1977

Jeremy starts shooting in Poole, Dorset, and quickly looks for a more dynamic and practical shooting experience. UKPSA formed by Clive Taylor, Roger Stockbridge, Nigel Hinton and Steve Jahme-Smith.

1978

Jeremy starts to run matches at Christchurch and Hurn Airport ranges in Dorset. Pictured using an AMT Hardballer.

1981

Jeremy competes in the IPSC World Shoot in Johannesburg in South Africa

1982

IPSC Europeans held in the UK at battle ranges in Warminster.

1983

Shield International was formed.

IPSC world shoot in Virginia. Robbie Leatham wins. A 3 year old James seen pictured at the IPSC event Jeremy moved to Florida in 1983 to run security for the Intercontinental on Miami beach, on behalf of Whitehall Security.

1984

Victory Arms was formed and design a multi-calibre pistol with Jeremy’s help.

Shield Gunmakers build suppressors for the Accuracy International rifle for the UK MOD

1985

Shield Gun Club is formed. Hurn Airport ranges used to run British Open or Southern Areas Level 4 Match

1986

Jeremy finishes 55th with 71.64% at the IPSC World Shoot 7 in Florida, Robbie Latham Wins.

James, Jeremy's Son - age 6, starts to shoot.

1988

Geoff Pike approached Jeremy to ask him to come and build a 10-bay range which would become the largest privately-owned range in the UK.

Team SHIELD was formed, which includes Jeremy, Angus Hobdell, Graham Lucas, Collette Barnes and Neil Holmes

IPSC World Shoot in Caracas, Venezuela. Team Great Britain finished 3rd, Jeremy, Francis Lovell, Bob Dunkley and Chris Lidstone

1990

Jeremy finishes 17th with 84.20 % at the IPSC World Shoot 9 in Australia. Doug Koenig wins using a red dot for the first time. Jeremy was using iron sights still but went home after the match and started to use a red dot for the first time.

1991

Jeremy and James move to Litton Cheney, Dorset and Jeremy starts to run the Shield Shooting Centre on a daily basis.

Individual Handgun World Shoot in RSA Johannesburg, Collette Barnes shooting for Shield is first lady. Team Shield sponsored by S&W, Aimpoint and others

1992

Jeremy is approached by Clive Paige to help him approve the EPC (Electro Prismatic Collimator sight). IPSC Europeans in Barcelona, Spain. Collette Barnes was first lady. Jeremy was Squad Director for UKPSA team

Shield run UKPSA Southern Areas, Jeremy comes 5th

1993

IPSC world shoot 10 at Bisley in UK, Jeremy finishes 55th with 80.51%, Collette finishes second lady. Great Britain finish 3rd team overall, team members were Dean Notley, Angus Hobdell, Andy Haines, Graham Lucas, Robert Dunkley and Jeremy. GB Ladies team finish 2nd overall and included Collette Barnes, Julian Howell, Elaine Berwick

Jeremy writes an article about Electro Dot Sights.

Jeremy approached by Sandy Strayer and Virgil Trip to ask him to join STI and assist with sales and growing their market for the 2011. Jeremy designs the well known Infinity logo.

1994

Jeremy moves to Austen, Texas to work for STI who become the new sponsors of Team SHIELD

1995

STI is separated into STI which Virgil Tripp keeps, and SVI (Strayer Voigt International). Jeremy leaves to work with SVI.

James’ first time using a red dot on top of an SVI, like many back then it was an Aimpoint

IPSC European Handgun Championship held in Sweden. Jeremy finishes 20th with 84.8798% in open, Angus Hobdell finished 1st overall in Open, Graham Lucas finished 6th with 91.1507% in Open. Jeremy is Squad Director and Team Captain

1996

Clive Paige approaches Jeremy to ask for assistance to finish developing the first mini red dot. Original patent US6327806 applied for on 25th September 1996 and owned by Firepoint which Jeremy was part owner of. Gun ban comes into effect in the UK removing all handguns from private ownership and ending the practical and dynamic shooting marketplace.

Team GB compete in the Brazilian World Shoot with RSA team. Jeremy finishes 25th in Open.

Firepoint visit Shot Show, Las Vegas, and demonstrate the prototype Firepoint sight to Smith and Wesson, Glock, John Pride and Micky Fowler who were working for Tasco. Tasco begin conversations to buy 40,000 Firepoint’s and brand the product the Tasco Optima 2000.

1998

Delivery of the Tasco Optima 2000 has begun.

Smith and Wesson reopen discussions about the sights and ask for bespoke models to be made with glass lenses, this is headed up by Paul Liebenberg who formed the Performance Center at S&W, Wesley Richardson and then CEO of S&W Brian Lasanky.

Reed Knight makes a mount to fit the Shield SMS onto a Trijicon ACOG and starts to develop an interest for a backup sight on a magnified optic and starts to offer it into the US SOCOM.

IPSC European Handgun Championship in Crete, Greece. Jeremy finishes 2nd in Modified division and beats Mario Riillo in the shoot-off to take first place. He was shooting an SPS in 40 calibre with a Firepoint on the slide.

1999

James becomes secretary for Shield. Doctor Optics begin to copy the Firepoint and start to market the sight to the wider market.

2000

The Shield SMS bought for the baton gun via Accuracy Intl

2001

John Paul Gangl recognises the benefits of mounting a red dot sight on a rifle and starts conversations with Jeremy about working together. Shield become UK Distributor for Smith and Wesson in January of 2001.

2002

Roger Stockbridge wins Modified in Senior using the Optima 2000 and his son, Austen Stockbridge, is World Champion in Modified division at the IPSC world shoot in South Africa. JP Enterprises start to sell the Shield SMS as the JPoint in the US

2003

The UK SBS (Special Boat Service) starts to buy the Shield SMS to piggy back on their ACOGs followed by Seals and Delta.

2005

Shield start to provide MRST in South Africa with bespoke red dots for use on mortars, they allow for a quicker target acquisition.

2006

James Joins Shield as a consultant to help with Production and Quality. JP Enterprises win a contract to supply 2500 Shield SMS's (Branded as JPoints) to the US SOCOM. Some small incremental changes are made that vastly improve the quality of the Shield SMS (Jpoint).

2007

Shield start to provide Trijicon with the Shield SMS and allow them to brand it the Trijicon RedDot. Trijicon and Shield start to work together to develop the Trijicon RMR. Shield provide a lot of the technical information required and specifically provide the electronics to Trijicon for the RMR. The Shield SMS and Trijicon REDDOT are chosen by the UK MOD on a UOR (Urgent Operational Requirement). Shield provide 15,000 sights directly and via Trijicon.

2008

Trijicon apply for the first patent for the RMR. Shield continue to supply electronics for Trijicon RMR

2009

Shield begin trial making new designs of red dot sight.

2010

James becomes a Director of Shield who are awarded their first ISO 2008 quality accreditation. Shield then start designing the CQB - The Close Quarter Battlesight for the UK army.

Shield Public Safety and Defence win the tender for the FIST (Future Integrated Soldier Technology) contract, beating Trijicon’s RMR.

Shield provide the CQB (Close Quarter Battlesight) to the UK Military and move to their new larger facility.

Shield also design and release the CQS - Close Quarter Sportsight (Originally called the Shield Universal CQB). This is a CQB aimed at the civilian market that mounts to a picatinny rail where the CQB (Which was Export Controlled) mounts directly to the Elcan 4x scope.

Elcan copy and make their own red dot sight, the Elcan MRDS. Elcan cannot make the CQB for a competitive price so the project is closed.

2013

Asset Shield Ltd (trading as Shield Public Safety and Defence) name is changed to Shield Firearms and Sights Ltd. Shield Firearms and Sights take space at Shot Show for the first time on the GTA, British Pavillion.

2013

Shield awarded the Soldier Technology award for its CQB and work on the F.I.S.T project.

2014

Shield sponsor the IPSC world shoot in Frostproof, Florida. James and Jeremy compete. This is the first major match that James had ever shot in. Jeremy finishes 302nd with 56.46% and 24th Super Senior, James finishes 303rd with 56.37% and 2 points behind Jeremy in a field of over 450 shooters.

The ongoing supply requirement for the CQB is ended as the war in Afghan draws to a close. Shield refocus away from the military products it had been making and starts developing its new range of Pistol Mini Sights.

2015

Shield are one of the first companies in the industry to get ISO 2015 quality accreditation.

Shield release the RMS (Reflex Mini Sight) at the IPSC European handgun championship in Hungary in October. Shield also sponsor the match. It is obvious at Shot Show that the market is finally starting to move towards a market wide acceptance of red dot sights on pistols.

Jeremy competes in Open Senior team and finishes 175 with 56.59% and 12th Super Senior. James competes in Open Division finishing 148th with 61.45%.

2017

Shield Sponsor the IPSC World Shoot in France. Both James and Jeremy compete. James finishes top brit in Open at 186th with 64.62%, Jeremy finishes 277th with 54.61% second Brit and 21st Super Senior. This is the first match that Team Shield have their red dots mounted directly to the slide of their open guns.

Shield CQB gets immortalised on the Bronze War memorial in Victoria Embankment for all the soldiers that lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Smith & Wesson start to sell the SMS on the M&P 9L with the slide cut directly for the Shield footprint

2018

Shield Release the RMSc (Reflex Mini Sight Compact) - the worlds first Micro Red Dot aimed directly at the Sub Compact, EDC and Single stack slide marketplace.

Shield Firearms and Sights name is Changed to Shield Sights Ltd. Shield Sights US LLC is formed. Shield Corporation is also Formed

The White family visits the Stockbridge Family in South Africa bringing 3 generations of shooters together. Shield sponsor the National Handgun Championship in Polakwane. James and Jeremy shoot with Roger, Austen and Guy stockbridge. This brings two generations shooting together for the first ever match.

2019

Shield release the RMSw (Reflex Minisight Waterproof). Whilst all Shield Sights are water resistant, the RMSw is a strengthened gasket sealed variant built from feedback from UK Special Forces and Marines. The RMSw is waterproof to 20m.

2019

Shield Gunmakers is Reformed after 25 Years

Martin Kamenicek places first in the European Handgun Championship in Serbia in PDO. Ernest Nagy finishes 3rd in Senior in PDO. James and Jeremy shoot in the GB Open team. Jeremy finishes 183rd with 54.72% and 14th Super Senior, James finishes 134th with 65.38%.

Smith and Wesson who owned Crimson Trace, copy the SMS failing to alter any noticeable features and call it the CTS1500. Shield stop providing SMS sight to S&W.

2020

Shield start to provide sights with both Glass and Polymer lenses throughout the current open sight range offering users choice of durability versus clarity and weight.

Shield begin to sponsor IPSC directly by becoming global partner to the sport that was the driving force behind all that Shield make and do. https://www.ipsc.org/ipsc-and-shield-sights-major-partnership-in-2021/

Shield become a proud sponsor of the new EGCZ Academy in France run by Eric Grauffel. IPSC Training.

RMSx - the competitor’s sight is launched in October. 80% Larger Lens for faster transitioning.

2022

Team Shield re-established after a 15-year hiatus.

Shield win 4 gold medals with team shooters at World Shoot XIX.

Shield pre-launch the AMS at Shot Show, Las Vegas. A micro-enclosed pistol sight with the same Shield footprint.

Team Shield continue to grow in Europe, earning numerous top spots at major European matches in the run up to the European Handgun Championship in Corinth, Greece in September.

CQS2 pre launched at Shot Show - An updated reinvention of our military based rifle sight.

Shield proudly buys a new facility in Crewkerne, Somerset, England. This facility will enable Shield to maintain full production within the UK and bring wanted employment to a local town in the south of England. The new facility will enable Shield to bring all relevant manufacturing processes under one roof and give them room for future expansion as the demand grows.

Shield sign with RSR as their first major US distributor