Lee Hurst, Manager of Gunmakers’ Row, on the forces rallying the British gun trade
Gunmakers’ Row Expands as Premium Aisle Doubles in Size
Perhaps it is the steady drumbeat of policy and pressure from Westminster. Perhaps it is something older, deeper — a pull towards continuity, craft and culture in an age that seems increasingly detached from all three. Whatever the cause, the effect is unmistakable: the British gun trade is not retreating. It is rallying.
And nowhere is that more evident than at The Game Fair.
Gunmakers’ Row — that most evocative artery of the Fair — is not merely returning this year, it is expanding, emboldened, and, in places, transformed. The Premium Gunmakers’ Aisle has doubled in scale, a statement in itself, with new arrivals such as Viking Arms and William Powell joining an already formidable line-up. From the old guard to the modern disruptors, the message is clear: this is an industry very much alive.
Heritage British Gunmakers’ Return Alongside Modern Industry Leaders
The great houses are, of course, in situ. Holland & Holland — present at every Game Fair since 1958 — returns alongside Boss, Westley Richards, E.J. Churchill and Longthorne, their continued presence less an obligation than a quiet assertion of permanence. These are not brands that chase relevance; they define it.
UK and European Gun Trade Unite at The Game Fair
Alongside them sits the broader trade in full voice. Ladds, R&B Sporting, The Oxford Gun Company, Elderkin & Son, J. Hogan & Son, Manor & Co and the Vaynol Gunroom collectively bring thousands of guns to market — from the attainable to the exceptional — ensuring that no visitor, whether first-time buyer or seasoned shot, is left without choice. The Gunroom, too, plays its part in this wide and varied offering.
Nor is this purely a British affair. The European powerhouses — Beretta, Rizzini and AYA — arrive not as guests, but as integral players in the modern sporting landscape. Indeed, Beretta’s decision to mark its remarkable 500-year anniversary with a glittering dinner at The Game Fair, alongside a dedicated presence in the premium enclave, speaks volumes. One does not choose a stage like this lightly.
The Game Fair Emerges as a Defining Event for the Countryside Community
What is striking, however, is not simply the breadth of exhibitors, but the appetite that meets them. Visitors continue to increase, particularly among certificate holders and active participants in the sport. 130,000 visitors will attend this year, not just to browse idly but to engage, to invest, to take part. They are coming to engage, to invest, to take part.
We have seen this pattern before. When trail hunting came under scrutiny, the countryside responded in numbers on Boxing Day. When farmers felt cornered, tractors lit up the roads to Westminster in defiant procession. And now, as familiar rural institutions once again find themselves questioned, The Game Fair becomes something more than an event. It becomes an answer.
Tradition, Craft and Commerce Thrive in Modern Britain’s Sporting Landscape
Because only in England could such an eclectic, eccentric and yet entirely coherent spectacle exist: a place where heritage gunmakers, international manufacturers, regional dealers and first-time buyers all converge; where craftsmanship sits comfortably alongside commerce; where tradition is not preserved behind glass, but actively practised, bought and sold.
Critics may continue to ask what place such industries have in the modern world. The Game Fair, in its scale, its confidence and its unapologetic character, offers a response that is difficult to ignore.
The appetite is there. The trade is ready. Be part of the 2026 Gunmakers’ Row. Exhibitor information here
And Gunmakers’ Row, it seems, is once again the beating heart of it all.
