By Steve Davis, President
Guns Save Life
One of my biggest character flaws is a flammable temper. So it should be no surprise to you readers that I was extremely irate when I learned that Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms withdrew their opposition to SB.1657 dealer licensing in exchange for favorable treatment. My blood pressure not only surged to 535 over 312, but expletives flowed off my tongue, and vindictive thoughts of poverty and bankruptcy beamed forth from my mind in the direction of these two firms.
However, sixty-some years of life have taught me that my temper cannot be trusted to render a good judgement. After a cooling off period, reconsideration is warranted. First, what has happened behind the scenes with Springfield lobbying may not be as clear cut as it appears. Knowing the smelly legislative process as I do it's possible that either Rock River Arm, Springfield Armory, or both of them were hoodwinked by the rabidly anti gun Sen. Harmon – or by a lobbyist gone rogue.
Second, does it serve the Second Amendment Movement to do our best to undercut what up until now has been two staunch supporters against the anti gun movement? Always remember that managing the coalition of hunters, trap shooters, target shooters, self-defense advocates, and manufacturers against gun control is very difficult. The diverse interests of the radical leftist groups and gun-hating politicians like Sen. Harmon, Mayor Emanuel, and Nobody Bloomberg will always do their best to exploit our diversity with a divide and conquer strategy.
As the President of Guns Save Life, I have to advocate outside my temper and urge continued organizational support of all our coalition partners. Corporations make decisions which have marketing consequences. However, I think we always need to remember that Cullerton, Madigan, Harmon, Emanuel, and Bloomberg are our real opponents and that we cannot let them win by a divide and conquer strategy.
The market will decide and as it stands these two companies are in for a rough ride if this legislation passes. They will be held accountable by the buyers of firearms, but that's how the free market works. It may just be perception, but perception can put you out of business if it is not managed properly. Right now the perception is that these companies have thrown everyone under the bus and if people get run over, then there will be hell to pay.
…can I still be mad at Springfield for the new de-cocker pistol?
The only de-cocker Springfield needs is made by Benchmade so they won't reproduce anymore. Darwin needs to cull the herd.
I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire at this point. Four, going on five days and no comment?
Nah, they're cooking up something. If they were going to play nice, they would have already shitcanned that Keller schmuck, disbanded IFMA and grovelled for an apology. That would require humility though. I don't think Dennis Reese knows that that means.
Remember when conservatives attacked that lame-ass Supreme Court nominee of Bush 43? The left called it a conservative crack-up. "We have to work together!" the establishment crowed. But true conservatives stood on principle.
This is about principle. For a company to sell out their customers and then expect them to stand by their side with their fresh black eye? Sounds like battered gun owner syndrome to me. Yeah, you go ahead and do that.
I'll stand with gun owners.
Springfield is dead to me. Rock River too.
Steve,
I appreciate your efforts to calm the waters, especially early on, when not all facts may be know.
I can say that I try to be a law-abiding a gun owne, and taget shooter. I am not a hunter, bowman (bowperson?), trap shooter, or manufacturer.
However, I do stand with all of them in support and defiance to the well funded and well propagandized gun control enemy that faces us, seemingly every day now.
I believe it is correct that Springfield changed their "opponent" stance and agreed to go neutral on support of SB 1657 if manufaturer's were exempted from the bill's provisions. Senator Harmon's Amendment 1 was the carve-out for manufacturers lessened the oppossition and gave Harmon cover to get the bill through the Senate. Perhaps Rock River is in this as well, not clear to me though. Back-stab, under the bus, sacrifice an ally for selfish reasons, take your pick. I agree with David D above, that if they were duped, they would have said something by now.
As you know, there are few non-violent ways gun owners can respond to betrayal. The way that I choose to respond is the common one, to suddenly have no want and no need for the Products they sell. I discovered there is no room under the bus for their stuff and me. As far as I am concerned, its going to be quiet a purchasing dry spell. Hopefully, tough for them!
"I think we always need to remember that Cullerton, Madigan, Harmon, Emanuel, and Bloomberg are our real opponents and that we cannot let them win by a divide and conquer strategy." If they set out to divide and conquer, they miscalculated. I haven't seen the local firearms community get this fired up about anything for years. We all have a common cause now, defeat the senate bill in the house and bankrupt the corporate monsters who still have nothing to say about their traitorous horse trading with Harmon. Even if it turns out we are wrong to have directed our fire at SA and RRA due to them having been somehow hoodwinked by a rogue lobbyist, the excercise will still stand as a valuable lesson to politicians and corporations in just how quickly 2nd Amendment advocates can network and build support for a cause. Divide us? Good luck with that.
I wish you would have done all the research before putting out your article.
Here we go … Concern Troll! You know what I wish? I wish these companies and their paid representative didn't stab us in the back, deny it, then lie about it.
No regrets here. There may be things we aren't privy to, but the readily observable facts are what they are, and their actions were clear. Their non-statements don't help. Something stinks … and it isn't the reporting.
Steve, you ask…. Second, does it serve the Second Amendment Movement to do our best to undercut what up until now has been two staunch supporters against the anti gun movement?
I didn't undercut them. THEY undercut me. If this bill passes into law, We will be unable to transfer more than 9 weapons per year. Getting rid of my collection? Nope only 9 at a time PER YEAR. Moving into a new caliber? Slowly, only 9 at a time PER YEAR.
There are consequences. This is their business. They have to decide the right course for their business. WE have to decide the right course for our liberties. If they don't support us 100%, then they don't support them.
Were they hoodwinked? I suspect it was a plain "business decision" and doubt it. But if that is the case, they better come clean, get back on the train pretty quickly, and expend a lot of effort to stop this bill. Or they won't have a civilian market to sell to, at least in Illinois.
Today, this is an Illinois issue. But, the camel's nose is under the tent for other states if this passes. The information of the cell lot of these two companies needs to go well beyond Illinois. The gun grabbers will use this as a springboard to get this done in other states all across the country.
They Are not trustworthy. Period. The facts are they wanted an exemption, they got it. They Are Quisling traitors. You ever wonder how many prison guards changed uniforms when German fell in WW2? Just a week earlier, those same guards were bent on killing more prisoners. But then they got caught. You may be an apologist for them, but I know I will never support them, and my two RRA lowers will be replaced. They bare the mark of Benedict Arnold.
Reply sent to RRA;
Just like when the bullet leaves the barrel, there is no calling it back.
This was done by someone who was representing your company. I do not know what you can do about him and what he did. I think the only thing you can do now is to tell the world now that what was done was not to your knowlege and if this bill becomes law you will move all assets out of Illinois in 30 days. And do it! If not, look at making tail lights for Ramblers.
If they claim it was done without their knowledge, they'd be lying. The principals of IFMA are the principals of RRA and SA. It's all the same people. They either knew or are incompetent beyond comprehension. They made a business/political calculation that they thought would pay off.
It did not pay off in a cummunity that values firearms in terms other than money.
What is their response to the thousands of dollars in contributions to NRA "D" and "F" rated Illinois politicians over the last several years? … or did TTAG get that wrong too?
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/05/john-boch/springfield-armory-rock-river-arms-made-campaign-contributions-to-anti-gun-rights-politicians/
After reading how much they have contributed to anti-gun democrats I will never buy their guns again. They might as well close up shop now. Especially with some of this contributions being against federal law. There is no going back from that. I predict a fatality for both companies. They have shot themselves in the head.