernhard Knöbel, the Managing Director of Carl Walther said: "IWA OutdoorClassics plays a key role in the success of our industry. For over 50 years, it has been the most important place for our international trade."

BROWNING DROP ISB

In a letter seen by Gun Trade News, Browning have confirmed that International Sports Brands Ltd (ISB) will no longer be distributing Browning, Winchester, Miroku nor Kite Optics in the UK. No reasons have been given for the decision beyond being “to improve our customer service”. ISB had been Browning’s UK distributor for a number of years.

The letter, from Browning International’s CEO, said: “We would like to inform you that International Sports Brands Ltd no longer represents Browning International SA in the UK as from today, March 18 2024. The brands BROWNING, WINCHESTER, MIROKU and KITE OPTICS will as from today be distributed

by BWM UK, the subsidiary of Browning International. A new sales team will be set up in the coming weeks. Meanwhile you can contact our Customer Service: Toll-free number: 0800 028 0234 e-mail: contact@browning-int.com.

It continued: "Please be ensured that we will make our upmost to make the transition period as short and smooth as possible.”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE…

STEINER

KNIVE’S OUT?

CONSOLIDATION

New releases from the German optics specialists

Join BASC’s campaign to reeducate the Post Office

The history of the takeover, Karl Waktare looks at our industry

– Page 10 –

– Page 24 –

– Page 20 –

Comment

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CONTENTS Industry News ................................................ 05 Product News ................................................. 07 IWA review ...................................................... 08 GTA ................................................................... 09 Insight: Steiner ............................................... 10 Auction View................................................... 12 Store of the Month ........................................ 14 Quick Quiz ....................................................... 17 Media ............................................................... 18 On Air ............................................................... 19 Industry Insider .............................................. 20 Legal................................................................. 22 BASC ................................................................. 24 Published by: Stable vents, Invision House, Wilbury Way, itchin, ngland, SG T

Advertising: ee urst lee.hurst@thegamefair.org

www.guntradenews.com

Contributors: Stuart arr, Diggory Hadoke, Mat anning, Conor Gorman, Caroline Roddis, Alex Sayer, Karl Waktare, Simon West

Editor-in-Chief: Steve aragher, steve.faragher@guntradenews.com Art Editor: Joe Burt Consultant Editor: Lee Hurst

Publisher: Gemma ayne

Stable vents

he e fig re adie and gent emen are marmaade he are fine hredded oi ed to a heavi weetened and ti indige ti e In other word the are tota gi eri h eorge on iot I’m not always on the same page as Mr Monbiot, but I do share some of his instinctive distrust of our current attempts to quantify nature and natural resources, even aesthetics, with an equivalent cash amount. Nonetheless it appears to be the direction of travel for global policymakers, the theory being that until you place a value on everything you can’t really trade it, and that the only way out of our current ecological mess is to work with our established systems of commerce and trade.

Having traded or way into it, we’re going to have to trade our way out of it. Hmm. But I do welcome the fact that BASC have woken up and smelt this particular cup of coffee brewing, and—crucially—done something about it. Their new report which we cover brie y in our news section, sets a value for the

© Brian Wiseman of F.J. Wiseman & Co.

The editorial matter, pictures or text, may not be reproduced without prior permission.

Views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor and staff.

WE SAY

THE GUN TRADE A S S O C I AT I O N S I N C E 18 91

P ROT EC T I N G , P RO M OT I N G & R E P R ES E N T I N G T H E U K G U N T R A D E Meeting the challenges of the trade at every level

We need you to support the work we do. You need us to do it. Join now at www.gtaltd.co.uk or phone Lin on 01684 291868

“ We’re going to

have to trade our way out of it ‘Natural Capital’ of the shooting and conservation carried out by us and puts the worth of our pastime at £1.1 billion. This is important becuase natural capital is precisely what this current and future governments are using to try to understand the countryside, initially through the activities of the Natural Capital Commitee an independent group which was subsequently absorbed into the fice or nvironmental Protection. Through this work, the concept of Natural Capital has become fundamental to the development of the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. In other words, we’re now speaking the same language as the decision makers.

It’s easy to criticise organisations such as BASC for the occasional mis-step we percieve they may make while representing us and our interests. I think it’s equally important to highlight success. teve

Industry News

5

INDUSTRY NEWS Around the UK and abroad, all the top stories digested

Farlow’s revamps store Farlow’s retail outlet has had a major makeover Its agship all all store now eatures an eye catching a ua eature wall designed to draw customers in, an overall modernisation and new displays and store layout obin hilpott, irector Group C said A ter two months o upheaval, arlows has completed its re urbishment and now has a store which properly represents its status and values as a brand, built on years o e perience and e pertise, as well as the prestige and uality o the third party brands it carries whilst at the

same time being a modern, unctional and cohesively laid out retail premises We are e tremely proud o what has been achieved and very grate ul to our loyal customers who put up with the disturbance while it was going on I you are a y fisher, a shooter or a lover o the great outdoors come and see us—there is no other store like it, anywhere arlows Group has also announced its charity partners or , partnering with Southeast ivers Trust, Sportfish The Wye sk oundation and Ark Action for the River Kennet).

British Shooting announces exclusive partnership with the National Shooting Show ritish Shooting, the ational Governing ody or lympic and aralympic target shooting in the nited ingdom, has announced an e clusive partnership with the ational Shooting Show, a leading event in the shooting sports industry This collaboration marks a significant step orward in advancing the sport o shooting and ostering community engagement ritish Shooting s decision to align e clusively with the ational Shooting Show stems rom the event s unparal-

leled dedication to promoting shooting sports and its commitment to providing a plat orm or enthusiasts, pro essionals, and industry leaders alike With its reputation or e cellence and innovation, the ational Shooting Show stands as a beacon o support or the shooting community, making it the natural choice or ritish Shooting We are delighted to be a part o the ational Shooting Show, said ayan Sammut, ead o Community and ngagement at ritish Shooting Their dedication to growing the target shooting community in the aligns per ectly with our mission o bringing our sport to new audiences Together, we aim to elevate the sport to new heights, oster a thriving community o enthusiasts, and inspire the ne t generation o shooters

Royal Mail knife ban overturned?

In a dramatic turnaround just as this issue was going to press, oyal ail has announced that it is backtracking on its proposal to ban all bladed items rom its arcel orce service rom April While the decision is welcome, it remains to be seen e actly what impact the new guidelines will have on the trade s ability

to unction properly uch will depend now on defintions based on the new list we produce below ASC s Conor Gorman has been working hard with oyal ail to get this ar, and has been talking directly to the oyal ail on behal o the trade Turn to page to find out how you can still help

Bladed Items Royal Mail will carry • any kni e or kni e blade, including cutlery knives, bread knives, knives that can be used for hobbies and trades or instance, utility knives and snap o cutters, gardening, camping, lock knives, bushcra t and arming tools with a blade or any other trade tool that could commonly be described as a kni e , • butcher knives including meat cleavers) • elling a es • razor blades.

Prohibited items • unting combat survival type knives • daggers, movie knives such as ambo or Crocodile undee style knives , replica fighting knives such as owie knives , throwing knives, machetes, swords, antasy knives, knives with images or words that suggest use or violence • stiletto knives • battle axes • open ra ors olding ra ors and any similar items

Shooting provides £1.1 billion in ‘natural capital’ benefits ASC has published its inaugural assessment o the natural capital benefits o shooting atural capital is the sum o financial and social benefits we get rom our natural environment The concept has increasingly shaped both international and national environmental policies It is at the core o the government s ngland nvironmental Improvement lan

ASC s natural capital benefits o shooting report sets out the recreational value o shooting, alongside other benefits or society and the environment The report provides wide and home country values under four overarching groups o benefits • Carbon sequestration million • Public health savings £64 million

• Recreation million • Food and forestry million • Combined together, the benefits are in e cess o billion per annum ASC ead o iodiversity Ian anby said What is striking is how balanced the public benefits rom shooting are any orms o recreation come with health and wellbeing benefits, but how

many also give society a substantial carbon benefit, result in a sustainable ood supply and help our arms and oresters produce ood and materials In this respect shooting is uni ue Find more information and read the report in full here

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Industry News

7

New Measures For Gamebird Release New Harkila ollowing a consultation cover- quirement to review and update your rerange ing Great ritain, e ra, along with the cords annually.

The new requirements are due to be introduced rom September in Scotland, and ctober in ngland and Wales, and the details will be set out in legislation shortly.

Glynn vans, head o game and wildlife management, said: “Although the keepers o small ocks need to be aware of this announcement, the change will not affect the majority of shoots who release gamebirds as they are already required to complete the poultry register.”

New General Licence Launched For SPAs A has launched G , a new general licence that allows you to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on specified special protection areas (SPAs) or within their 500-metre bu er ones eing a general licence it means it is automatically granted so long as you meet the requirements, there is no need to apply or register.

BASC’s head of game and wildlife

management Glynn vans said ne of our key demands was that a general licence must be reinstated for SPAs and their bu er one as soon as possible, to provide the sector with certainty for the coming season.

“After a long process with Defra, including mobilising our legal team to challenge their original decision, we are pleased they have listened to the evidence.

or S As and associated bu er ones not covered by G a new individual licence process has opened and I would urge anyone who needs to apply to do so early as possible. Any BASC members requiring help should contact their local nglish regional team Click here for the full licence

Holts Annual Clay Day Announced

AI Launches New AT-XC

Auctioneer Holts has announced its annual clay day to be held on riday the th August on the stunning oyal Sandringham state by gracious permission o His Majesty The King. The event will be in aid of The Bob Champion Cancer Trust.

There will be a ma imum o teams o our, shooting five simulated game drives The cost o entry is , per team o four or £500 for an individual entry.

To enter a team please contact Laura Arnold on or laura holtsauctioneers.com.

The latest in the AT ri e model is the AT-XC. The next generation Accuracy International high per ormance ri e eatures cross-platform enhancements to match the demands of sporting communities worldwide.

The AT-XC is available in a complete recision i e competition set up as the AT-XC Comp Pro model which includes many accessories, direct from Accuracy International distributors and dealers Whether red, black, sage green or dark earth, the AT-XC looks the part too.

Viking Arms Announces the UK Launch of the Ruger American Rifle Generation II Viking Arms Ltd has announced the much-anticipated UK launch of the Ruger American i e Generation II This launch marks a significant update to the iconic American made bolt action ri e, renowned for its unparalleled accuracy, durability, and performance.

Drawing upon extensive customer eedback, the uger American i e Generation II is engineered to meet the evolving needs of today’s hunters, competitive shooters and target shooters. Offering a variety of calibres to suit diverse shooting pre erences, uger believe this ri e sets a

new standard in its category.

With a recommended retail price of , the uger American i e Generation II represents e ceptional value or shooters looking for a high-quality, versatile ri e

Härkila has introduced new styles for Spring and Summer that are now available at special sale prices for a limited time. This season, Harkila are focusing on gear that combines style, comfort and functionality for outdoor pursuits.

Arran Pullover Woolen Pullover RRP £99.99 Fjell Mid-Weight Fleece RRP £89.99 Fjell Canvas Working Trousers RRP £89.99 Anker Lightweight Plaid Dress Shirt RRP £84.99 Modi Classic Fit T-Shirt RRP £29.99 Olaf Mid-Layer Stretch Fleece RRP £139.99 Polar Fleece RRP £229.99

Ridgeline Rhea Ridgeline has brought out a new jacket, aimed at women. Called the Rhea, the stylish-looking jacket is a comfortable, hard working field coat that is designed to cope with the very worst British weather It s waterproo , highly breathable and completely windproof and retails at ust Photo by Ella Burnett

Scottish and Welsh governments, has announced new measures to protect the poultry sector rom avian in uen a Under the changes announced, there will be new requirements for all bird keepers to complete the poultry register, regardless of how many birds they keep.

Currently only those who keep 50 or more poultry (this includes gamebirds when kept) must do so. There will be exceptions for those keeping certain caged pet birds. There will also be a legal re-

8

IWA round up

IWA BOUNCES BACK TO HIT NEAR PRE-PANDEMIC ATTENDANCE LEVEL The industry feels set for recovery with footfall up again, and noticeably more product releases on show in Nürnberg this year IWA’s organisers announced that the number of visitors at the fair this year was up 15% on last year. Certainly those of us that attended felt it was a busy year. But perhaps concerningly for the UK trade, it also felt like less and less people were going from the UK. Certainly what has traditionally been a strong presence from the UK media was almost entirely missing this time round. This perhaps speaks to the divergence of our markets, with more emphasis this year placed on the British Shooting Show for trade news and product releases.

According to the o ficial figures, around , visitors rom countries ensured that IWA s halls were ull, while a total o , e hibitors were happy to talk business and place orders IWA utdoorClassics celebrated its th anniversary this year, over which time they calculate that around , , visitors rom all over the world have attended since GT was lucky to be invited to the gala dinner celebrating the years, but again attendance was low, with only Graham owning and Simon West spotted by us among the crowds The organisers were clearly delighted with the turnout though We were able to meet the high e pectations or our anniversary edition , said Ste anie eege, vent irector o IWA utdoorClassics IWA utdoorClassics continues to be the number one event or industry and trade on a global level, as confirmed by the repeated significant visitor numbers We are delighted with the increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year , continued eege While ew rom the attended, over o the trade visitors came to IWA

utdoorClassics rom abroad The German specialist trade was also well represented According to the figures collected, o all visitors are decision makers and have an in uence on purchasing in their company Graham owning, president o the World orum on Shooting Activities W SA told GT IWA has two maor advantages the trade air itsel , but also the location All the industry leaders come to uremberg and visit the IWA utdoorClassics As the W SA,

we can talk to the people who matter in the shooting sports industry at IWA IWA is simply the best trade air, the per ect meeting place on an international level n the oor, there were ew surprises, but lots o new iterations o product including revamped ergaras and new versions o the eretta All o the optics companies were introducing their thermals which do mark a considerable improvement on identification at longer ranges Also notably the Airso t section was

To find out more about IWA, especially if you are interested in exhibiting or attending next year, please click here.

busier than ever and growing, and one area where the definitely had a strong presence I we had to pick one thing to bring back with us it would have been the new TC ptics , an incredible scope on display on the TC booth GTN IWA OutdoorClassics will take place ne t year rom ebruary to arch, at the hibition Center uremberg

Gun Trade Association: Simon West

9

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO Simon West from the Gun Trade Association wonders if the Police have anything to be looking happy about, after years of getting their licensing priorities wrong

HAVING seen the lovely smiley faces in the BASC photo above from their meeting with Chief Constable Debra Tedds—National Police Chief's Counci ead or firearm icen ing one might expect the police are proud of their performance supporting the shooting community.

From personal experience, I can assure you that there are indeed some police forces in the country who are doing a great job. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, prompt providers can be found. If you live or work in on of those areas, you can consider yourself lucky.

Elsewhere, the service is deeply concerning. There are two issues—the time taken to process applications and the professional knowledge within the teams.

Delays have had a huge effect on the Trade I we assume that a new certificate holder might spend £2,000 to get kitted out, in one poor performing area the backlog of grants equates to over £4 million not getting to the Trade.

Mitigation The two factors that the Police use to justify slow performance are the pandemic effect and the statutory guidance of Nov 2021. They carry no weight now but delays continue.

Back in August 2022, I put in a freedom of information request to Warwickshire Police (Chief Constable Tedds) to ask for the England and Wales perfor-

mance statistics. They replied that they didn’t have the data. It did however start them requesting it from all the forces.

That data has now been collected over five uarterly periods and has been quoted to us as useful. I have recently requested that data again under FOI to the NPCC. I have now had a response that they are refusing to provide the data under Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. That says: “Information is ‘exempt information’ if… …the information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication,

police are required to provide under law.

We know the Government are aware but that is not enough.

If you are suffering in your force area, you should also be engaging with the Police and Crime Commissioner. In West Mercia, the PCC has approved an additional £260,000 in funding to bring their licensing department up to speed. I commend John Campion for his engagement and particularly his very helpful YouTube interview with his Licensing Manager Chief Inspector Callie Bradley here. Well worth a watch.

“ Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, prompt providers can be found ” by the authority or any other person, at some future date.

Actually, they have said it will be published in 2024. Not good enough!

My question is what have they got to hide? We have been told for over a year that the situation is improving—well, why not prove it?

Appeal I will be taking up this matter with the ome fice by writing to the olicing Minister. There seems to be nobody at the top monitoring the service that the

The next problem is professional knowledge. Again, I meet many FEOs and licensing managers in whom I have total confidence They have a very challenging job making decisions about public safety and who should be allowed possession o firearms owever, I keep hearing about situations where, due to unawareness or inexperience, decisions are made that do not relate to the law, ome fice guidance or common sense. There are plenty of examples of sta , even senior o ficers, making it up as they go along’.

I am delighted the Government have put £500k into setting up a new course for FEOs at the College of Policing and our Technical Advisor Paul Green and I feel very honoured to have been asked to help develop the syllabus. There is a lot to do to provide licensing staff with the knowledge and skills needed for the job.

If we can develop the skillset, there will be more consistency and an improved service. We must enhance the professional trusted relationship that should lie between Licensing and the Trade.

Costs The other challenge police forces face is funding. It’s been 10 years since the current fees were calculated and the costs to a department are not covered by the current ee income The ome fice, police and shooting organisations working together in the Fees Working Group have been looking at the real cost. There is general consensus on where the figures need to be but we are now waiting on the Government to issue a final consultation It was expected last summer and we really need to make progress—we want a fair system for a fair price. Underfunding helps nobody. With a proper fees structure we can help the police deliver the statutory duty they are meant to be delivering.

Let’s see evidence of progress—delays and mistakes have a direct impact on jobs and livelihoods! GTN

10

Insight: Steiner

VORSPRUNG DURCH STEINER TECHNIK Editor Steve Faragher was invited to a press day somewhere in the heart of Germany by optics makers Steiner

MY German is pretty basic, so you’ll have to forgive me for speculating on the coach exactly where we were headed for. ‘Ulm Shiessencentrum’ was what we had written down. Ulm is a place, and a ‘Shiessencentrum’ clearly some sort of centre for schiesse, which sounded uncomfortably like one of the few bad German words I know? A sewage works, perhaps?

I always did get my ’i’s and ‘e’s the wrong way round. Ulm Shooting Centre is the most impressive facility of its kind I have ever visited. There’s a spectacular retail area, like a cathedral to the outdoors, there s a m ri e range and a 75m pistol range underground, there

are canteens, meeting rooms and—most stunning of all—an indoor clay shooting facility where we tested some Berettas so top secret I would have to kill you all if I

to the side of the shooting centre and we were encouraged to pick them up and try them all out. A few hundred feet away a selection of farm buildings made a con-

“ Most immediately impressive was undoubtedly the 10x Ranger ” talked about them here. More details will follow in due course.

The focus of the day was Steiner’s range of optics, many of them new to the market. A table was laid out with optics

venient focal point for our endeavours, and a field ull o crows inbetween made for good spotting with the thermals.

Like pretty much everyone else this year Steiner has introduced a 640 sensor

for its top-range thermals, together with a palette of thermal colours so you can keep your eyes fresh by cycling through them, or simply indulge your hatred of orange by turning it off. Steiner’s function well, and feel rugged, they’re intuitive too so I was picking things out in moments and soon felt in control of the monocular.

Steiner had a couple of scopes on view too. Most immediately impressive was undoubtedly the 10x Ranger which o ered a lot o magnification power in a short tube, designed to sit back on your ri e and improve the balance, and was easily as good as anything else at this price point. Also very usable was the

Insight: Steiner

11

THE NEW RANGE

For more information, including full technical specs, CLICK HERE

eRanger 8 The heart of this technological masterpiece is its real-time ballistics computer in combination with intelligent environmental sensors. With this precise information, the ballistic calculator automatically determines the bullet drop and shows the ballistic distance on the display integrated in the field o view This innovative technology means that you no longer must rely solely on your own experience to make the perfect shot even in challenging situations.

With the eRanger 8, you are entering a new dimension of hunting— a dimension that enables everyone to master long distances with preci-

Ranger 4S 4-16x44 sion. Owners of an eRanger LRF 10x42 can send the measured distance from the binoculars directly to their ri e scope via Bluetooth, where it appears on the display. This ensures a precise shot that is fast, safe, and uncompromising.

RRP: From £2,735

eRanger LRF 10x42

Smaller, lighter, better—The shortest and lightest hunting ri escope with premium optics for use on high seats or when stalking in the mountains that the world has ever seen! The result is a power ul ri escope with a length of just 27.8 cm and a weight of 518g, making the new RANGER4S over 25% shorter than comparable products with up to magnification rom other manufacturers. The optimized weight distribution due to the short and

lightweight design ensures improved balance of the weapon, while the greater distance to the silencer also protects the attachment.

RRP: £1,225

Ranger 10 1-10x24

Whether searching in tall grass, at dusk and in the dark or at long distances— this intelligent connection makes it easier to find the game and thus ulfills the requirements of ethical hunting. For owners of an eRanger 8, the Bluetooth function enables direct transmission of the measured distance to the ri escope an invaluable advantage for a lightningfast response. Dive into a new era of precision with the eRanger LRF 10x42 and

experience hunting with unsurpassed accuracy and comfort.

RRP: £1,455

Ranger 4S 4-16x44, a decent scope for the money.

Steiner’s big idea this year seemed to be impact tracking, a feature that is in fairness appearing across most brands, though Steiner does seem to have a good iteration ready to go now. The idea is that combining a range finder with, essentially, Google Maps, you get a marker that shows the impact point of your shot allowing you to navigate straight to it to search for your downed prey—no more getting confused about which bush is which or losing your sense of direction, this tech takes you straight to the impact point every time. And it doesn’t need a live feed from Google, as it will load in

relevant terrain in advance of your visit.

Impact tracking, combined with the latest rangefinder tech, makes picking your shot and tracking your prey much easier Steiner s latest rangefinders, whether built-in to the scope or in separate binoculars will calculate wind speed and elevation for you, picking up atmospheric data from external sensors and combing that with distance calculations to recommend adjustments to you, stopping just short of making the adjustment to the scope itself. You’re still needed to click the turret as commanded.

All these units are available to order from GMK, thiough some will not arrive until later in the year. GTN

The true magnification and a wide field o view o m at m make the A G the per ect ri escope for shooting at short and medium distances These enormously e ible characteristics make the Ranger 10 the most versatile ri escope on the market, with which you can master any challenge – whether driven hunting or stalking The outstanding HD optics ensure bright, brilliant and high-contrast images with high edge-to-edge sharpness, and the large eyebox means you

can quickly take aim on driven hunts and capture your target in a matter of seconds Therefore it enables a fast response to rapidly changing distance in any situation.

RRP: £2,395

12

Auction View

A LITTLE GREYER, NONE THE WISER Auction buff Digory Hadoke spends a pleasant day at Holts, reminiscing while also keeping an eye out for the bargains STANDING in the main viewing room in Wolferton, Holts HQ, chatting with ic o t it tr c me that the fir t time we rubbed shoulders was at one of his auctions over twenty years ago, when we were both fairly fresh-faced and enthusiastic.

I’m pleased to say that we both retain our enthusiasm and passion for old guns and for any younger readers, I think ick and I can confirm that the old adage ‘boys never grow up’ is true. We get older, greyer, slower and more forgetful but what we like and what pushes our mental buttons largely remains the same.

I have been waiting to find out what it feels like to be an adult since I was about twenty. The years pass but I have yet to notice the transition happen in any meaningful way.

I have a feeling this may be true of many, if not most, of the visitors at Holts, there to check out the displays of guns and ri es be they bargain basement cheapies from the sealed bids sale or ‘holy grail’ collector’s pieces from the headline list in the main sale. All retain a boyish delight in things that go bang, in the pursuit of game and the outdoor life.

Never stops Holts has grown as a business over the years and it has had to change course and navigate storms and row its way out of the doldrums several times.

Changing economic and political landscapes have created booms and threatened busts but somehow the vintage gun market has continued to deliver a good income stream. olts first hit the big time with the move from the provinces to London, in the late 1990s, then expansion from Chelsea Barracks to Hammersmith and the huge sales with a social whirl of their own which characterised the early 2000s, when prices seemed on a neverending trajectory upwards. Then the Credit Crunch of 2008 and the slightly delayed knock-on effects that hit the

Nick Holt and Chris Beaumont in 2006, when Holt’s were in London every three months market in the mid ‘teens created a period of uncertainty. However, it always seems to be that when one territory (like America when the pound hit the two dollar mark) softens, another picks up the slack.

Holts eventually saw attendance in London dropping and more internet activity, as the generations changed and a computer-literate and internet-shoppingconfident crowd took over

That led a the time to the di ficult and brave decision to retreat to Norfolk and consolidate there thereby saving a couple of hundred thousand pounds a year in costs. The shift from four sales a year to three, which provides a slightly better work-life balance for the staff, who are constantly on the road appraising and collecting and delivering, has thankfully not hit turnover.

Team game When sta are in the o fice, they are dealing with customers, or cataloguing and researching everything for the next sale. It is a demanding lifestyle and every one of the people working there is an enthusiast, they certainly don’t do it for riches and glory!

Many of the key players have been in place for a very long time now. Nick

Auction View

Holt remains in charge and is the recognisable figurehead o his business e remains a master o his art and a much loved, occasionally notorious, character Some have described him as a ‘posh Del oy , but I wouldn t dare Chris eaumont has been there since the beginning and is the straight man to ick s showman persona Chris is hugely knowledgeable about everything to do with old guns, ri es, history and the people in the trade with whom he has dealt or close to thirty years e is happy out o the limelight but he is the man to talk to i you want to get a uestion nailed in the least time with bankable accuracy He analyses every sale and keeps a close eye on the statistics and trends that most o us would otherwise only guess ‘Little Nick’ Bongers de Rath, once a resh aced gopher, is now bearded and man bunned, with a bit o gri le in that beard these days e also has developed an impressive depth o knowledge about his sub ect but that is to be e pected o someone who lives and breathes it twenty our seven or fi teen years osh over is another who seems to me to have arrived yesterday and still be nineteen, but he has actually been at olts or a good part o his working li e and is another stalwart, like William aith, who, like ittle ick and Chris,

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has started to grow an impressive mane It must be the country air and accumulated avoidance o civilisation The anagement , headed by ick olt is augmented by Simon einhold, now irector o perations, who started at olts as a young man, ollowed by a decade at ASC Simon returned five or so years ago to help with the business structure and planning and to take some o the weight rom ick

ouble ri es are in short supply right now and here was a , William vens bo lock non e ector in good order With a very low estimate o , , , it got a lot o interest It is the type o Webley built, Anson eeley action ri es, with Scott s third bite, that was the avourite o game wardens and pro essional hunters in the s and s igby recently launched their st Century, e ector ver-

“ All retain a boyish delight in things that go bang in the pursuit of game ” The sale So, it was with some nostalgia that I spent a day at Church arm arns watching the coming and going o customers viewing the ne t sale, realising that we are all getting old but that some things never change The arch sale had a very interesting range o everything, even without looking at the sealed bids sale where, I had to convince mysel , I did not need a fibre glass head and shoulder mount o a hino or do I

sion o it, which looks remarkably close in detail They have called it the ‘Shikari’ and it retails or , rders have been very good So, even at close to ten thousand pounds, the vintage one o ers a good saving to a prospective buyer course, the caveat o buying a double ri e at auction is that you have no idea i it will throw the bullets until a ter you have bought it or the collector, there was a very rare bore, Charles ancaster, our barrelled gun ancaster made these as

percussion mu le loaders and as breech loaders, so the idea persisted, despite its appeal being rather niche rom beginning to end It is another e ample o the inventive brilliance o th century gunmakers and will appeal to anyone with a comprehensive collection lacking one There was a very high percentage o Scottish guns in this sale, both round actions and bo locks, by ickson, acaughton, ortimer, arkom and others They remain popular, with a strong collector crowd in the S, in particular I couldn t help but notice a beauti ul W C Scott side lock, deeply engraved with water owl o all kinds It is more Germanic than nglish in style or the time and in a room ull o acanthus lea or rose and scroll understatement, it really stood out I also spotted a bore in a similar style but with the engraving cut less deep The two made an interesting comparison eople o ten orget that Scott, notably e emplified in this cellentia grade gun, made some absolutely stunning uality weapons in the late s The main sale took place in on th and th o arch, with sealed bids being taken or a couple o weeks ollowing that So at time o writing, I still have a day or two to re assess my need or a rhino head GTN

14

Store of the Month

LADBROOK & LANGTON GUNSMITHS LTD This issue our roving reporter Alex Sayer wanders into a well-established repairers and finds a world seemingly unchanged in many years rom an unknown source e ollowed it and dipped his barrels in a glass o coca cola and le t them in it eedless to say, it didn t end well and he stripped all the bluing o the end o the barrels, pitted them and ended up with a three hundred pound bill in those days

NEED TO KNOW n YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1970s n ANNUAL TURNOVER: N/A n NUMBER OF STAFF: 3

What year was the shop established?

Bob Ladbrook started here in the 1970s as part o loomfield Gunmakers then he and I Carl angton started our partnership in the same building in , then nine years ago we moved to our current premises still on Hill Farm. We have a shop and o er gun fit services as well as the usual repairs, restock and refinishing The one member of staff you couldn’t live without and why…

I couldn t live without ulie, she organises everything or me In the past, I never used to book people in or appointments, I d ust say to clients on the phone, yes, yes, we can help, come in whenever and conse uently everyone would arrive at the same time ulie does all the paperwork and makes e cellent co ee I really couldn t live without her ulie is invaluable and vital to the business as she takes the ack and keeps me on the bench doing what I do best.

Tell us a little more about yourself, and why you’re running a gun shop, what your passions are My passion is being able to solve people s problems I clients have an issue with their gun, it s a massive thing or them and they are so concerned I, however, have seen it all be ore and am able to put them entirely at ease That service is a real passion o mine and it s what keeps me coming into work each day ersonally I really en oy the alterations and renovation side of things. For e ample, when people are struggling with a le t to right crosser and I can ust pop some cast on or maybe a bit o

“ I have seen it all before and am able to put them entirely at ease ” weight in the back Whatever they need, its easy or me to diagnose and fi and improves their shooting immediately.

As a company we are always keen to promote the sport, encourage lady shooters and o course younger members What has been the most successful area for you in the past year?

There s things that never go out o ashion in gun repair We do a air bit o restocking, boring out fi ed chokes and refinishing although I tend to outsource the blacking these days What’s your clientele like?

I mostly take care o the trade I would say seventy percent o my clientele is rom gun shops All the ones you ve heard o but I m not going to name names here.

What was your best day ever?

Many years ago I did a renovation on a urdey a gentleman had inherited It

was, let s say, well worn I gave it the ull treatment, put the teardrop back in, reblacked it, refinished it and it looked like a brand new gun When the time came or the customer to collect it, I handed it over and he promptly burst into tears That s one reaction I will never orget Who’s your best customer?

We re very proud o fitting and taking care o ete Wilson s gun rom and most importantly in the run up to the lympics I ve worked on one o Churchill s guns and am proud to have worked on att rench s gun too oth he and ete Wilson then went to era i, unsurprisingly What’s your funniest or most memorable story about a customer?

There s one which isn t that unny but it is memorable A gentleman came in many years ago, got his chokes stuck cept he didn t come in when he first got them stuck, he d had a bit o advice

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

Since I ve been in the trade, the use o side by sides has been reduced ersonally, I put a lot o this down to the grounds putting an over and under in everyone s hand or the have a go days rom my perspective, the parts or a side-by-side have to be made by hand whereas or an over and under you simply order them and fit them This trend will only continue As or the lead thing, we all need to keep an eye on that. People are starting to realise it s not going to be the end o the world et s ace it, we can measure the wall thickness and bore out the chokes here or as little as per barrel Any other interesting facts?

I think we re a bit uni ue because when people come to me, they are dealing with the actual repairer ostly when people go to gun shops they aren t talking to the gunsmith directly That s where things can get lost in translation We aren t a million miles away rom ondon but I m always humbled by how ar people come to see us GTN

LADBROOK & LANGTON G U N S M I T H S LT D n ADDRESS: Hill Farm, Radlett, Herts, WD7 7HP n PHONE: 01923 854639 n WEBSITE: www.gunrepairs.co.uk n OPENING HOURS: The workshop is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays by appointment only.

Store of the Month

ON THE FRONT LINE

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Quick Quiz

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THE GTN

RODDY RICHMONDWATSON Roddy Richmond-Watson is the director of the West London Shooting School and a familiar face to many in the trade Please tell us who you are and who you work for I am a director of West London Shooting School a family business set up by my grandfather in 1901.

How’s business?

Surprisingly positive considering the current in ationary cycle and ollowing three disrupted shooting seasons, there’s still a keen appetite for breaking clays and improving consistency whether on a personal or team basis. The demand or gun fittings particularly at this time of year continues to be in strong demand so new or altered guns can be ready or the next season or summer charity shoot.

Simulated shooting grows in popularity, we currently use two estates in the Cotswolds and have now developed some great drives on our newly landscaped banks at the shooting school itself. The corporate events at Northolt have proved an invaluable way o getting teams back together a ter remote working kept so many o fice teams apart Up to anything new?

Since we upgraded the ri e range five years ago this continues to gain in popularity and we are now conducting training courses encompassing stalking, butchery, SC , running boar and much more to come We are now building an

e tension to the shop which Sportarm will develop as a bespoke gun storage acility for storing guns in a humidity controlled environment, designed to take the hassle out o ownership or those who live in town

and I think Gallyons are on that journey too I work with li t Co who have introduced driven game shooting to the US idwest with very high standards and o course, Sportarm who have an enviable stock of guns and clothing on site here.

Do you shoot? If so, why? And what? course, or I wouldn t be in this business, clays, winged and our legged game. I’m a real foodie though and I love eating game, the best most sustainable meat o all Correct sensible management o the countryside allows wildli e to proliferate and is a vital element for species diversity, i only we can get our detractors to listen, the arguments are very strong! I enjoy being on the judging panel o the urdey Awards or Game Conservation which allows me to see what others have achieved with vision and commitment.

What’s the biggest threat facing shooting, in your opinion?

Aside from shooting, what are the loves of your life? ood, arming, conservation and horse racing with a little bit o twitching all compete or attention with amily hich other fie d ort hooting inesses or organisations do you most admire, and why?

I think Rigby's have done a great job rebuilding a premier gunmaking brand,

What’s your favourite shooting read?

Growing up I read books by and Sir eter Scott which I still remember ondly Some years ago I was lucky enough to put in the winning bid or a day s punt gunning and we used Sir eter Scott s last punt gun which was a Boy’s Own experience!

“ I’m a real foodie and I love eating game—the best, most sustainable meat of all ” An urban mindset, an often ill informed ‘public opinion’ hyped by misuse of social media and sensationalist press combined with short term political thinking What can the government do to support the industry more?

Charge sensible ees which cover the costs of the licensing process and extend the period that they cover as the risks in terms of the holders behaviour are covered through other processes including the medical certificate It would be less likely that the wrong people would slip through the net and unapologetically support an industry in which the has always been prominent

The best bit of kit you ever bought?

Always buy the best waterproo clothing for shooting or any outdoor activity.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that we might not know…

My grandfather got into conversation with an Australian called omeroy who was developing a T T tipped bullet, but was fighting to prove it would be sa e They duly dropped several from the high tower proving them sa e unless fired If you could only eat one kind of soup or the re t o o r i e what avo r would it be?

Game consomm with ino GTN

18

Shooting in the Media

AT HOME IN YOUR OWN COUNTRYSIDE Caroline Roddis explores the notion that the countryside has a darker side, and one that is uninviting to people from minorities IS there any thing, object or concept, which means the same to all people?

I can’t think of one, even on the most simplistic levels. Death can be the end or the beginning, a dog can be your best friend or a sheep-worrying foe, and a photograph can be either a sign that a tired mother doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on Photoshop, or proof of a global conspiracy…

On a recent stroll around south London I discovered that the EJ Churchill baseball cap, which to me is the badge of having enjoyed a good day out, is considered to be a status symbol amongst the area’s bouncer community. The reasons for this are slightly unclear, as my source—who was wearing one at the time—had no idea that EJ Churchill was connected to shooting. I can only conjecture that the caps are claimed as prizes from drunken, obnoxious Claphamites during their bodily ejection from late night watering holes. If so, does this mean that West London Shooting School customers are more polite? Answers on a postcard please…

Easy targets In terms of perception gaps we’re already well aware that, where we see a group of people enjoying a sport that contributes billions to the economy and keeps hundreds of people employed, others see a bunch of toffs laying waste to the countryside. It’s not a clash of opinions that’s ever likely to be resolved, particularly given that, as Jeremy Clarkson pointed out in a recent column, the topic can be an emotive one. “And how will the shooting fraternity respond to the chanting and the lawlessness [when people, incited by Labour, take to the streets to demand an end to shooting]?

By saying very little because, on the face of it, rearing birds so that they can be shot for sport is fairly hard to defend.”

Like Clarkson goes on to do in the article, we can of course defend the

a right to belong.” Who’d have thought it wasn’t just images of tractors that could get people so hot and bothered?

Things got so bad that the umbrella body actually published an article on their website explaining that the report had been wildly taken out of context.

“Wildlife and Countryside Link does not believe the entire countryside is a racist, colonial, white space—as has been falsely reported by some media outlets—and neither do our members”, it stated.

Face off

“ Recent coverage suggests the countryside isn’t so much bucolic as it is racist ” sport on many grounds, including the vast contribution that it makes towards conservation. This in itself is a compelling argument, because the countryside —source of so much food for body and soul—is a precious resource that’s inherently worth protecting. Right?

Well, not according to everyone. Recent coverage suggests the countryside isn’t so much bucolic as it is racist. This was prompted by a report from umbrella body Wildlife and Countryside Link, and came with eye-catching headlines such as LBC’s “British countryside is a ‘racist and colonial’ white space”. Or the GB News one, which was twice as long

and thrice as shouty. The media made it feel like tin hat time for a few days, with an endless stream of commentary pieces and a fair amount of escalation.

It wasn’t just that the countryside wasn’t making people feel welcome, apparently, but the countryside was also the hills-and-trees version of Mein Kampf.

As explained in the Telegraph: “in a gallery displaying a bucolic work by Constable, visitors are informed that “there is a darker side” to the “nationalist feeling” evoked by images of the British countryside. It states that this national sentiment comes with “the implication that only those with a historical tie to the land have

By this point, however, the damage had already been done. And, bizarrely, had been fuelled by news that American brand North Face were giving people a 20% discount if they took an hour-long course in wokery. The audacity of this was astonishing, not least because the brand’s clothing is partly made in China.

Where’s their course on protecting workers’ basic human rights, or on highlighting the plight of the country’s Uyghur Muslims? Or how about the course for urbanites on how not to systematically ignore, underfund and abuse the countryside? As the ‘yoof’ who sport North Face would undoubtedly say, FFS. What does the damage look like?

The coverage is likely to have further polarised readers’ existing beliefs rather than encouraged true re ection and understanding. And it certainly won’t have aided anyone who might have been nervous about exploring the countryside and, by extension, will have exacerbated the false stereotypes around the type of people that enjoy shooting.

While this episode hasn’t been enjoyable for anyone, it’s a timely reminder that we can always do a better job of showcasing the diverse mix of people who go shooting. To do a better job of emphasising that it’s a sport for everyone and to encourage more people, of all shapes and sizes, to give it a go.

And then we can all feel hated, together. GTN

On Air

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NEW AIRGUN GEAR AT THE BSS Mat Manning reports on some of the airgun hardware and accessories unveiled this spring at the British Shooting Show

THE British Shooting Show, held at the NEC from Friday 23 to Sunday 2 February, has grown into the country’s greatest annual showcase of airguns and accessories.

There was a huge range of brands on show, covering guns and optics as well as a massive range of accessories. Here are some of the hot new releases that are likely to make it on to airgun shooters’ wish-lists over the coming year.

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Brand new Beezas

BSA Guns revealed two great new airguns, one of which is an elegantlystyled break-barrel. The Lightning CLX Walnut is a gas ram air ri e e uipped with BSA’s famous cold hammer forged barrel, complete with silencer, and has a manual safety catch positioned at the rear of the cylinder.

The Birmingham based gunmaker also unveiled its new Classified C Based on the R-12 Bolt Action, the gun can be uickly removed rom its stock for transportation in a supplied extra-

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compact hard case. The kit also includes an ssential scope, mounts and silencer.

coordinated scope 2 Colour

There was lots to see on the combined aystate, and TC ptics stand, including the new Copperhead Safari scope This high uality optic has been given a glorious copper coloured finish which perfectly matches the stocks of Daystate and BRK’s acclaimed Safari edition air ri es Showgoers also got to see the Daystate Alpha Wol Silver electronic C , which features brushed nickel metalwork, a red laminate skeleton stock with extended orend lip and new look icatinny optic rail with anti-cant bubble.

range on show for Air Arms 3 New

Crowds were ocking to the Air Arms stand to see the British gunmaker’s rebrand and a host o new air ri es

Air Arms, which is synonymous with premium airguns, has partnered with India s recihole Sports to develop a more affordable range. Guns in the lineup include the Athena gas-ram break-barrel and several C s comprising ull length ri es and the stubby inotaur bullpup shown above.

offerings from Element and FX 4 New

Element Optics were present at the show on the Sportman Gun Centre stand with their new eli rangefinders which can connect with the scope pload the relevant ballistic data and the rangefinder scope combo will ad ust point o aim based on the distance to target.

Also on the Sportman Gun Centre stand, Johan Axelsson of FX Airguns was showing off the new DRS precharged air ri e, which has an air reservoir concealed within the shroud of its barrel which has been carefully designed to re ect the handling and appearance o a traditional sporting ri e

chronograph 5 Super-compact

Knowing muzzle velocity is vital for tuning and also or confirming that your airgun is legal, and the new AirForceOne u le ount Chrono rom The Shooting arty makes the ob even easier This tiny chronograph screws onto a hal inch barrel thread to read pellet velocity in S or S and can also calculate muzzle energy in ft.lbs or oules air it with your phone via luetooth and it will restore data from an unlimited number of shots.

Weihrauchs 6 Commemorative

The Hull Cartridge stand was showcasing some eye-catching limited edition Weihrauch air ri es The Series guns have been named in recognition of the year in which Weihrauch was founded. The 125th anniversary range includes W , W and W ri es with black, grey and red laminate stocks. GTN

20

Industry Insider

BIGGER BOYS CAME The recent history of commerce is one of global consolidation fuelled by mergers and acquisitions, and the gun trade is no different, as Karl Waktare illustrates…

THIS month I visited Ireland for some late season deer stalking so proposed writing about trends in the Irish market, nice and easy, bish-bash-bosh!

‘Could you do something on the emergence of shooting industry superpowers particularly in the form of the Beretta Group and CSG’, came the reply from GTN. Bloody hell, that’s not an easy brief, but the more I delved into this subject the more interesting and complicated it became. So I’m afraid Ireland will have to wait.

Let me take you back to 19th April of last year. David Leis and Lesli Strasser from Vista (Federal, CCI and Speer) were coming to see Andy Williams and me to ‘follow up’ on our meeting at IWA the month before. A bit like when your girlfriend says she ‘wants to talk’ and is no more specific, you know what s coming. I had known David for over 10 years and spent time hunting with him and many enjoyable dinners. This was

clearly not easy for them; GMK had represented Federal and CCI in the UK for over 20 years and it had worked really well for both parties. We had tried to persuade them at IWA that GMK could manage Vista product alongside the Ammotec brands in the UK but it was a tough sell and ultimately unsuccessful.

You might think I am rambling but bear with me.

Beretta Group and CSG have some similarities but are in reality very different. What they have in common is that they are both European, privately owned family businesses and operate in civilian plus defence/LE sectors.

Beretta Holding The Beretta family own and control Beretta Holding (BH) which is based in Luxembourg. Pretty much all the companies in the group (Beretta, Benelli, Sako, etc) are owned by and report to BH. If you look at the acquisition history, they

have steadily been adding to the brand portfolio with moderately sized companies, growing them through investment and taking advantage of their international distribution network. Sako/Tikka was bought in 2000 which was swiftly followed by Burris (2002) and Steiner (2008). There is almost a Chinese approach to their acquisitions, by this I mean very patient. It is rumoured that Beretta came very close to buying Hollands over years ago be ore finally landing it in 2021.

Ammotec By their own admission the purchase of Ammotec is on a whole other scale. According to their website BH group sales were ¤958m in 2021, in 2022 it would have been ¤1.7bn if they had owned Ammotec for the whole year. Given 2022 was a good year there would have been good growth in the existing business, however it is safe to assume Ammotec had sales in the region of ¤500m.

The purchase also increased the sta fing by 2,700 to a new total of 6,500. The purchase added major factories in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary.

Given the strength of Beretta Group in firearms, buying an ammunition company makes perfect sense, indeed there were rumours that eretta were sni fing around Remington a few years ago but the ammo division was bought by Vista Outdoors in 2020 (excellent timing as it turned out). I heard there were multiple bidders for Ammotec including CSG.

Industry Insider

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Buying Ammotec nearly doubles the staff numbers and adds 50% more turnover. Has this emptied the piggy bank for BH? According to an interview given by Pietro Beretta in Il Corriere della Sera (Oct 2023) the answer is no. He says that they plan to spend ¤80m on a new ammunition plant in the US from a reserve of ¤500m earmarked for investment over the next 5 years. He does not rule out buying more companies but indicates that they are looking for "businesses which will increase our technological know how." Pietro will have carefully considered what he says in this interview. A bit like a big football club in the transfer market he is keen to let everyone know he still has wedge but is not going to pay over the odds for a new player.

CSG (and Fiocchi) The roots of Czechoslovak Group (CSG) date back to 1995 when Jaroslav Strnad founded Excalibur Army. The boss is now his son Michal Strnad, who joined the board in 2011, in 2015 he became chairman and ultimately the owner in 2018. They currently have 10,000 employees and reported a turnover of CZK 25bn (about ¤1bn). Included in this is the 2022 purchase of 70% of Fiocchi (which already owned B & P and Lyalvale Express) which at the time had a turnover of ¤380m and 1,300 employees worldwide. The CSG Group is divided into several divisions including Defence, Ammo+, Mobility (trucks and rail) and Aerospace. 30-year-old Michal and I have never met which is just as well, I think I hate him, what did I do with my 29 years at GMK…?

Perazzi On the 15th December 2023 CSG bought 80% of Perazzi, (stop it Michal, this isn’t helping). The release says Perazzi make 1,500 units per year, if we estimate an average unit sale value of ¤10,000 that would make their turnover in the region of ¤15-20m so in truth, despite the highprofile name, a pretty small ac uisition

Vista Outdoors Group Around the same time Vista were explaining to GMK that they were seeking a monogamous relationship in the UK, they were also arranging a ‘no blame’ separation back in the US. They were separating into ‘Kinetic’ and ‘Revelyst’.

Daddy Kinetic would get the shooting

children in the form of Federal, CCI, Remington and a few others. Mummy Revelyst would have the softer but better-known brands including Bushnel, Blackhawk, Bell, Giro and Camelback.

Why were they doing this? I don’t know but I can speculate. Despite the strength of the NRA there is a strong anti-gun movement in the US and I think the association with the firearms business was bad for some of the outdoor brands. I also know that the ammunition business in the US is very cyclical; Obama—good for ammo sales; Trump—bad, which

might make the company vulnerable to a hostile takeover bid and brand sell offs.

Looking at the 31.03.23 annual accounts you also see it wasn t an e ual marriage in terms of income generation. Daddy K turned over $1.76bn with an operating income of $552m and Mummy R turned over $1.32bn with an operating income of $62m.

CSG buys Kinetic If you haven’t got a headache by now I sure have. Nearly there. In the middle of 2023 CSG make an offer for Kinetic

“ Despite the strength of the NRA there is a strong anti-gun movement in the US ” (Dad) and this is where my head starts to explode. CSG are 10,000 staff and turnover ¤1bn and Kinetic are 4,000 staff and bn This purchase re uires regulatory approval because Federal have many government contracts, so it’s not done yet. CSG are offering to pay Vista shareholders $1.91bn through $1.1bn of debt financing and the rest unded by CSG’. It looks like this is going to happen even if it isn’t over the line yet.

On 22 November 2023, Colt CZ made an unsolicited offer to buy Kinetic which was rejected a week later. On 1 March 2024, MNC Capital made an offer to buy both Kinetic and Revelyst but this was rejected on 4 March.

Final Thoughts As things stand obviously Beretta are way ahead o CSG in terms o firearms and also a little ahead in terms of ammunition but assuming the inetic ac uisition goes through CSG will be streets ahead, especially in the enormous US market. The timing of the Ammotec purchase by Beretta was pretty good with the invasion of Ukraine and knock on growth in defence spending in Europe, but defence is CSG’s home turf so they will also be looking to compete hard.

How will they cope with the huge debt they are taking on? That really is anyone’s guess.

Anyway, I’m off for a pint of Guinness! GTN

Karl Waktare spent 29 years leading the UK’s biggest shooting sports distributor, GMK. He is currently on gardening leave. karl@ truetarget.co.uk

22

Legal

IT’S (A BIT) EXPLOSIVE This month, Stuart Farr digresses away from firearms a little and takes a look at the peculiar laws surrounding the handling of explosives

THIS month I am going to furtle aro nd a imi ar ect to firearm which sits on the periphery of shooting, but nevertheless receives relatively little attention in the broader gun trade media. I am referring to explosives… the stuff that goes bang… the various substances which make our hotg n and ri e nction a by propelling a suitable projectile rapidly down (and then out of) a barrel and toward a target of some descrip-

tion. At least that is the general idea.

As we all know, the UK has some of the very strictest gun laws in the world.

Layer upon layer of pernickety primary legislation and regulation, compiled over decades, and which serves to control nearly all aspects o firearms in terms o what we can buy, sell, possess, transfer, shoot (and where) and so forth.

However, the ammunition—and so, in the very broadest sense, the “explosive” within it—seems to receive a somewhat

inconsistent treatment both in practical terms and under the law. While it is often acknowledged, therefore, that different police authorities will interpret firearms legislation for gun control purposes in a rather nuanced way, when it comes to explosives, legal interpretation is possibly even more varied and subjective.

Gaping lacuna To illustrate, ri e ammunition is a strictly controlled affair in terms of its purchase,

storage, quantities permitted, and record keeping. In contrast the “possession” of shotgun cartridges is not licensed. Anyone can possess them without a certificate although, o course, a certificate is still required to purchase them. As such there is a gaping lacuna in the law, which creates degrees of legal control which potentially swings between two extremes… on the one hand strict control and on the other hand absolutley no control at all.

Legal No doubt there are practical reasons why this difference has evolved. For instance, it is virtually impossible to trace each and every shotgun cartridge that may now be in circulation. Therefore, it does perhaps explain the disparity in approach between the various firearm departments I have come across over the years.

In most cases, due regard has been paid by the firearms department to ammunition, especially concerning its safe storage. In my experience quite often it was a part of the renewal conversation.

That said, no-one has ever asked me how much shotgun ammunition I possess.

Nor have they ever asked to see it. I have merely been asked to describe in general terms how it is stored.

By contrast, I cannot help recalling the comment I received from one particular firearms o ficer aving been given advance warning that the firearms department concerned was prone to interpreting the law as strictly as it could get away with, I politely enquired whether the brief description of my (very secure) ammunition storage solution met with their approval.

In response, I was rudely told “You can stick your cartridges in the fridge for all we care.” I perceived it was a sore point for them because the comment was spat at me with the clear attitude that my cartridges could be inserted “where the sun doesn’t shine”, if you catch my drift.

Su fice to say I did make a point o placing at least one box of shells in the fridge and several “loose” ones in the kitchen knife drawer the night before any subsequent renewal visits. Just in case I was ever asked again…

Storage There are, as you will know, prescribed (statutory) limits as to the type and amounts of “explosive” which a private individual, business or an RFD can hold without an explosives 'licence'. I won’t bore you with the statistics here. owever, when it comes to shotgun ammunition in particular, there seems to have emerged an informal position as to where the actual limit lies for legal compliance purposes. As I have said, I have never been asked to confirm how many cartridges I hold.

So, for instance, RFDs who hold 'around' 25,000 cartridges at any one time are advised to consider applying for the relevant licence. The advice for private individuals varies between a maximum storage of “around” 7,500 to 10,000 cartridges.

These discrepancies in quantities arise from the differences in the prescribed Net Explosive Quantity. Not all

23 The 1000kg WWII bomb discovered at the University of Exeter

cartridges are the same weight or carry the same load, and so an RFD carrying multiple varieties in different quantities might need to resort to a pretty detailed and time-consuming calculation if it is believed the legal 'limit' is close by.

If one is operating 'around' the cusp of the legal limits, the clear expectation is to err on the side of caution and apply.

It often seems to be a matter of trust. It is an extremely rare occasion, I suspect, that an en orcement o ficer will turn up

aftermath of WW2 when various public organisations probably had to pitch in together and help to clear up unwanted ordnance (both ours and theirs), and release Britain from the grip of its war footing status.

Exeter blitz And with that in mind, the impacts of the War are still being felt by some. Unexploded ordnance, for example, continues to turn up with surprising frequency and

“ My cartridges could be inserted “where the sun doesn’t shine” ” unannounced, armed with a sharpened pencil, clipboard or calculator and carry out a precise counting exercise.

Please do not misunderstand. Explosives are treated very seriously and that is re ected in the act the S , police firearms and e plosives units , military and even local authorities play a role in the licensing, management, disposal and enforcement of different categories of explosives. It is a multi-layered system, each with its own specific re uirements and no doubt it has evolved out of the variety of functions and uses for which explosive materials are used. It may also, I suspect, have some throw backs to the

regularity. Issues arising from unexploded ordnance rarely reaches the attention of the higher courts, so I shall conclude with the mention of a recent Court of Appeal case (University of Exeter -v- Allianz Insurance PLC) which decided whether an insurer was liable on a claim for business interruption, as a consequence of a World War II bomb being disposed of in a controlled explosion near Exeter.

In that case, a previously undiscovered, large, unexploded 1000kg/2200lb bomb dropped on lighty by err itler s u twa e in around was detonated in 2021 during what was planned to be a “low order” explosion.

The disposal actually turned out to be a “high order” blast when around 630kg of the high explosive material went off causing damage to nearby property owned by the University. Interestingly the damaged building had not existed when the bomb was first dropped The Court of Appeal ruled that, despite the considerable passage of time, the insurers were entitled to decline the claim for business disruption suffered by the University due to the explosion and subsequent damage. The insurers were permitted to rely on the damage “occasioned by war” exclusion clause within their policy. The Court decided the “cause” of the damage was the bomb having been dropped in The Court held the damage was not caused by the oyal ogistics Corp who detonated the device in rather spectacular style, years later Incidentally, there was no suggestion the bomb had been detonated “negligently”, which, if it had, might have shifted the causation element away rom err itler The world is sometimes a truly odd place. GTN

Stuart Farr is a member of the GTA and a partner in Taylors solicitors e welcomes contact rom any trade organisation, especially those with a problem to resolve.

24

BASC

KNIFE BAN WITHDRAWN Royal Mail has shelved plans to ban the delivery of knives, but retailers have concerns about the new restrictions and the knock-on effect as Conor O’Gorman explains IN February, Royal Mail announced that it would ban the carriage of knives and other bladed items across its delivery network from 22 April.

However, in an email sent to retailers this week, Royal Mail has explained that following feedback it would not impose a blanket ban, but instead from 7 May there will be a list of prohibited bladed items that they will not carry and a list of restricted bladed items that can still be sent using their Age erification service That is welcome news in principle but as always, the devil is in the detail A few weeks ago, I wrote to several senior people at Royal Mail raising BASC’s concerns about the ban and the impact that this would have on hundreds of small businesses across the UK that rely on online orders for knives via oyal ail We requested a discussion on the reasons for the decision and to explore postponing it, pending copies of any impact assessment that underpinned it I also wrote to Kemi Badenoch, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade about the announcement, requesting an intervention A response was received by email rom the o fice o the Chairman and Chie ecutive fice o oyal ail Group Ltd, stating that this was a ‘Royal Mail business decision’ which was ‘not open to discussion The email went on state that there were no changes to the ‘Parcelforce offering’ and that account holders could continue to send ‘bladed items’ via Parcel orce Worldwide o e planation or the decision was o ered The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 took effect in 2022 as regards the sale and delivery of knives and blades and the age verification system currently operated by Royal Mail is legally compliant with the Act Why was Royal Mail gold plating UK law in trying to ban the delivery of knives and blades? After all, they had stated that they would continue to carry other agerestricted items, including alcohol I discussed this with several BASC trade members, some of whom had also contacted Royal Mail and not received any e planation or the decision

Stab in the dark There seemed no logic to this from a business perspective The delivery o small light items as parcels are profitable for delivery providers and age restriction checks upon delivery at the doorstep are a straight orward process or postal sta Royal Mail is the preferred option for customers buying knives online There were concerns that the loss of that option

deed, we had heard that a Parcelforce announcement was imminent We went back to Royal Mail with feedback, again requesting postponement of their decision and there was then some email ping-pong that culminated in them asking for some time to consider our requests for an explanation, and that we would receive a response in due course

“ Why was Royal Mail gold plating UK law in trying to ban the delivery of blades? ” would impact on online sales because people buying relatively low-cost bladed items such as hobby knives would be dissuaded from purchases via Parcelforce due to the relatively higher delivery cost against the value o the item There were also concerns about the risk of Royal Mail’s unexplained decision triggering reviews by other delivery companies currently delivering knives, namely arcel orce, and S In-

As things stand, the revised Royal Mail policy, due to take effect on 7 May, is that they will continue to carry “any knife or knife blade, including cutlery knives, bread knives, knives that can be used for hobbies and trades (for instance, utility knives and snap-off cutters, gardening, camping, lock knives, bushcraft and farming tools with a blade or any other trade tool that could commonly be described as a knife), butcher

knives (including meat cleavers), felling axes and razor blades.”

Prohibited items will be “Hunting/ combat/survival type knives, daggers, movie knives (such as Rambo or Crocodile Dundee style knives), replica fighting knives (such as Bowie knives), throwing knives, machetes, swords, fantasy knives, knives with images or words that suggest use for violence, stiletto knives, battle axes, open razors/folding razors and any similar items”

Definition Initial feedback from retailers on the restrictions due to take effect from 7 May are that the definitions are vague and leave them open to their deliveries being randomly stopped by postal staff with little training, and resulting in unfair penalties A key issue is what is meant by a hunting kni e This is a developing policy issue and we currently have a direct line into Royal Mail before any restrictions take effect, so please email me at conor ogorman basc org uk with your eedback and I will try to use that to good effect in any upcoming negotiations GTN

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