SPOILT FOR CHOICE
26 www.guntradeworld.com
As shotguns remain a staple product for most
gunshops around the world, the shooting community
has never seen as wide a range of products to choose
from as it has today. For every purpose, for every
budget, numerous choices are available.
SHOTGUN SALES IN FULL
FLOW
Compared to last year’s survey,
our respondents claim sales
of clay target shotguns have
grown, with nearly 30 per
cent of retailers claiming the
number of clay guns sold has
increased in the previous year.
Meanwhile the sales of
hunting shotguns have taken
a massive leap compared to
last year. Over 80 per cent
of retailers in our survey
claim sales of game and fi eld
shotguns is up compared to
last year.
When taking into account
the total number of shotguns,
clay and hunting combined,
that went over the counter
during the last year, the
number of shops selling
between 51 and 100 guns
per year has stabilised at
about 30 per cent while the
number of shops selling over
200 shotguns per annum has
improved slightly from 10 per
cent last year to 15 per cent
this year.
Th e majority of retailers
in our survey sold between
one and 50 shotguns in the
previous 12 months.
Th e number-one most
signifi cant feature for buyers
remains price. Over 40 per
cent of retailers claim price
is the most important reason
why buyers decide for or
against a purchase. Brand
and make come in a close
second while the importance
of handling qualities and
technical features are
negligible. With brand and
price playing such a big role,
it is obvious that off ering the
right names at keen prices
is the way forward for the
majority of retailers.
HUNTING REMAINS ON TOP
Looking at the main reasons
people buy shotguns, general
fi eld hunting still comes
out on top as the principal
purpose. Over 70 per cent
of respondents claim this is
the main reason for buying
shotguns, followed by clay
shooting, driven game
shooting and wildfowling.
Traditionally the personal/
home defence and tactical/
practical categories are
smaller than hunting and clay
shooting but are not to be
neglected.
For some manufacturers, the
sales of pump-action tactical
shotguns have even grown
to outrank the sales of their,
once mainstay, fi eld and clay
shotgun sales.
When considering shotgun
types sold for game and fi eld
hunting, it appears the overand
under still reigns supreme.
Semi-automatics and pump
action shotguns meanwhile
account for a big slice of sales
although this largely depends
on which part of the world
you are in. Th is will certainly
vary from region to region.
A lot depends on what
type of gun is used to teach
beginners how to shoot. When
one learns to shoot with an
over-and-under, as many
people do nowadays, it is only
obvious you will continue
shooting over-and-unders and
not switch type all of a sudden.
Th erefore, when considering
guns for clay shooting, it does
not surprise one bit that the
over-and-under comes out
on top. It accounts for no less
than 80 per cent of sales.
Gas operated semiautomatic
shotguns are still
more popular than inertiaoperated
semi-automatic
shotguns. Th e popularity of
inertia-driven shotguns has
risen however, and nearly
doubled compared to the
previous year.
LESS ISN’T ALWAYS MORE
Th e demand for smaller
gauges that picked up some
years ago seems to have
stabilised. Guns from 20
gauge to .410 remain in
demand, from the budget to
the luxury end of the market.
In the medium to high end
side-by-side market for
example, 20 and 28 gauge
guns are today’s stars.
Th e lack of non-toxic loads
in smaller gauges still puts a
brake on the spread of these
guns though, not to mention
legal restrictions.
LADIES FIRST
More and more women are
attracted to clay shooting and
hunting. Our survey confi rms
this as the number of ladies
buying shotguns is up nearly
30 per cent compared to the
previous years, which also saw
growth.
With all these ladies
heading to the shooting ranges
and out in the fi elds, they
obviously need guns tailored
to their needs and body
confi gurations, not to mention
taste. Half-hearted attempts to
just shorten stocks, paint guns
pink or off er youth models to
women shooters don’t cut the
cake anymore. Brands such
as Blaser, Fabarm and Caesar
Guerini, among others, are
designing and making guns
with purely lady shooters in
mind, without making any
compromises.
SPOTLIGHT ON...
SHOTGUNS
/www.guntradeworld.com