Sporting Rifle November 2020

shooting rules

Thankfully shooting will be allowed to continue under the new government guidelines and thanks must go to BASC, the National Gamekeepers Organisation and Countryside Alliance for their tireless efforts to ensure shooting and stalking will be able to continue moving forward. Outdoor recreational activities, including shooting, target shooting, recreational and essential pest control, recreational deer stalking, wildfowling and game shooting are allowed under new rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, there are some differences between the devolved governments and these are noted below: New government regulations came into force in England on 14 September restricting social gatherings to no more than six people both indoors and outdoors. However, after substantial work by BASC and other organisations with government ministers and pro-shooting MPs, shooting has been included in the activities…

scottish groups divided over covid-19 measures

New Covid-19 measures in Scotland will “cut the legs from under stalking businesses” says the Association of Deer Management Groups (ADGM). Following the Scottish governments late u-turn over the ‘one household rule’, ADGM Chairman Richard Cooke also suggested that the new restrictions will have a severe impact on Scotland’s stalking businesses just as the stag season gets underway properly. “This really cuts the legs from under many rural businesses throughout Scotland that rely on let stalking income to fund deer management, particularly to pay the wages of regular and seasonal employees,” Mr Cooke remarked. “The new restrictions on self-catering accommodation, requiring that only one family can stay in rented holiday accommodation at any one time, will now prevent many planned stalking visits by people from Scotland, elsewhere in the UK and abroad. “We undertook…

john rigby join forces with traditional english guncases

After a year of negotiation, London gunmakers John Rigby & Co has announced a new partnership with family owned business, Traditional English Guncases (TEG London). From its inception, TEG London has attracted attention from many of the world’s premier gun and rifle makers. Using only the finest quality materials, their master craftsmen take pride in producing exquisitely detailed and robust gun cases of quintessential English elegance and style. The partnership agreement will see Rigby provide additional financial backing for TEG to support the small family business expand in the gun trade, while continuing to operate with all the same values and morals. TEG managing director Joseph Tomlin explained: “It gives us an opportunity to grow, more than we could as a small family business. We can achieve much more having that extra backing…

police offer advice to protect fac holders

The Metropolitan Police has asked all major national governing bodies of shooting to circulate advice, following a recent robbery during a private rifle sale. The robbery, on 5 September, saw an FAC holder and his wife tied up at knifepoint and forced to hand over the loaded firearm. This followed an advertisement placed on GunStar, a well known site for selling lawfully owned firearms. The police are reminding firearms owners and FAC holder that criminals are also reviewing advertising sites, such as GunStar. To reduce the risk of such crimes, the police have asked for the assistance of the NRA and NSRA, and emphasise that this is advice; it is not guidance or regulation: • Try to check certificates prior to any meeting. A genuine buyer should not object to, for example, sending…

defra offer general licence update

Following correspondence with Defra, BASC has received assurances that next year’s general licences for England will be drafted by October and made public in November prior to being enacted on 1 January 2021. Defra has completed its analysis of its review and is consulting with Natural England before sharing its proposals with stakeholders. BASC, meanwhile, has stated that it will be “working hard to ensure the licences are fit for purpose and future-proof.” A statement added: “There is still concern that unnecessary red tape surrounding protected sites (for example SSSIs) will limit the ability of general licences to work efficiently. The general licence system was introduced to allow the control of legally-protected species with limited regulatory burden. BASC, along with other countryside organisations, will continue to fight for this ability to ensure…

ian clarke joins family business

Sporting Services, a leading international distributor of Accuracy International rifles, has recently announced that Ian Clarke has joined the family business as a full time Operations Director. Ian will help as the company looks to add additional product lines, modernise systems and increase internet-based sales. Ian said: “From attending Game Fairs as a child in the 1980s when Dad was sales manager for Eley Ltd to supporting numerous clay shoots in the 2000s, I have had a lifelong exposure to the shooting industry. I’m excited to join Sporting Services and re-engage with that passion.”…