"Hah theah. Come on down t'Texas."
Posted on 02/24/2013 7:11:59 AM PST by Second Amendment First
On the production floor of Beretta USA sits a hulking new barrel-making machine ready to churn out the next object of obsession in America’s love-hate relationship with guns: a civilian version of a machine gun designed for special operations forces and popularized in the video game Call of Duty.
Beretta, the nearly 500-year-old family-owned company that made one of James Bond’s firearms, has already invested more than $1 million in the machine and has planned to expand its plant further in Prince George’s County to ramp up production.
But under an assault-weapons ban that advanced late last week in the Maryland General Assembly, experts say the gun would be illegal in the state where it is produced.
Now Beretta is weighing whether the rifle line, and perhaps the company itself, should stay in a place increasingly hostile toward its products. Its iconic 9mm pistol — carried by every U.S. soldier and scores of police departments — would also be banned with its high capacity, 13-bullet magazine.
“Why expand in a place where the people who built the gun couldn’t buy it?” said Jeffrey Reh, general counsel for Beretta.
Concern that the company will leave, and take its 300 jobs with it, is palpable among state lawmakers who worry it could be collateral damage from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed gun-control bill.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“I think they thought we were bluffing” in the 1990s, Reh said. “But Berettas don’t bluff.”
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Relocating high-tech machining equipment and vats of chrome used to plate Beretta barrels would be costly and out of character for a company that is still based in the Italian town where it began in 1526.
The company’s Italian patriarch, Ugo Gussalli Beretta, visited the plant shortly after O’Malley introduced his gun-control bill, and the two discussed the issue. But Reh declined to say if the two reached any decisions about what would happen if the governor’s bill passes.
“All I can tell you is, Mr. Beretta said, ‘There always seems to be a problem with Maryland.’ ”
Baretta, the people of Texas extend you a hearty welcome. We would love for you to bring your plants down here where we respect the 2nd Amendment. As a side benefit, with you guys moving down here, we might be able to finally get some good pizza around here. :-D
we have open carry, and is the reddest of the red states.
tell Maryland to take a long walk off a short pier
Thats how my city lured Cabellas.
They should have pulled out of MD a long time ago.
“Relocating high-tech machining equipment and vats of chrome used to plate Beretta barrels would be costly and out of character for a company that is still based in the Italian town where it began in 1526.”........
Bring those lines to Wisconsin, albeit we have cold weather here. We have some of the best machinists in the world within our borders and moving a line here would be a piece of cake.
Mr. Reh, a better question might be: "Why pay business taxes to a state that wants to destroy you?"
“I think they thought we were bluffing” in the 1990s, Reh said. “But Berettas don’t bluff.”
the protest solution is to flood the market with unmarked unstamped 3d created magazines. Make legislation meaningless.
Welcome to NC- we need the jobs! Right to work state! Lots of people who buy guns!
"Hah theah. Come on down t'Texas."
During the CW1, the North had the lion share of arms manufacturing.
It seems that the Blue states are not giving that much thought this time around. Gun and ammo production are all headed Red.
Come on out to Kaleephornya.......no, wait......just...damn.
Why would they go farther than a short hop across the Potomac River to a very gun-friendly state where most of their skilled employees could still have a reasonable commute from their current homes?
TC
There always seems to be a problem with Maryland.
Yup.
That sounds like a mohel's favorite coffee flavor.
South Dakota..no income tax, good conservative people and a long tradition of using firearms.
Those of us that live in Texas that do not wish to be a part of a communist dictatorship strongly encourage all gun and bullet manufacturers to move to the once and future Republic of Texas...
BTW... There is a nice little industrial park behind our place with easy (1 mile) access to IH-35 located halfway between DFW and San Antonio, the conservative Heart of Texas.
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