A gunsmith has been forced to close its doors after 100 years because the business is “dying”, its owner has said.
Malcolm Lambert has owned Lamberts of Ringwood, Hants, since the 1990s – but the store itself has been at its Market Square site since 1916.
The 78-year-old gunsmith – someone who repairs, modifies, designs and manufactures weapons – is retiring at the end of the month and has blamed the decline in attendance and fewer film shoots in the countryside for his drop in activity.
It comes as shooting sports face increasing red tape. In November, campaigners said they faced a “backdoor shooting ban” after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) recommended the introduction of tough new rules restricting the release of partridges and pheasants on grounds that they are not from the country.
This threatened to make it much more difficult to release some game birds for shooting in Wales.
Mr Lambert said the decline of the shoots was a key factor in the decline of his trade.
Speaking about the closure of his business, he said: “It’s sad. It’s something I’m not looking forward to doing.
“I will miss the whole atmosphere and the customers who come to see us. »
He added: “The truth is that it’s a dying profession and there aren’t as many filmings anymore, so attendance is down. The situation has been very difficult in recent years and there are many negative opinions about guns.
“A lot of people don’t realize that it’s a skilled profession, like being a watchmaker. It will be emotional on my last day of retirement.
Manager Linda Jury added: “It’s difficult to open a store on the high street.
“It’s a real shame, but a lot of people came with their memories of Malcolm. I’m going to miss him a lot. We have a lot of regulars who need us for their farms or clay pigeon shooting.
The store closes at the end of the month.
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