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Sadly that story isn’t new in the world of firearms.

Bill Ruger embraced magazine limits and arbitrary cosmetic feature bans (the assault weapons ban) in order to improve sales of his company’s alternative products. That piece of *%#^&* believed he could improve his company’s profits by supporting gun control that made his competitor’s products illegal.

Smith & Wesson conspired with the Clinton administration to voluntarily undermine the second amendment and engage in corporate practices that mimicked the effects of gun control legislation.

It would appear that the company hoped that by being the first eager little beavers on the big-brother bandwagon they would encourage the federal government to allow the friendly little traitorous lapdog corporation to have a little slice of the post-gun-control limited firearms market.

In the case of S&W, voluntarily instituting elements of the gun control agenda cost them 40% of their sales within a year, and eventually the gun-public boycott of the company almost ended in bankruptcy for the firm. They were barely salvaged by a buyout by another corporation.

Sadly, large corporations tend to favor legislative action that raises barriers to market entry for potential competitors. Stifling competition via sponsoring government overreach and over-regulation is an old trick of major corporations; it’s the next best thing to a monopoly. This is true regardless of industry — the biggest players in the field are happy to legislate away your freedoms as long as it means guaranteed market share for the company. See the Phillips-GE sponsored ban on incandescent light bulbs for a non-gun related example.

Thankfully you can find a lot of small-manufacturers willing to jab a thumb into the eyes of ban-happy politicians AND corporate toadies. Right now there’s a slew of small firearms and tactical gear companies that are refusing to sell products to state agencies located in states that violate the second amendment.

You can buy some amazingly well-made firearms from companies that actively support your freedoms, and in many cases you’ll find that the small companies making the finest high-end firearms for niche gunnut markets are going to ACTIVELY support your second amendment rights. That’s a hell of a lot better than lining the pockets of a corporation that wants to violate your rights in order to ensure market share.

If you’re interested in an AR-15 pattern rifle, I’d urge you to not buy from Colt and instead purchase a high-quality AR-15 pattern rifle from one of the freedom-loving small companies that are boycotting gun-controlling-state-governments. LaRue Tactical and Bravo Company are two companies that come to mind off the top of my head, there are lists online of gun companies that boycott state governments if you’re interested in more. If you want a 1911, Wilson Combat offers some very high-end products AND supports your freedoms to boot. I have no financial interest in the companies involved, I’m just trying to steer freedom-loving Americans towards companies that actually support American freedoms.