We're proud of our shooting heritage, and the experience of our family-run team here at The Oxford Gun Company.
Not many people can boast over 50 years in the gun trade. Yet, in 2022, Doug and Shirley Florent celebrated their 40th anniversary in the business. Sadly both are no longer with us; however, their experience and passion for shooting has been passed on and inherited by their two children, David and Nicky, who now own and run The Oxford Gun Company.
Doug and Shirley were drawn into shooting quickly, and with a lot of encouragement from Michael Rose (who was the senior instructor at West London Shooting Ground) they travelled together all over the world shooting F.I.T.A.S.C, Trap and English Sporting, and competed with some of the greats including Paddy Howe, Wally Sykes and AJ Smith.
Throughout the late seventies and early eighties Doug and Shirley continued to become more involved with the industry, working closely with the British Airways Gun Club and West London Shooting School to develop an A.B.T layout which eventually became the start of The Gun Club at West London Shooting School. Driven by passion, hard work and support from the Richmond-Watson family. The Gun Club became one of the busiest clubs in the country, welcoming thousands of new people into the sport and supporting existing shooters in developing their technique and style, as they cut their teeth in the world of instructing.
Having worked with Holland & Holland, Bill Lees at Boss’s Shooting Ground and with Chris Craddock, The Oxford Gun Company was started in 1988. Their careers in the industry undoubtedly involved a steep learning curve, but it gave them a clarity of insight into the industry. From retail to instructing and events management, if it happens in the countryside Doug and Shirley mastered it. At The Oxford Company they created a community which works closely with local businesses, nurturing both established and novice shots. To add to the growing success of the business, their son David started The Schools Challenge to encourage youngsters to take up clay shooting - this has now become the largest young shots organisation in the country. A further progression from this has been The Shooting Channel on YouTube, which has gained a massive following.
The Oxford Gun Company is first and foremost committed to rewriting the stereotypes attached to shooting, and showing the world that shooting is a sport for everyone...
Born into the industry, David has been shooting since he was 8 years old, and perfecting his technique ever since. His passion for the sport goes back to his school days, where he opened a shooting ground at Bredon School, aged just 14, opening up shooting to his teachers and fellow pupils.
His competitive shooting career started young, when in 1999 he took his team to the National Prep School Championships, and won!
His legacy and continued involvement with the school has helped make Bredon the UK’s leading school for clay shooting. After leaving school, David took up double trap as a discipline, competing for Great Britain, enabling him to travel all over the world.
David is hugely committed to bringing shooting into the 21st century, ensuring the sport is preserved for future generations. In addition to his competitive career, and instructing at The Oxford Gun Company, David took his drive and passion to introduce youngsters to shooting to the next level, founding The Schools Challenge over a decade ago. Encouraging young guns (aged 12-25) into country sports, The Schools Challenge has been going from strength to strength since 2005, and is a natural way for The Oxford Gun Company to secure the future of the sport.
Nicky keeps the wheels of The Oxford Gun Company machine turning with ease. Her ‘all hands on deck attitude’ makes her a bit of an organisational mastermind - she heads up the planning and execution of The Oxford Gun Company’s world class corporate days, events, and private parties, whilst also managing the partnership programme in the local community, helping make The Oxford Gun Company a warm and welcoming family destination.
Nicky is fully immersed in the countryside, with country sports and animals being her first passion. She's bred her own line of working dogs and has been picking-up on various estates since she could walk.
Nothing is too big or too small for Nicky to take on - the shooting school certainly wouldn’t run in the same way without her!
Toby manages the air gun side of The Oxford Gun Company, as well as helping with the day-to-day running of the shop. With experience in many different types of shooting, Toby brings an all-round knowledge of the shooting world, with answers to most of your shooting needs, whether target, pest control, hunting or much more.
He has a passion for teaching youngsters, helping them into the shooting sport and into the outdoors - repeating what others did for him when he was a youngster himself! If you`d like to give air rifle shooting a go, or just have a general chat about our amazing sport, ask for Toby - he'd be more than happy to help!
Tom has been a part of the shooting world since before he could walk, coming from a strong game shooting background. His expertise spans various disciplines, focusing on shotgun shooting as well as air rifles. During the shooting season, if he`s not in the shop, you`ll find Tom out in the field:- on peg, beating, or picking up. While he`s competent on the clays, he feels most at home game shooting, whether that`s pigeon, duck, partridge, pheasant or woodcock.
With years of experience, Tom offers knowledgeable guidance for anyone looking to buy a shotgun or air rifle, whether it`s your first or an addition to your collection. From hands-on trials to selecting the right accessories, Tom`s here to ensure you have the best possible shooting experience.
Geoff has been part of The Oxford Gun Company Team for over 15 years, and has over 30 years’ experience shooting clays and grouse.
Teaching beginners is his forte, but intermediate and experienced shots can also learn a lot from his expert tuition.
He's in high demand as an instructor, so book in advance if you want to benefit from his expertise!
Robert joined The Oxford Gun Company in 2008 and is a very keen competitive clay shooter with over 25 years’ experience in shooting clays and game. He's now available on a part-time basis for lessons on a Thursday or Saturday.
Robert's passionate about spreading the word about our sport and is able to instruct anyone - from the complete novice right the way through to the experienced game shot.
Nick joined The Oxford Gun Company in 2019, working on a part-time basis, and has been shooting since the age of 12. As well as rifle shooting, he's a keen clay shooter and occasional game shooter, combined with fly fishing for both trout and salmon - he can often be found at the lake or riverside.
He shoots on a regular basis at various shooting grounds and club grounds, and his favourite discipline is sporting clay shooting. He enjoys passing on his knowledge and experience to other shooters, whether experienced or those just starting out.
Call us the team on:
01844 238308
For all your corporate questions, hen, stag or party queries then please contact
Nicky directly on
01844 238308 or 07917 727232
