Skip to comments.

Posted on 12/24/2001 8:44:52 AM PST by real saxophonist

Rifle sales aid Sept. 11 efforts

By David Persons

Fort Collins Coloradoan

FORT COLLINS — A local firearms company has begun selling special-edition rifles that could raise almost $1 million for the families of firefighters and police officers who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Officials at Investment Arms Inc. began selling the limited-edition rifle in mid-November after the idea was suggested by a South Carolina gun dealer.

"We thought, at first, that maybe it wouldn't be in the best of taste," said Steve Pierson, an Investment Arms sales manager. "But he kept bugging us about it, so we finally decided to give it a try."

The idea appears to have hit a nerve with gun collectors and those who wish to help the relief efforts. The firm already has shipped about 1,000 rifles to dealers across the country and is continuing to average orders of 50 to 100 rifles a day with no letup in sight, Pierson said.

The semiautomatic rifle, a Ruger 10/22, already one of the most popular .22-caliber rifles on the market, is appealing to gun enthusiasts because of the high-quality laser engraving in the birch wood stock, Pierson said.

The engraving includes:

The words "For Those Who Answered The Call, We Will Not Forget. September 11, 2001."

The name of the state and the number of the special edition (for example, 1 of 500).

An artist's rendering of a bald eagle, the Pentagon, the World Trade Center twin towers and the American flag.

A commemorative, gold-plated, 2001 U.S. quarter of New York also is inset in the stock of each rifle.

Dominic Jandrain, the company's special projects coordinator, said the idea is to limit distribution to just 500 rifles for each state. Each rifle will be stamped for a state and will have a limited edition number. Only dealers in those states will be able to sell the rifles, Jandrain said. There will be no individual sales by the company.

The total number of rifles distributed could reach 25,000 if each state orders its maximum allotment. So far, Pennsylvania and South Carolina dealers already have reached their maximum orders.

The company has set a retail selling price of $399 for each rifle so dealers can voluntarily set aside 10 percent of proceeds for either of two relief funds: the New York Firefighters 9-11 Relief Fund or the UFA Widows and Children's Fund.

If all 25,000 rifles are sold and 10 percent of the total sales are set aside for the funds, that would amount to $997,500.

Asked if he was surprised by the interest in the rifles, Pierson smiled.

"No, not really," he said. "We had seen all the telethons for the funds and the outpouring of support, so we knew people still wanted to help and were still in the mood to give."

Pierson said his company was cognizant of the criticism of other funds for spending portions of their donations on administration. Investment Arms selected two funds where money "goes straight to the people, not administrators," he said.

Looks like an instant collectors item to me.

L

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.