BASC is reminding its members to report any instances of age restrictions being placed on shooting magazines at supermarkets or newsagents.
This comes after fresh reports that a shooting magazine was age-restricted at self-service tills at Asda.
BASC said it had queried the report with Asda head office, which said that it had no age restrictions in place and that it would be rectifying any till prompts that incorrectly appeared in its supermarkets.
“This example highlights the need for people to remain vigilant on the sale and display of shooting magazines,” said a BASC spokesperson.
In 2012, the shooting industry was forced into action after WH Smith imposed an under-14 age restriction at its checkouts without warning. Some 12,000 shooters signed a petition against the ban, forcing WH Smith into a u-turn.
At the time, the then BASC chief executive John Swift said: “WH Smith has been unable to produce a convincing argument as to why some shooting titles were not being sold to under 14s. Their stated reasons included reference to free gifts given away with magazines, which we understand happens only very rarely and has not included any age-restricted items. WH Smith also said the till prompts have been in place for six years, but have recently been given more prominence after a series of refresher training courses.
“Shooting magazines contain many articles about safety, best practice, conservation and rural life and are a valuable resource for any young person starting out in shooting.”
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