Gunsmith blames ‘dying trade’ as he bites the bullet

A GUNSMITH has been forced to close after 100 years because the trade is “dying”, its owner has said.

Malcolm Lambert has owned Lamberts of Ringwood, Hants, since the 1990s, but the shop itself has stood at its Market Square site since 1916.

The 78-year-old gunsmith – someone who repairs, modifies, designs and builds guns – is retiring at the end of the month and has blamed declining footfall and fewer country shoots taking place on a fall in business.

It comes as shooting sports face increasing red tape.

In November, campaigners said they faced a shooting “ban by the backdoor” after Natural Resources Wales (NRW)

‘A lot of people don’t realise that it is a skilful trade, like a watchmaker. It will be emotional on my final day’

recommended the introduction of rules limiting the release of partridges and pheasants on the basis that they are not native to the country.

It threatened to make it much harder to release certain game birds for shooting in the country.

Mr Lambert said the decline in shoots was a key driver for the decline in his trade. Talking about the closure of his business, he said: “It’s sad. It’s something I’m not looking forward to doing.

“I’ll miss the whole atmosphere, and the customers coming in to see us.”

“The truth is this is a dying trade and there are not as many shoots anymore, so footfall is down. It has been really tough in recent years and there are a lot of negative views of guns.

“A lot of people don’t realise that it is a skilful trade, like a watchmaker.

“It will be emotional on my final day when I retire.”

Linda Jury, the shop’s manager, added: “It’s difficult to open any shop on the high street. It’s a terrible shame but plenty of people have come in with their memories of Malcolm.

“I will miss it a lot. We have a lot of regulars who need us for their farms or clay pigeon shooting.”