Few figures in the UK shooting industry have experienced as many facets of the trade as Sean O’Driscoll. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has moved from publishing some of the sector’s most influential magazines and launching the industry’s only dedicated trade exhibition to leading one of Britain’s best-known wholesalers. Along the way he has also served on the council of the Shooting Sports Trust and today sits on the Gun Trade Association Council while acting as a director of the Shooting Industry Fund. In this interview, the managing director of John Rothery Wholesale reflects on brand building, supplier relationships, industry challenges and what the next five years may hold for the gun trade.
Gun Trade Insider (GTI): You’ve been at John Rothery Wholesale since 2018 and managing director since 2020.
What was your background in the gun trade prior to that?
Sean O’Driscoll (SOD): I joined the gun trade in 1990, initially selling advertising for the trade magazine Tackle & Guns. Over time I progressed to become managing director of David Hall Publishing, which produced a wide range of shooting and fishing trade and consumer titles. At its peak it was the largest publisher of shooting and fishing magazines in Europe.
During that period, I launched Gun Trade World, a global trade publication designed to connect manufacturers in one country with wholesalers and distributors in another. It became highly influential within the industry, and I’m pleased to say it is still in publication today.
I’m also proud of launching what was, at the time, the industry’s only dedicated trade exhibition—the Tackle & Guns Trade Show. It ran for around 18 years and played an important role in bringing the industry together.
GTI: Your first year as MD (2020) must have been quite a challenge. How did you navigate that period?
SOD: Before becoming managing director, I spent around 18 months as a sales representative for John Rothery, visiting customers across the South of the country. In many ways the timing proved fortunate. Like many sports and hobby sectors, the gun trade experienced unprecedented demand. Sales were not the problem—availability was. The challenge was securing enough stock quickly enough to meet demand.
I was also fortunate to step into a business that already operated like a well-oiled machine, which made navigating that period far more manageable.
GTI: What factors influence your decision to take on a new brand for UK distribution?
We are constantly approached about taking on new brands, but unless a product is already well established it takes considerable time and investment to build it properly. That’s not something we enter lightly.
Headline margins are rarely the deciding factor. We look at build quality, consistency, whether the manufacturer listens and whether they genuinely understand the UK market. Equally important is their respect for the dealer network—brands that undermine their retailers rarely succeed long term.
GTI: What are the golden rules for keeping a business like JRW running smoothly?
The most important rule is following established procedures. After more than 50 years of trading we know what works. Consistency is critical, as is mutual respect— for suppliers, customers, competitors, and staff alike. Those fundamentals underpin everything we do.
GTI: How was 2025, and how is 2026 shaping up?
2025 will probably be remembered as a defining year for the business. Many readers will know we lost a major distribution agency that accounted for more than 30 per cent of our turnover. I recognised that level of dependency as a risk when I became managing director and from day one focused on strengthening our own brands—Bisley, Parker Hale, David Nickerson, Richter and Wasp.
Last year we accelerated that programme. It forced us to develop new supply chains and broaden our offering, and I’m pleased to say we are already well on track to rebuilding the business that was lost.
Our own brands, alongside names such as Aigle, Peltor, Carl Walther, H&N, PARD, A-Tec, MTM, Primos, Acme, Birchwood Casey, Sportsmatch, Pro-Ferrum and Barnett, give us a strong proposition for the trade. We also work closely with established manufacturers through their UK distributors including Remington, ASG, Milbro, Crosman and Dan Wesson.
GTI: What’s your most consistent challenge at JRW?
Balancing stock availability with financial discipline. Dealers expect products to be available but carrying excessive stock ties up cash and increases risk.
Alongside that we are focused on securing a greater share of the business we already have by building deeper relationships with our existing customers rather than chasing new ones at any cost.
Because we don’t sell direct, we never compete with our customers. That allows us to focus entirely on helping retailers grow their businesses.
When suppliers sell direct they gain two advantages: higher margin and a detailed view of their retailers’ businesses. Over time that balance of power rarely ends well for the retailer.
GTI: What’s one assumption that trips people up in the gun trade?
Assuming the market is bigger than it really is. Fewer than five per cent of the UK population shoots—and that figure includes airgunners. Understanding the true scale of the market is essential for making sensible commercial decisions.
GTI: Where will the gun trade be in five years’ time?
Predicting the future of the gun trade is never straightforward. History has shown that it can take just one incident for government to react disproportionately, often through regulation rather than outright bans.
The recent consultation on amalgamating Section 1 and Section 2 certificates is a clear example. If implemented it would be extremely damaging to the trade, with many shooters likely to walk away due to the administrative burden alone.
Another major issue is the proposed restrictions on lead ammunition. The transition away from lead will require significant adjustment across the entire supply chain— from manufacturers and wholesalers through to retailers and shooters. While alternatives exist, questions around cost, performance and compatibility mean the transition will not be entirely straightforward.
For airgunners, the greatest risk remains renewed political momentum towards licensing airguns. We have already seen the consequences of tighter regulation in Northern Ireland and Scotland, where sales of airguns and related products have fallen to less than five per cent of previous levels.
If the industry successfully challenges the Section 1 and Section 2 proposals, and provided there are no major incidents that trigger further legislation, I believe the trade will look broadly similar in five years’ time to how it does today.
The gun trade has always been remarkably resilient. But resilience alone isn’t enough—the industry must remain united and prepared to defend itself whenever necessary.