Remington Arms has been located in Ilion, NY , ever since Eliphalet Remington II forged his first rifle here in 1816. Odds are they will not celebrate their 200th anniversary in this town. Even worse is the fact that the 8,000 residents in this town depend on Remington for their check one way or another. Remington and every other manufacturer of guns and ammunition are facing the same problems.
The decision to stay or to leave is not an easy one. People have their lives tied up in some of these factories and their children and grandchildren live there. Plus the cost of moving a factory is quite expensive, especially where large equipment and special permits to move it through each and every state are needed. You also lose a lot of manufacturing time while a move is in progress. All of these things have to be considered.
By the same token, there are many companies who feel they must move for a variety of reasons. For one, many hunters and other gun owners have quit buying arms manufactured in states that are unfriendly towards the second amendment and some gun manufacturers have already seen a 10% drop in business. Secondly, they have to consider that states passing these Draconian laws will eventually regulate them out of business, should they decide to stay. And what happens 5 or 10 years from now when someone gets shot by some whacked out leftist, using equipment not allowed by state law? Then they will pressure the government to issue orders that not only mandate what you can sell within a state’s border, but also what can be manufactured there.
My advice to them is to Run Silent, Run Deep, Ride Like the Wind, run like Forrest Gump until you feel the shackles fall from your legs.
Steven Ahle is the Editor of Red Statements and a regular contributor to The D.C. Clothesline.
