Shooting Gazette – September 2019

WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2019 61

messagein somethingmore‘sexy’;
andwewantto avoidpunitive
licensing.TheAirSoftshooting
disciplineis notyetonouragenda.
“Sellingfirearmsandammunition
is notwithoutchallengesandwe
needto beveryclearonadvising
howto minimiseriskandpresent
ourindustryin thebestlight.
“Awarenessof steppingover
theboundariesof thelawwhether
byaccident,intentorcoercionis
important,andorganisedcrimeis an
ever-presentthreat,buthappilythe
occasionswheresomeonecrosses
to thedarksidearemicroscopically
few.Whatwehaveto balanceis the
needto encouragenewplayersinto
thegamewhilerepresentingour
multi-disciplinesportto the widest
relevant audience.”

Opportunities
Someonewhoknowsa greatdeal
aboutallaspectsof importingand
distributingfirearmsandaccessories
is VikingArms’SamMacArthur,
recentlyelectedto theGTA
Counciland,as sheadmits,“stillin
listeningmode”– butequallyclear
it needsto moveonfromitsmore
traditionalstanceanddelivery.
“TheGTAhashistoricallyand
generallydonea goodjob,butas it
transitionsto meettoday’schallenges
it needsto keepitsmissionin plain
sightandexpanditslobbyingbrief.
“It’sa tradeassociationtipping
itshatto sport,nota sporting
associationthathappensto havea
tradearm,andthere’sa lotmoreto
shootingthangentryandpheasants.
“Ithasa dutyof careto
protectandpromotethetrade
andrecognisenewopportunities,
likePracticalShooting.Anyone
at theNorthernShootingShow
willhaveseentheinterestin this
disciplineandit wouldbea mistake
to makea judgmentjustbecauseit
is different.Thefeedbackfromour
dealersis theyhaveidentifieda big
commercialopportunityat a time
when many markets are fl at.”

Gun Trade Association

especiallythegeneralmedia,won’t

knowthedifferencebetween

whatis legalandwhatisn’t,so

communicatingthemessageonall

formsof sportingshootingneedsa

totallynewapproach,particularly

theuseof socialmediaof alltypes.

Youngpeople,particularly,aren’t

muchinterestedin theprinted

word,so weneedto getto them

onlineandonas manyplatforms

as possible,andtheGTAneedsto

embracethisif it is goingto help

deliver new buyers to its members.”

Challenges

Thetradecontinuesto wrestle

withthechallengescreatedbythe

EUFirearmsDirectivesinceit

cameintoforcein 2017,anduntil

Brexitis completeit willcontinue

to controltheuseof,andtradein,

sportingfirearms,includingcontrols

onmagazines,data-filingsystems,

dealers’records,collectors,target

shooters,medicalinformation,

controlsonsomesemi-automatic

firearms,marking,imitationfirearms

andblankfirers,amongothers.

However,Westhasother

prioritiesonhisagenda.

“Doingourjobwillinclude

negotiatingtangiblemember

benefits suchas preferredinsurance

cover,carriageof firearmsand

ammunition,initialprobonolegal

advice,overseasmissions,typically

to IWAin NurembergandSHOT

Showin LasVegas,to encourage

manufacturersintonewmarkets.

“Discountsforgamefairs,job

advertisementsonourwebsite,

promotionof apprenticeshipswith

careeradvice,helpwithimport

andexport,anddetailedadviceon

legislationareallpartof ourbrief.

Westillawaitthegovernment’s

consultationonstatutoryfirearms

licensing,whichtheHomeOffice

hascommittedto delivering

in a timelymanner.TheGTA

is wherehistoryliesandweare

determinedto make the best

use of it.”

Therelationshipbetween

membersof theguntradeandtheir

localpolicelicensingauthorities

requirescarefultending,andWest

saysthatoneof theGTA’sroles

is to holdthepoliceto account

in theirinterpretationof anever-

changingenvironmentof legislation

andapproachto everythingfrom

inspectionof premisesandrecords

to sociologicalprofilingof dealers.

Hequestionswhythepolicedo

notyethaveaccessto RFDregisters

norholdonecentraldatabase– a

GTAinitiativethatwouldmake

thepolicejobeasier,whileEU

directives insist that individual

CouncilmemberSamMacArthuriskeen

for the GTA to move with the times.

dealersmustholdtheirrecords

for 20 yearsandthepoliceforces

holdtheirsfor 30 years.TheEU’s

trackingof criminaluseproduced

a knee-jerkreactioncallingfor

standardisationof firearmsmarking,

whichfrustratinglyhasgone

nowhereyet.Shootingis a broad

churchandonethatneedsto adapt

to newtechniques.HampshireRFD

AlexMoreton,whocoincidentally

sitsontheCouncilof theUK

PracticalShootingAssociation,

comments:“PracticalShootinghas

around46,000activeparticipants

worldwideandwehave3,000to

4,000activeshootersin theUK.

TheBSSCrecognisesit andit’s

legal,so GTAmembersareat

libertyto capitaliseona genuine

marketopportunity.

“Theconcernis thatmostpeople

outside the trade and its participants,