<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><h1 class="headline">Firearms-makers to politicians on gun rights: You balk, we walk<br></h1><h2 class="subheadline"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px;">Firearms companies ranging from gun shops to
machinists are joining forces to oppose new gun control laws. Some are
threatening to move away from states that crack down on guns, others are
refusing to sell gear to police that can't be sold to citizens.</span></span></span></h2><cite class="byline vcard">By <span class="fn">Patrik Jonsson</span> | <span class="provider org">Christian Science Monitor</span> – <abbr title="2013-02-23T19:05:24Z">Sat, Feb 23, 2013<br><br><br></abbr></cite><div class="first">A growing number of firearm firms in the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/United+States" target="_self" class="inform_link">US</a> are vowing to reverse-boycott local and <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1361653327186_3">state governments</span> that enact any new infringements on the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Second+Amendment" target="_self" class="inform_link">Second Amendment</a>.</div><div class="first"><br></div>
<div>Vowing to close what they're calling "the police loophole," at least
50 US companies, ranging from gun machinists to gun shops, are now
saying publicly they'll refuse to sell weapons and gear to police in
places where governments have banned the use of the same gear by
civilians.</div><div><br></div>
<div>Quality Arms, located in Rigby, <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Idaho" target="_self" class="inform_link">Idaho</a>,
writes on its website that it "will not supply any firearm or product
manufactured by us or any other company, nor will we warranty, repair,
alter or modify a firearm owned by any state, county or municipality
that infringes on the right of its citizens to bear arms under the 2nd
Amendment."</div><div><br></div><div>The move comes as Congress and some state houses are considering new gun controls in the wake of the Dec. 14 massacre at <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Sandy+Hook+Elementary+School" target="_self" class="inform_link">Sandy Hook Elementary School</a> in <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Newtown+%28Connecticut%29" target="_self" class="inform_link">Newtown, Conn.</a> The most direct target of the "police loophole" movement seems to be <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/New+York" target="_self" class="inform_link">New York State</a>, which put into law a raft of new <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1361653327186_1">gun control</span> regulations, including limiting the size of magazines, last month.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div>
<div>"Based on the recent legislation in <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1361653327186_2">New York</span>,
we are prohibited from selling rifles and receivers to residents of New
York [so] we have chosen to extend that prohibition to all governmental
agencies associated with or located within <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1361653327186_4">New York</span>," York Arms of Buxton, <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Maine" target="_self" class="inform_link">Maine</a>, writes on its website.</div><div><br></div>
<div>So far, none of the major gun manufacturers have joined the list, and
it's an open question whether the smaller companies are bluffing or
would even have occasion to sell directly to governments in New York
State, for example.</div><div><br></div><div>"Unless S&W, <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Springfield+Armory+Inc." target="_self" class="inform_link">Springfield Armory</a>,
Ruger, Remington, etc. get on board, these boycotts are practically
useless," writes an anonymous poster on the Sipsey Street Irregulars
blog.</div><div><br></div>
<div>Meanwhile, the push for more gun control continues across the country, led by <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Barack+Obama" target="_self" class="inform_link">President Obama</a>.</div><div><br></div>
<div>On Friday, Obama's political advocacy group, Organizing for Action,
held over 100 events across the country, including letter-writing
parties, rallies with police chiefs and mayors, and candlelight vigils,
to push for Obama's federal gun control plan, which includes beefing up
background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity
magazines.</div><div><br></div>
<div>Nevertheless, at least one of the companies on the "police loophole" list, Predator Intelligence of <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Phoenix+%28Arizona%29" target="_self" class="inform_link">Phoenix, Ariz.</a>, says its pushback against new gun control laws is having an impact.</div><div><br></div>
<div>"We have police from LA and <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/New+York+City" target="_self" class="inform_link">NYC</a> that contact us about purchasing Magazines if they provide proof," the company wrote recently on <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Facebook+Inc." target="_self" class="inform_link">Facebook</a>. "Why should we consider sending them to states that want to enforce laws that are unconstitutional?"</div><div><br></div>
<div>Indeed, the lack of support from police may have led the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Minnesota+State+Senate" target="_self" class="inform_link">Minnesota State Senate</a> this week to drop proposals to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.</div>
<div>“The assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazine ban proposals are highly divisive,” Sen. Ron Latz, the chair of the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/U.S.+Senate+Committee+on+the+Judiciary" target="_self" class="inform_link">Senate Judiciary Committee</a>, told the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Minneapolis" target="_self" class="inform_link">Minneapolis</a> Star-Tribune, noting that those proposals had not received strong support from police.</div><div><br></div>
<div>While <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/John+Hickenlooper" target="_self" class="inform_link">Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper</a>, for example, has said it's time for new limits on some guns and ammunition, threats by a major <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Colorado" target="_self" class="inform_link">Colorado</a> arms manufacturer, <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1361653327186_5">Magpul</span>, to take hundreds of jobs out of state if the governor signs such laws appears to have given Mr. Hickenlooper some pause.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div>
<div>After the House passed four specific gun control bills recently,
including limiting the kind of magazines that Magpul builds,
Hickenlooper has not yet signaled whether he'll sign the measures into
law. (The <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Colorado+State+Senate" target="_self" class="inform_link">Colorado Senate</a> has yet to vote on the package.)</div><div><br></div>
<div>“We haven’t taken a specific position on that bill yet,” Hickenlooper
said this week, as reported by Colorado Public Radio, “but I from time
to time have said contradictory things on it.”</div><div><br></div>
<div>While Magpul employs 200 people directly, it's slated to spend $85
million buying goods, particularly injection-molded plastics, from other
Colorado firms in 2013. The company says it would spend that money
elsewhere if Colorado moves ahead with its gun control package, saying
their customers would object if any or all of the product was built in a
gun-critical state.</div><div><br></div>
<div><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Texas" target="_self" class="inform_link">Texas</a>, <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/South+Carolina" target="_self" class="inform_link">South Carolina</a>, and Idaho, meanwhile, are pleading with Magpul to relocate to their more gun-friendly states.</div><div><br></div>
<div>"South Carolina would welcome Magpul with open arms," US <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Jeff+Duncan" target="_self" class="inform_link">Rep. Jeff Duncan</a>
(R) wrote to the company. "South Carolina is a freedom-loving state.
The Second Amendment is very near and dear not only to the folks in my
district, but to folks in the entire state."</div></div></body></html>