Saturday, October 15, 2005

Boomsticks: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Via Alphecca, an article on the trials and tribulations of some well-known Illinois gunmakers.

Why, in Shiva's name, do gunmakers persist in locating themselves in states with anti-gun and (dare I say it?) anti-free-enterprise laws?

A small sampling:
Illinois: Springfield Armory, ArmaLite, Rock River Arms, Les Baer.
Massachussetts: Smith & Wesson.
Connecticut: Ruger, Mossberg, Colt (the state of CT, along with the labor union, are actually part owners of this once-great firm.)
New York: Kimber, Kahr, Remington.
Maryland: Beretta USA.

Let's see: If I were to compile a list of states with lousy anti-freedom laws and draconian gun regs, and states where gun manufacturers ply their trade, I'd have darn near 100% overlap. I mean, really, is there one state on that list to which any gun owner with a mere moiety of her marbles intact would want to move?

Now the CEOs of these companies have the unmitigated gall to whine to reporters about how (surprise!) the lawmakers in the rapaciously anti-gun state they decided to set up shop in (or remain located in) are trying to legislate them out of business. Are gun manufacturers congenitally stupid, or am I missing something with regard to the pleasurable benefits of sleeping with the enemy?

Sam Kinison said it so well: "See this? This is sand. Sand! You live in a desert! Move to where the food is!"

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It doesn't make much sense, does it? Especially since the states they are located in are collecting a lot of taxes from them. They should move to states more friendly to firearms.

Anonymous said...

I don't remember who, but there are some decent ones based in California too. I mean... I just don't understand it. They could all move to Texas and, considering the ecconomic boost, I'm sure this state would make it REAL easy for them to make that decision. Oh well...

Then again, on a similar note, I have never understood how someone can stand to live in a state with a state income tax on top of the federal one, especially since the sales tax in those states tends to be just as much as those without one. Not always, but I'd rather have them tax what I spend then make me bend and spread them to get taxed on what I earn, of which they had absolutely no part in helping me earn.

Oh well, go figure.

Anonymous said...

Wolf Ammo is in Anaheim, CA.

Seriously.

-SU

Captain Holly said...

Just a point about Ruger. Their corporate offices are indeed in Connecticutt, but their manufacturing plants are in New Hampshire and Arizona.

Captain Holly said...

Marlin is located in Connecticut also, IIRC.

James J. Na said...

Gun Makers and Conservatives in Liberal States:

Well, it's not just gun makers. I always have wondered why some of the big names among conservatives (or "neo-cons" if you like) who work in the metro-DC area choose to live in "blue" suburbs in Maryland and Delaware, rather than those in "redder" Virginia. What gives? Is it limousine conservatism?

James J. Na said...

Sorry, bad link. The right one is this.

James J. Na said...

By the way, in case you didn't see my response to what you wrote in my blog:

Tamara K:

I just did that "sic" thing to denote *I* didn't spell it that way, not to be snotty or picky.

Anonymous said...

I must say that this is one of the more interesting, and unusual blogs I have come across.

We seem to have a gun store feminazi who wants to convince the world of the fact that she is oh so very clever, and deserving of their undiluted adulation and praise.

I rather suspect that she is the female version of an all too common male phenomenon, namely, the heavily armed, and somewhat unstable loner.

I would guess that she lives alone, save perhaps for pets, and is blissfully unaware of her gentle spiral into insanity surrounded as she doubtless is by a bewildering dichotomy of firearms and books on Philosophy.

Probably no formal college education and an increasing dependance on the net for social interaction.

She was probably attractive once, and not the bizarre firearm festooned, overweight, badly dressed harpie we see in the photo. Her autobiography would be appropriate if entitled "Desparately Seeking Shampoo". Lord, what a mess.