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Yet another gun manufacturer looking at leaving Connecticut
Hotair ^ | 05/26/2013 | Erika Johnsen

Posted on 05/26/2013 7:32:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Connecticut is the seventh-largest producer of firearms in the country, with gun manufacturers currently accounting for just under 3,000 direct jobs as well as the thousands of jobs supported through related industries — but thanks to the state’s recent outlawing of ‘high-capacity magazines’ and an ‘assault weapons’-ban expansion, that might be set to change. Last month, we already learned of PTR Industries’ announcement of their pending relocation from Connecticut after the state banned many of their products, and the NYT reported this week that they’re not the only ones:

In a state desperate to maintain and revive its industrial base, Mark Malkowski thinks he should be getting gold stars.

He started a manufacturing company at age 25, and in 10 years built it into an industry leader, with 200 employees, that sells 6,000 of its products every month at roughly $1,000 each. The company, Stag Arms, is currently almost a year behind in fulfilling orders. …

The bitter battle over new gun laws in Connecticut has passed. But two months later, gunmakers like Mr. Malkowski are still weighing their options, including moving from a state long thought of as a cradle of the American gun industry. Meanwhile, supporters of the legislation are balancing their desire to limit guns with the jobs and taxes that the gun industry provides in a country where 300 million guns are in circulation and 5 million are manufactured each year.

One of the most galling parts about the whole thing, of course, is that the state seems to want to be able to both have their cake and eat it, too: The new gun-control laws did not restrict gun manufacturing in Connecticut, but merely the ability of those businesses to sell and distribute what they manufacture in the state — but they sure would like for those jobs to stick around!

The disparities can look awkward. Connecticut lawmakers have been pushing to create a national park at the historic former site of the Colt’s firearms plant in Hartford — while pushing for sweeping gun legislation. And many gun opponents say they hope the gun manufacturers remain in Connecticut even if the products they produce are banned there.

Ron Pinciaro, executive director of an anti-gun group, Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said he would not want to see Connecticut employees hurt because of the vote.

“I wish they would stay here,” he said, “and I don’t really see that as being contradictory.” …

“I think companies will continue to leave Connecticut both because it’s a terrible place to be a manufacturer and because of the political environment,” said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the shooting sports foundation. “It’s completely hypocritical to say you can stay and make your products, but they’re so dangerous your employees can’t buy them.”

No kidding. The firearms industry, of course, is hardly a special case — if Connecticut and other such states want to keep introducing more onerous regulations and taxes that keep making it tougher for businesses to feel economically secure and stay competitive, then they better be ready to pay the price.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: banglist; bluestates; connecticut; democrats; guncontrol; liberalhypocrisy; manufacturing; secondamendment
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To: Texas Fossil

I’m no experts, but I believe that fire-arm making requires a highly-skilled, highly-experienced workforce. So these companies would want to take their employees with them, helping them re-locate. I don’t think they’d ditch their employees...


21 posted on 05/27/2013 12:30:59 AM PDT by Cronos (Latin presbuteros->Late Latin presbyter->Old English pruos->Middle Engl prest->priest)
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To: Texas Fossil

I love the Headline, “good intentions”.

The road to Communism, (or is it Fascism), is paved with Good Intentions.


22 posted on 05/27/2013 12:50:45 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (America has a two Party system, the Tea Party and the Communist Party.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I own a Stag AR-15 and some Stag accessories. I will not buy another item from them unless they relocate to a Free State.

I have no interest in empowering the Fascist Government in CT or any other “Blue” State with my hard earned money.

Time for Stag to grow a set and stand by the convictions of their Customer Base.


23 posted on 05/27/2013 12:59:27 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (America has a two Party system, the Tea Party and the Communist Party.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

In one short Generation we have went from Yankee ingenuity to to Yankee disengenuity


24 posted on 05/27/2013 2:18:06 AM PDT by rdcbn
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To: Paladin2

Cognitive dissonance.


25 posted on 05/27/2013 4:56:10 AM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Paladin2

“I don’t really see that as being contradictory.””

There’s some serious BS walkin’.


Not at all (BS). This is a classic example of the leftists/proglodytes ability to hold two contradictory positions at once. See “cognitive dissonance.”


26 posted on 05/27/2013 5:07:20 AM PDT by Peet (Come back with a warrant.)
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To: SeekAndFind
seventh-largest producer of firearms in the country

Which state is no. 1?

27 posted on 05/27/2013 5:17:43 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Paladin2
"I don’t really see that as being contradictory.”"
There's some serious BS walkin'.

....word.

28 posted on 05/27/2013 5:22:51 AM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus sum -- "The Taliban is inside the building")
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To: Kickass Conservative

Yes, I notice that too. It is sad that this is the tone of most news articles. No one can imagine a POTUS who intends to destroy the US. The intentions are not good, indeed.


29 posted on 05/27/2013 5:26:43 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
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To: Cronos

I agree.


30 posted on 05/27/2013 5:27:16 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
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To: smokingfrog

I Agree


31 posted on 05/27/2013 5:28:09 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
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To: SeekAndFind

Let the utopian liberal fascists have Connecticut. Stag Arms should move to Texas.IMHO they will not likely ever have to worry about moving again.


32 posted on 05/27/2013 6:04:05 AM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html))
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To: Paladin2

I looked at the same site: http://www.vpc.org/studies/gunfour.htm

and Texas is #1 with California right behind. CT is #6.


33 posted on 05/27/2013 6:40:55 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: central_va
RE: Which state is no. 1?

Number of Firearm Manufacturers and Production, 1998
Ranked by Number of Manufacturers

Rank State Number of Manufacturers Pistol Production Revolver Production Rifle Production Shotgun Production Total Firearms Production
1 Texas 26 8,347 567 634 65,799 75,347
2 California 22 228,184 232 190 22 228,628
3 Arizona 11 161,710 0 4,172 0 165,882
4 Florida 10 52,755 0 1,781 21 54,557
4 New York 10 33,336 165 235,833 337,853 607,187
6 Connecticut 9 65,101 24,468 451,780 400,183 941,532
6 Montana 9 0 0 1,930 43 1,973
6 Ohio 9 29,840 1 29,299 0 59,140
9 Illinois 8 13,023 0 12,672 6,831 32,526
9 Minnesota 8 30 0 9,456 0 9,486
9 Pennsylvania 8 0 4 6,279 27 6,310
12 Massachusetts 7 109,639 143,573 110,409 207,186 570,807
12 Oregon 7 0 0 9,530 12 9,542
12 South Dakota 7 0 417 611 9 1,037
15 Tennessee 6 3,943 673 1,939 641 7,196
15 Virginia 6 1 0 44 6 51
17 Georgia 5 981 0 28 0 1,009
17 Kansas 5 56 0 62 0 118
17 Maryland 5 110,719 0 377 37 111,133
17 Missouri 5 37 0 34 11 82
17 New Hampshire 5 65,827 120,417 348,327 17,441 552,012
22 Arkansas 4 1,071 22 68 0 1,161
22 Colorado 4 3 0 20 0 23
22 Oklahoma 4 177 0 11 0 188
22 Utah 4 26,619 32,667 153 5 59,444
22 Washington 4 280 0 4,738 184 5,202
27 Idaho 3 0 0 37 0 37
27 Maine 3 31,224 0 25,610 5 56,839
29 Alabama 2 14,076 0 1 0 14,077
29 Indiana 2 1 13 0 0 14
29 Kentucky 2 0 0 78,008 0 78,008
29 Louisiana 2 79 8 83 1 171
29 Michigan 2 0 0 1 3 4
29 Nevada 2 62 0 302 0 364
29 North Carolina 2 0 0 4 0 4
29 Vermont 2 2,450 0 0 0 2,450
29 Wisconsin 2 0 0 321 200 521
29 Wyoming 2 0 1,163 51 0 1,214
39 Iowa 1 0 0 10,965 0 10,965
39 Nebraska 1 36 0 0 0 36
39 New Mexico 1 0 0 4 0 4
39 South Carolina 1 758 0 0 0 758
39 West Virginia 1 0 0 135 0 135
44 Alaska 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 Delaware 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 Mississippi 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 New Jersey 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 North Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 238 960,365 324,390 1,345,899 1,036,520 3,667,174

Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; ranking computed by the Violence Policy Center.



34 posted on 05/27/2013 6:42:56 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SandRat

Whether or not they move to Arizona, I hope gun manufacturers look at small towns for their bases.


35 posted on 05/27/2013 7:57:07 AM PDT by spaced
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To: Paladin2
There's some serious BS walkin'.

I almost fell out of my chair!

36 posted on 05/27/2013 8:26:24 AM PDT by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: spaced

Would love it if they came to Arizona, especially to my home hometown (population approximately 50,000), just outside the main gate of the US Army’s Ft Huachuca (pronounced Waw Chew Ka) and only approximately 28 miles east of Tombstone, Arizona.


37 posted on 05/27/2013 8:26:28 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Have courage, CT gun manufacturers & workers. I moved from CT to TX over a year ago and business is booming, it’s warmer, and there’s no state income tax.

When you leave (not IF) please paint GTT (Gone to Texas) on your front doors and leave those urban slums, I-95, the Merritt, and teeny colonials behind for the good life!


38 posted on 05/27/2013 8:34:48 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
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To: smokingfrog
This guy is seriously screwed-up. Employees can be found just about anywhere, and I imagine there would be more than a few of their existing employees that would be willing to relocate if these companies do decide to leave the state.

Bristol is a bit of a dump. I guess they refurbished the Lake Compounce amusement park, former home of the Colonel Clown show. Other than that, a bunch of ESPN sat dishes. You have to hop on I-84 and go a ways before you go anyplace interesting. It shouldn't be hard to get folks to leave Malloy's CT. The problem is that some guys who work in gun operations in CT might be otherwise liberal, and tend to mess up the places that CTers move to (e.g. NC).
39 posted on 05/27/2013 8:44:32 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There's no salvation in politics.)
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