The latest in trade changes and opportunities in wildlife conservation.
The Gun Trade Association have announced the appointment of Ben Tolhurst as Marketing and Communications Officer. Ben will be responsible for communicating with media outlets, attending trade shows, providing marketing advice for members and developing the Association’s digital marketing channels, as well as spearheading the new Airgun Sports Trust campaign.

A recent graduate of the University of Worcester, Ben comes to the organisation with a master’s degree in International Sports Management and experience marketing several professional sports teams and educational institutions in the United States, where he himself studied for his BSc in Exercise Science and English.
“I hope that with the new Airgun Sports Trust campaign, I can really make my mark on the UK gun trade by promoting best practice of safe airgun use and widening the airgun family,” says Ben.
“I am completely new to the world of shooting, which I think is a good thing in terms of perspective. I did however get an introduction to clay pigeon shooting at the fantastic Northern Shooting Show this past weekend and it’s safe to say it will definitely be something I’ll be doing again”.
Over at Blaser, Frederic Hanner takes charge of the company’s UK operation after the departure of Robert Sajitz. Frederic hails from Sauer, so is already familiar with the group and the trade as a whole, and he said he is “looking forward to taking the Blaser Group to the next level.”
Highland Outdoors are seeking the addition of a highly driven Salesperson to join their dynamic team. The role is a full time external Sales Position and the territory includes Northern England, North Wales & Scotland.
The role also requires one to three overnight stays each week so requires someone that enjoys seeing the countryside and has no problem with travel away from home.
Sales experience is mandatory and the candidate must be able to demonstrate this. Basic computer skills are also required as you will need to access company accountancy software and enter in orders and stock checking. A current UK Driver’s license is essential and firearms experience is preferred.
The package on offer will include an attractive base salary, company pension scheme, fully maintained company vehicle, hotel and travel expenses, mobile phone, laptop plus also a great bonus structure based on sales in your set territory.
The position is a full time position but hours will vary depending on the customers you are seeing each day. There will be some weekend work involved for such events as Trade Shows and similar.
Interested parties should send a CV and cover letter to hr@highlandoutdoors.co.uk
Avalon Guns is currently looking to recruit two Sales Executives (one with potential management position to right candidate) to join its friendly team at its new retail outlet at Mendip Shooting Ground near Wells, Somerset.
These positions are working for one of the leading gun shops in the UK, so you will need to be presentable, punctual and able to work under pressure. Successful applicants will be expected to be flexible with working hours.
The hours will be between Wednesday to Saturday 9am – 5.00pm (on Thursday nights during summer months until 7.00pm) and Sundays from 09.30am until 2.00pm.
At least a year of Sales Experience is preferred but not essential as training will be provided for the right candidate – it would be preferable if the applicant held a shotgun or firearm certificate, is computer literate and holds a current driving license – salary will be dependent on experience.
To apply submit your CV, details of current salary and any other information you may consider relevant to nathan@avalon-guns.com
Kynoch Ammunition are seeking a Loading Technician to support the daily loading of sporting, target, and bespoke commercial ammunition for security, material testing and other practical purposes.
Working as a team in the loading room, the candidate will keep stringent records of test firing, CIP, loading details, stock and health and safety regulations and offer technical support for customers on the firing range.
Knowledge of engineering and machinery is required and interest in ammunition is essential. Salary would be based on experience. The role is 40 hours per week in Mildenhall, Suffolk, and includes statutory holiday.
Contact Susan Little at Kynamco Ltd by calling 01638 711799 or email dclittle@knyamco.co.uk
Ian Coley Sporting are looking to recruit a salesperson to join the team in their gun room just outside Cheltenham. The successful candidate will ideally have some knowledge of clay or game shooting; be personable and confident selling at all levels, and IT literate with good attention to detail.
It is essential that that you are well presented and have good time keeping skills, and you will need to be a valid shotgun certificate holder. You must also be over 18, and have access to your own transport, as they are based in a rural location. Salary is negotiable depending on experience.
Please send your CV to gunshop@iancoley.co.uk
Web watch – We cast an eye over the latest advances in the gun trade’s world wide network
Air Arms – 5 stars

I’ve been waiting patiently for the Air Arms website to launch, but can see that the airgun suppliers have been busy perfecting their site down to the finest detail.
The old site was not majorly flawed and still would not look outdated compared to many of the websites that I come across – however the success of business comes from being proactive rather than reactive so I was pleased to see that improvements have been made to the Air Arms site ahead of time.
Improving on the bold layout, the new site is inviting with crisp sharp edges. High quality images were never an issue but offsetting them against a white background adds a touch more pizazz.
Moving from six category boxes to eight gives the user more options but doesn’t clutter the page. A ‘locate dealer’ widget is a great addition and executed masterfully.
Even tiny details such as tidying up overflowing text at the bottom of the page can make all the difference when creating a professional looking site.
This is transferred seamlessly onto mobile too. The handy menus are pinned for ease of use and social media links are readily available but not intrusive. Look out for the way that products are listed seductively over the pictures, its a clever use of space and warrants the high score of the page.
The buzzwords on Air Arms welcoming home page are ‘accuracy, control & success’ – this new website is going to ensure plenty of that for those who visit.
Edgar Brothers – 4 stars

I admit I felt slightly bad when I had to turn my attentions from Air Arms site to explore the new Edgar Brothers online retail site.
The retailers were left with a mountain to climb to follow it – but considering the site had rather taken me by surprise with a quick turnaround, it performed excellently.
The mountains are the first thing you see, and although the site is tailored more towards military sales, most of the products, of course, have crossover with our own countryside pursuits (though I’m not so sure that jeggings will catch on as stalking gear).
The site offers ‘Ghost Deals’ and although I cannot definitively say what that means, the savings on offer are certainly scary – over 50 per cent in some cases.
Back to the site, however, and it is functional and clear. Once again the products are listed in branded boxes and the menus are kept simple. Edgar Brother Online is one of five sites under the brand name, as well as Shooting Sports, Trade Customers, Police & Military, and the Armoury.
This is undoubtedly the most attractive and I would like to see Shooting Sports section undergo the same treatment.
For the sake of parity, the Edgar Brothers strapline reads “Excellence is our Target.”
The updated online section shows that excellence is certainly achieved – now let’s see a wider rollout to Edgars’ trade sites.
For the best field sports news, reviews, industry and feature content, don’t forget to visit our sister publications Sporting Rifle, Bow International, Clay Shooting Magazine, Airgun Shooter. And our YouTube shows The Shooting Show and The Airgun Shooter.
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