XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.business

On 12 Feb 2024, "max headroom" <maximusheadroom@gmx.com> posted some news:uqdsfi$1m7np$3@dont-email.me:

New York's Oldest Gun Manufacturer Shuts Down

Jazz Shaw

This is some sad news that we've known was coming for several years,
but now the end is almost upon us. Remington Arms has been
manufacturing quality firearms in the upstate New York village of
Ilion for more than two centuries. At one time it employed thousands
of workers and it could be argued that Ilion wouldn't have really
existed without it. But next month, the doors will close and the last
workers will be sent to the unemployment lines. But that won't be the
end of Remington's various product lines. You'll still be able to find
them in gun shops around the world. But they will be manufactured in
Georgia from now on, a state far more friendly and welcoming to
Remington and the firearms industry in general. (Associated Press)

Remington began here two centuries ago and generations of workers
have turned out rifles and shotguns at the massive firearms factory
in the middle of this blue-collar village in the heart of New York's
Mohawk Valley.

Now residents of Ilion are bracing for Remington's exit, ending an
era that began when Eliphalet Remington forged his first rifle
barrel nearby in 1816.

The nation's oldest gun-maker recently announced plans to shutter
the factory in the company's original home early next month, citing
the steep cost of running the historic plant. Remington is
consolidating its operations in Georgia, a state the company says is
friendlier to the firearms industry.

As I've discussed here in the past, this story is rather personal for
me. I grew up barely six miles from that factory and many of my
relatives worked there over the years. I used to ride my bike past it
with my friends several times per week when the weather permitted. Our
home always had Remington Arms rifles and pistols in it, mixed in with
some other brands.

But we really can't blame Remington for fleeing New York and gutting
the economy of one small village. They were forced into the decision
by ferociously high taxes and a seemingly neverending series of
crippling lawsuits brought by anti-gun advocates. The company had
already filed for Chapter 11 protection back in 22018.

To their credit, the AP does a decent job of interviewing Remington
employees and their family members to deliver a bit of context to the
story. Remington Arms wasn't just a factory or a place to work. It was
part of the community for far, far longer than living memory. Jobs
there were looked upon as a birthright, with sons following their
fathers into Remington's ranks for generation after generation. It was
not uncommon to see the grandsons of upper-level managers joining
their fathers on the production line or in other parts of the plant.

They spoke with one man whose wife and two of their adult children
still work there today. They will all be out of work next month and
there are few other large employers hiring currently without needing
to commute out of the valley.

This sad story is similar to that of Smith & Wesson, which had
produced firearms in Massachusetts since the 1800s. They too were
forced to file for Chapter 11 a few years ago and have since moved
their headquarters to Tennessee. What do Massachusetts and New York
have in common? Quite a bit, including high taxes, rampant
overregulation, frequent protests, and courts that entertain bizarre
lawsuits against the firearms industry. Why would any company with an interest in survival stick around? The answer is that they wouldn't
and they aren't. And they're taking their jobs with them. Best of luck
in Georgia, Remington. I know you will be far more appreciated there.
But New York is going to miss you when you're gone.

https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/02/11/new-yorks-oldest-gun-manufactur er-shuts-down-n3782741

Add licensing restrictions for all Remington firearms produced after
departing the state. As a manufacturer, prohibit the sale and
distribution of qualifying products in the state of New York including
law enforcement.

New York politicos love using the civil courts to entrap those they
can't using the criminal system. Employ those same tactics and force
New York to uphold product licensing restrictions. If they fail or
refuse, sue New York.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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