09 March 2027 14:30
Dave had a humble start to life, but was always interested in air gun shooting, as well as making things in his modest workshop. He got a job as a tool maker with a firm in Hove, and was soon recognised for his innovative and excellent engineering skills. He also started doing repairs of, and making bits for, rifles, in his shed. This grew into a business, and he and a friend made two Colt revolvers (albeit with sealed off barrels) which were highly praised by gun experts. He soon got to make a (non air) rifle for a shooting friend who won the British championship with it!!
Said friend had contacts in the Special Boat Service, who then placed an order for 12 similar rifles. And this order, plus Dave’s ongoing passion for rifle shooting and getting to know the military at grass roots level, led to the creation of ‘Accuracy International Ltd’ which at the last count had some 84 Armies as customers (including the British).
Dave is now 80 but still shoots competitively. In July 2026 he became International champion in the ‘50 calibur’ world championships held in New Mexico, firing his own design 0.5” rifle. He is now about to ‘retire’ and is selling his company to another well known rifle manufacturer. The terms of the sale contract require him to keep silent about latest technical developments, but he has written a book which is in the public domain and outlines his career until 2023. Stand by for an interesting talk + static (!) hardware demo. (The talk will have a limited Newsletter write up because of his sale-of-company contract waiting to be signed.)