Posted on 04/04/2013 8:53:25 PM PDT by T-Bird45
New legislation is forcing gun manufacturing company Beretta to uproot and take their business elsewhere.
Established in 1526, Beretta holds the distinction of being the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the world. The U.S. factory is located in Accokeek, Maryland, and has been a staple of the local economy for years.
Beretta warned that stricter gun control laws would push the company outside of state lines, but that didnt stop Maryland legislators. Jeffrey Reh, a spokesman for Beretta who also serves as the President of Stoeger Industries under Beretta, announced that the company would begrudgingly uproot and take its business elsewhere. He said, We dont want to do this, were not willing to do this, but obviously this legislation has caused us a serious level of concern within our company.
He added that Beretta paid approximately $31 million in taxes, employs 400 people, and had invested $73 million in the business over the past several decades. Despite being such a prominent player in the local economy, Beretta was unable to prevent legislators from passing tighter gun control laws. Ironically, Beretta manufactures some firearms that are now banned in Maryland.
Republican state Delegate Anthony J. ODonnell lamented: Losing [Beretta] would be a big disappointment. Maryland has a reputation for having a horrible business climate, and this would be one more nail in the coffin.
Legislators had ample warning. Back in the 90s, when Maryland beefed up gun control laws, Beretta moved one of its warehouses a short drive away to Virginia.
Berettas bold move is regrettable but understandable. Reh told reporters, Why expand in a place where the people who built the gun couldnt buy it?
All of Berettas pleas fell on deaf ears. Even as Reh lamented Berettas looming departure and emphasized the companys centrality in the local economy during the hearing, Maryland legislators grilled Reh on self-defense.
One legislator stated: Other than target shooting, the only other reason [for a semi-automatic firearm] would be for self-defense [Why would you need a] rifle that accommodates 20 rounds semi-automatic for deer hunting? Its only very infrequently that someone commits a crime with an assault weapon why do you need one for self-defense?
Sources: Fox, Washington Times, The Blaze
Not sure about colt but Ruger has been out CT for years, they manufacture in Arizona now and only keep an office in CT.
Excuse me, he was ACCUSED of gunning his wife down. He was never convicted. Your statement is wrong regardless of how you think it really went down. You have no real knowledge of how it happened.
“You should have about 20 of them, friend.”
Mags with a capacity of over 10 rounds have been banned in Kalifornia since around 1995, so hi-caps are a bit hard to come by.
I have the pair of 15 round Beretta factory mags, but also a few other after-market 15 round mags.
I can always drive to Nevada for more hi-caps. It’s finding ammunition to load them with that’s problematic these days although I have several hundreds rounds, “practice” lately has been with Snap-caps.
Beretta has been making firearms for about 500 years now.
They do a good job and make good products.
When Beretta won the US Military contract, the Beretta 92F performed very well.
“The Beretta 92F survived exposure to temperatures from -40 to 140 °F (-40 to 60 °C), being soaked in salt water, being dropped repeatedly on concrete, and being buried in sand, mud and snow. Additionally, the 92F proved a MRBF (mean rounds before failure) of 35,000 rounds. That number is often touted as the equivalent to five or six times the pistol’s service life.”
For those that don’t care for the slide-mounted safety, the Taurus, which is a copy of the Beretta 92, has the safety mounted on the frame.
I’ve fed every type of ammunition thru mine and never a hiccup. The open-slide design reduces failure to eject issues significantly.
“...Mags with a capacity of over 10 rounds have been banned in Kalifornia since around 1995...”
Friends can’t ship them to you? I do that all the time for brother gunnies “behind the lines” so to speak.
California used to be a nice place. Too bad you don’t move out of there..
Yes, I heard him. Talk about ticking of the libs. That will put some poison ivy in their panties.
So long, Beretta.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
That's pretty much the way I have thought about Beretta. I knew that even despite features I didn't care for, they generally worked well and the people who owned them seemed to hold onto them... but I remained indifferent for decades.
That has changed.
Mr. niteowl77
Too funny or not. Maryland Rats provided incentives to have Barretta set up shop in Accokeek, MD.
What a bunch of Azzhats.
Blake musta had the O.J. attorney to get off. Guilty but bought the Better Attorney.
Good for Beretta! I have a PX4 Storm and it is one of the most pleasant shooting pistols I’ve fired. They’ve made me a fan.
As to where they should move, I say South Carolina. FNH-USA is there, making lots of small arms for the military. Beretta would be a natural fit there too.
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