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 Colts 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 dont really see that as being contradictory. …
I think companies will continue to leave Connecticut both because its 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. Its completely hypocritical to say you can stay and make your products, but theyre so dangerous your employees cant 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.
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...
I love the Headline, “good intentions”.
The road to Communism, (or is it Fascism), is paved with Good Intentions.
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.
In one short Generation we have went from Yankee ingenuity to to Yankee disengenuity
Cognitive dissonance.
“I dont 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.”
Which state is no. 1?
....word.
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.
I agree.
I Agree
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.
I looked at the same site: http://www.vpc.org/studies/gunfour.htm
and Texas is #1 with California right behind. CT is #6.
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.
Whether or not they move to Arizona, I hope gun manufacturers look at small towns for their bases.
I almost fell out of my chair!
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.
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!
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