Special promotion adds color to shotgun sales

Shooting Industry, Sept, 1995 by Lisa Parsons

The Lady Sport Spectrum is based on the low-profile, box lock action of Marocchi's Conquista sporting clays shotgun with all of the dimensions erogometrically reduced to fit the specific needs of women. It is offered with both 28-inch and 30-inch over-and-under barrel sets fitted with Marocchi's exclusive Contrechoke screw-in choke tubes. The stock and forend, made from American walnut, have been reshaped and lightened to give a shape and balance better suited to women. Weighing in at 7 1/2 pounds, it is chambered for 12-gauge, 2 3/4-inch target loads. The Conquista Instajust single-selective trigger system allows in-the-field adjustment of length-of-pull without tools. The Lady Sport Spectrum is also available in a true left-handed version.

The new twist on the Lady Sport Spectrum is the cosmetic design developed with the help of Shoot the Moon, the Colorado-based manufacturer of custom shooting accessories (See SI "Arms and the Woman" Feb. '95). Shari LeGate, president of Shoot the Moon, saw a Marocchi shotgun with an experimental colored receiver at the '95 SHOT Show and was impressed, said Precision Sales President E. Alan Johnson. "Shari said, 'Wow! This has possibilities,'" remembers Johnson. Marocchi agreed, and a plan of action was developed.

"Shari sent a swatch of fabric to Europe and the shotgun design was conceived. Then she designed a vest using the colors from the shotgun," Johnson said. The result is a very attractive shotgun with a vividly colored receiver frame and forend hinge, and a trigger guard specially inscripted with "Lady Sport."

It was a question of style, said Johnson. "Shari told us there are a lot of gals who want to 'dress' on the clays field," he added. This is an idea dealers may want to take to heart. Many women don't see the need to dress in traditional "outdoor" colors when on the sporting clays field, but prefer brighter colors befitting the social sporting activity clays has become. Next time you're ordering accessories, throw in a few brightly colored items and see how they do. You might be surprised.

Precision Sales and Shoot the Moon have created a special promotion with the dealer in mind that will help sell the Lady Sport Spectrum and get some color into your store. Through Nov. 1, the custom fitted-vest, which normally retails for $148, will be offered to customers who purchase a Lady Sport Spectrum for $75.

"This is not a giveaway at the dealers expense," explained Johnson. "The dealer will still make a profit on the sale of the vest." The customer will order the vest from the dealer who will then place an order with Shoot the Moon. The customer will then pick up the vest from the dealer, giving the dealer an opportunity to make an additional sale on ammunition, eye protection or any other accessory. "We wanted to give dealers another crack at the customer," Johnson said, "and make it worth their time and effort to participate in the promotion."

Marketing to women "has been a twinkle in our eye for some time," Johnson commented. "There are an awful lot of special niche markets out there that represent opportunities that are not being covered."

The response to the Lady Sport Spectrum has been tremendous. "We're getting calls from women all over the country who are very excited by the idea," Johnson said. He also admitted that Precision Sales is having trouble keeping the guns in stock. If this trend continues we can expect more manufacturers to follow the lead of gunmakers like Smith & Wesson, Browning and Marocchi.

Let your customers know about this great opportunity to own a top-notch gun and stylish vest at a substantial discount. Both of these items are of the highest quality and will reflect well on any dealer who sells them. Just to get a feel for the market, ask your female customers if they're tired of accessories in camo, brown and green. The trend of "dressing at the range" could lead to a whole new and very profitable market for gun dealers.