Jonny English
Well-known member
How do you break into the UK gun market these days with a new brand? Who's got it right and who has got it badly wrong? Is there a recipe for success or are we very change resistant regardless?
How do you break into the UK gun market?
- Thread starter Jonny English
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Paul120
Well-known member
The ones that stand out to me are Kemen in the late 90's and more recently CG. Both these makes were given to the leading shots in Trap and sporting and used to win major shoots.
They were also well balance and well thought out in the way they fit Mr average build. which is perfectly good enough for 90% of the sunday recreational shooting market who want the same gun as the leading shots.
Those that have got it wrong are those that didn't invest in getting the top shots to use them, overpriced them or have daft stock sizes.
They were also well balance and well thought out in the way they fit Mr average build. which is perfectly good enough for 90% of the sunday recreational shooting market who want the same gun as the leading shots.
Those that have got it wrong are those that didn't invest in getting the top shots to use them, overpriced them or have daft stock sizes.
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Doctor Lecter
Well-known member
webley & scott have a model out the 912xs cracking gun at £795 new manor gun room just saying !!
Jonny English
Well-known member
The uk gun consumer market is incredibly slow moving.
CG appear to have gone the right way about it with mid priced guns, in the hands of top shooters and good back up, yet 15 to 20 years on and they still don't quite carry the weight of the big 3.
Blaser have had a similar approach but set off with a more top end product and are still critised for engineering errors that were rectified years ago.
Zoli and salvanelli have tried and not made a lot of headway. Yildiz, ATA, Kofs, Breda etc seem to be pegged down in the budget end of the market with little hope of being able to stepout into mid range anytime soon. The yildiz Pro is a good example of this, more than likely a very good product for the price, but doesn't look likely to storm the market.
CG appear to have gone the right way about it with mid priced guns, in the hands of top shooters and good back up, yet 15 to 20 years on and they still don't quite carry the weight of the big 3.
Blaser have had a similar approach but set off with a more top end product and are still critised for engineering errors that were rectified years ago.
Zoli and salvanelli have tried and not made a lot of headway. Yildiz, ATA, Kofs, Breda etc seem to be pegged down in the budget end of the market with little hope of being able to stepout into mid range anytime soon. The yildiz Pro is a good example of this, more than likely a very good product for the price, but doesn't look likely to storm the market.
westley
Well-known member
They got some bad press over their previous models, that can take a long time to overcome.
I doubt they're much bothered by that. I reckon they sell a lot more guns than Krieghoff, Perazzi or Blaser simply because they appeal equally well to both committed competition shooters and the casual shooters who don't want to shell out £10K for a gun that won't get them better scores.
Think Salvinelli & Zoli have failed here largely due to lack of decent distributors and overpricing which is a shame. Shot a couple of Salvinelli sporters and they were impressive but as you say never made any headway here.
Jonny English
Well-known member
On the other side of the scale, how have krieghoff done so well, what has been the key to their success?
Its a knock off remy 32, that certainly isn't cheap, has had its own problems, the service from the importer can be questionable at times from all accounts and they have sold in the masses. Is the product just that good, top shooters using them and titles or just fashion trend.
Its a knock off remy 32, that certainly isn't cheap, has had its own problems, the service from the importer can be questionable at times from all accounts and they have sold in the masses. Is the product just that good, top shooters using them and titles or just fashion trend.
Charliedog
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Its a bit of all the above, the marketing team have done an unbelievable job, I see as many of this brand as any other at my local registered shoot. To be fair the ones I have shot have been beautifully balanced (not what I had read) and if you take one apart substantially engineered, they are a very good gun and a joy to shoot but the historical marketing strategy has been very clever to get so many people to spend such vast sums of money on one.
Cosmicblue
Well-known member
It is difficult:
1) The product doesn't typically wear out in a human lifetime
2) The products, by nature, are expensive, so if you are spending hundreds or thousands you'll likely to buy a known or trusted brand
3) The market is ultra conservative - any manufacturer that attempts to deviate from traditional design/manufacturing/materials has a really tough job - thing Browning Cynergy or Benelli 828U.
The probably best approach is to find a reputable distributor and utilise their dealer network backed up with top-notch marketing for brand awareness and even then it'll take 20+ years.
1) The product doesn't typically wear out in a human lifetime
2) The products, by nature, are expensive, so if you are spending hundreds or thousands you'll likely to buy a known or trusted brand
3) The market is ultra conservative - any manufacturer that attempts to deviate from traditional design/manufacturing/materials has a really tough job - thing Browning Cynergy or Benelli 828U.
The probably best approach is to find a reputable distributor and utilise their dealer network backed up with top-notch marketing for brand awareness and even then it'll take 20+ years.
Will Longthorne make any inroads with their new sporter? Starting at £12,000 is way out of my league but you do see a lot of Perazzi and Krieghoff about that must be similar in cost. I do like the idea of more new British manufactured guns being bought and used but I suspect they have a fair task on their hands.
It’s actually a simple formulae when you break it down.
Chuck loads of cash into the advertorials (magazines)
Make a load of exciting but unquantifiable claims about how much better it is in every way
Pay the most relentless self publicisers a ton of cash to say they use them
Build in huge dealer margins to get them punting them
Job done!
These are not complicated machines, it’s the marketing that does it, Teague could probably give a few pointers...
Chuck loads of cash into the advertorials (magazines)
Make a load of exciting but unquantifiable claims about how much better it is in every way
Pay the most relentless self publicisers a ton of cash to say they use them
Build in huge dealer margins to get them punting them
Job done!
These are not complicated machines, it’s the marketing that does it, Teague could probably give a few pointers...
Wonko the Sane
Well-known member
Just thot about Brit gunmakers. I'll pass comment on Will Longthorne's doing things the hard way. What I find interesting(?) is that companies such as the one owned by Mr. Hewland, for example, are perfectly capable of producing guns the equal of anything past or present. Yet they do not. I do not doubt that there are a multitude of reasons and expecting any company to step into such a low margin niche market is little less than silly.
Mr. Hewland, if you do ever decide to go into guns I'll be available for consult at special rates :thumbsu:
Mr. Hewland, if you do ever decide to go into guns I'll be available for consult at special rates :thumbsu:
