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On 12/07/2019 at 12:23, NoBodyImportant said:

My mental images of a UK gun shop.   High class place with leather wing back chairs and glass door oak cabinets.  The owner would be a man named Charles.  He would wear a pith helmet and walk with a limp from tiger attack in South Asia.  And for some reason I imagine a fire place burning 365 days a year.  Please tell me this is correct.  

Coombe Farm is nearly there. 

Just lacks the pith helmets. 😁

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On 12/07/2019 at 16:14, sandsie1 said:

You may also be interested in Ashford Gun Room just outside Ashford, the guys in there are very friendly and helpful.

Or a bit closer to where you are staying is  Kent Gunsmiths at Seasalter and although I have not had a chance to make a visit there yet reports are they are also friendly and helpful.

Going the other way towards Thanet is Wilson and Wilson next to Manston airport. There are a few others dotted around that a quick trip on Google will show up as well.

Well, they say every day is a school day. I’ve lived in the area most of my life and have never heard of Kent Gunsmiths near Faversham. I really should get out more. 

Thanks for that Sandsie1. I will look in when next around that way. It  looks like a good little outfit.

I agree with Hamster, that Greenfields are always friendly enough whenever I’ve been there and have had many good dealings with them over the years. 

Countryways at West Malling have an extensive stock of cartridges at good prices. Young Tim now runs the gun shop side of things after his Dad Colin sadly passed away last year. However, Colin for his young years is very knowledgable, particularly regarding English guns. 

OB 

Edited by Old Boggy
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1 hour ago, Prospero said:

I have had a couple of funny experiences in there. One of the staff made a few assumptions about me because of my age and made himself look a tit.

Ive only been in once and that was with my lad who was 6 at the time. He knows not to touch but he was exited and asked alot of questions, which they didn't seem to appreciate. 

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Yes, they are a little bit snooty in there.

To tell my story is a bit long so I'll try and condense it, basically I was in buying some shotgun cartridges and because of that the bloke had a look at my licence and my age. This was a few years ago and I was in my late 40s, and whilst I was there a cheap air gun took my fancy so I decided to buy that as well. The guy obviously looking at my age and making a judgement about me, and said that I shouldn't allow my grandchildren access to an airgun  without supervision! I told him my oldest daughter was 13 so I was a bit away from having grandchildren. He went so red it was absolutely hilarious.

I guess I'm not the typical Chichester Armoury punter, I'm from up north originally I've got a few tattoos and probably a little bit rough around the edges. But as there's no other gun shops in the local area I have been back there quite a few times lol.

Edited by Prospero
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On ‎12‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 12:23, NoBodyImportant said:

My mental images of a UK gun shop.   High class place with leather wing back chairs and glass door oak cabinets.  The owner would be a man named Charles.  He would wear a pith helmet and walk with a limp from tiger attack in South Asia.  And for some reason I imagine a fire place burning 365 days a year.  Please tell me this is correct

These two places are probably most like you describe:

http://www.elderkinguns.co.uk/

https://fultonsofbisley.com/

In a wider look at things:

I have to say I think your perception of a UK gun shop is rather quaint and perhaps overstates the current state of play over here on this side of the pond!

I can actually think of one place that is as you suggest and that is Fulton’s of Bisley – I’ve actually seen a pith hat in there!

If you look at the UK today, I think you could probably separate our “Gun Shops” into maybe four or five types:

 

Some are old and Old skill & Service Based with the kind of pedigree that perhaps stems back to Victorian times.

Purdey, Boss, Rigby as examples.

https://www.purdey.com/?SID=v8bq5fljpvkjvo0lf3ve2b1spp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_%26_Co.

https://www.johnrigbyandco.com/

These probably cater to the worlds rich and famous and they are certainly not for the likes of an ordinary guy like me!

 

There are a few other more recent companies where those who may have learnt high end skills in similar companies to those mentioned have taken their skills and struck out on their own.

https://www.williampowell.com/History-of-William-Powell/

 

I think you then have large trading entities – companies that import or sell to the trade and have a shops open for retail and the public the likes of

https://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/

https://www.normanclarkgunsmith.com/

http://www.helstongunsmiths.com/

https://www.yorkguns.com/

 

You then have a number of good gun shops who provide great service and have a good wide range products at reasonable prices (that is reasonable for the UK)

http://www.kirklees-guns.co.uk/

http://www.bluefoxglade.co.uk/

http://www.derekleegunsmiths.com/store/

https://faanderson.co.uk/

https://www.laddsguns.com/

 

There are other old gun making shops that have provide good service through several generations

http://www.elderkinguns.co.uk/

https://fultonsofbisley.com/

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chris+potter+guns&qpvt=chris+potter+guns&FORM=VDRE

 

I would say there are a growing number of gunsmiths that come from precision engineering backgrounds that are building fine precision and long range rifles.

 

There are a good many pretty ordinary shops you might find them selling agricultural equipment or equestrian equipment or fishing equipment that keep a few firearms and ammunition to serve the local community,

 

Sadly there are a growing number of newer gun shops who advertise like they are a supermarket, yet when you go to them they have very limited stock and want to sell to you from that.

 

 

Edited by English
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7 hours ago, English said:

These two places are probably most like you describe:

http://www.elderkinguns.co.uk/

https://fultonsofbisley.com/

In a wider look at things:

I have to say I think your perception of a UK gun shop is rather quaint and perhaps overstates the current state of play over here on this side of the pond!

I can actually think of one place that is as you suggest and that is Fulton’s of Bisley – I’ve actually seen a pith hat in there!

If you look at the UK today, I think you could probably separate our “Gun Shops” into maybe four or five types:

 

Some are old and Old skill & Service Based with the kind of pedigree that perhaps stems back to Victorian times.

Purdey, Boss, Rigby as examples.

https://www.purdey.com/?SID=v8bq5fljpvkjvo0lf3ve2b1spp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_%26_Co.

https://www.johnrigbyandco.com/

These probably cater to the worlds rich and famous and they are certainly not for the likes of an ordinary guy like me!

 

There are a few other more recent companies where those who may have learnt high end skills in similar companies to those mentioned have taken their skills and struck out on their own.

https://www.williampowell.com/History-of-William-Powell/

 

I think you then have large trading entities – companies that import or sell to the trade and have a shops open for retail and the public the likes of

https://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/

https://www.normanclarkgunsmith.com/

http://www.helstongunsmiths.com/

https://www.yorkguns.com/

 

You then have a number of good gun shops who provide great service and have a good wide range products at reasonable prices (that is reasonable for the UK)

http://www.kirklees-guns.co.uk/

http://www.bluefoxglade.co.uk/

http://www.derekleegunsmiths.com/store/

https://faanderson.co.uk/

https://www.laddsguns.com/

 

There are other old gun making shops that have provide good service through several generations

http://www.elderkinguns.co.uk/

https://fultonsofbisley.com/

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chris+potter+guns&qpvt=chris+potter+guns&FORM=VDRE

 

I would say there are a growing number of gunsmiths that come from precision engineering backgrounds that are building fine precision and long range rifles.

 

There are a good many pretty ordinary shops you might find them selling agricultural equipment or equestrian equipment or fishing equipment that keep a few firearms and ammunition to serve the local community,

 

Sadly there are a growing number of newer gun shops who advertise like they are a supermarket, yet when you go to them they have very limited stock and want to sell to you from that.

 

 

That’s actually a pretty amazing description.  At standard USA gun shop is as follows,   I complete wall of black plastic weapons that were designed after the 1980s.  And long glass case full of glocks.  In the corner of the store a single barrel shot gun and a broken revolver.  To even find a nice high end shotgun you have to go to a sportinggood store.  Even then it’s Beretta, Browning, Cz, Benelli.  I have never seen a Holland and Holland, or a Purdy in real life.  

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Very many, if not most, of the U.S. citizens who come over here for our driven game shooting are using Purdey, Holland and Holland,  Boss,  Atkin, Grant and other best English guns. But these people were spending serious money on their shooting trip and were obviously not on welfare.

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It wasn't that long ago if you went into the gunmakers workshops in the Birmingham gun quarter, it was like stepping back in time into the late 1800's and early 1900's!....alongside some beautiful English guns in for repair..........there were dirty/smoked up widow panes, tools, machinery, dust, detritus, broken and discarded gun parts........probably from that period?.........it wasn't that different the last time I was there! Lol!

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7 hours ago, London Best said:

Very many, if not most, of the U.S. citizens who come over here for our driven game shooting are using Purdey, Holland and Holland,  Boss,  Atkin, Grant and other best English guns. But these people were spending serious money on their shooting trip and were obviously not on welfare.

Yea, when you can travel the world to hunt I guess importing one wouldn’t be a big deal.  But I honestly have never saw one.   Wonder what the process is to bring a shotgun into the UK temporary is.  I’m guessing I can’t dock my yatch in the Thames River and send a servant to fill out the paperwork.  Probably part of those expensive hunts is the guide company filling out paperwork for you.  

Edited by NoBodyImportant
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34 minutes ago, NoBodyImportant said:

Yea, when you can travel the world to hunt I guess importing one wouldn’t be a big deal.  But I honestly have never saw one.   Wonder what the process is to bring a shotgun into the UK temporary is.  I’m guessing I can’t dock my yatch in the Thames River and send a servant to fill out the paperwork.  Probably part of those expensive hunts is the guide company filling out paperwork for you.  

Basically to bring a firearm (including a shotgun)into the UK you would need:

A sponsor in the UK

Demonstration that you have somewhere safe to keep it (a safe) whilst not in use.

Somewhere suitable and a legitimate use for the firearm

I think the fee is £20?

See the guidance here:

https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fi/af/firearms-licensing/about-firearms-licensing/

Edited by English
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I visited kent gunsmiths on Monday and had a chat with the lad behind the counter . at the moment he has a small sock level as he has not been trading for long but he is expanding the premises so he can enlarge his stock . he does however have an excellent workshop set up and I think will turn out to be a very good addition to the shooting industry

and he is a nice guy to talk to. I will most certainly visit each time I come down to my sisters 

only down side is its a begger of a place to find for the first time customer 

Edited by hodge911
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