S&W to close two plants

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Gopher

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Smith & Wesson To Shut Down 2 Plants
Associated Press Online - June 13, 2000 05:15
By JEFF DONN

Associated Press Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Smith & Wesson plans to shut down two of its manufacturing plants for a month partly because of the fallout from its landmark gun-safety deal with the government.

The nation's largest handgun maker said in a statement that an unspecified number of workers would be placed on unpaid leave from July 3 through July 28. Other parts of the company, including customer service and shipping, will continue to operate.

About 500 workers at plants in Springfield and Houlton, Maine, would be affected, WGGB-TV in Springfield reported, citing company representatives it didn't identify.

Smith & Wesson blamed its decision on "normal summer softness in the firearms market compounded by the reaction of some consumers to the agreement." The company has previously closed for one or two weeks during the summer for a vacation period, the Union-News reported Tuesday.

A spokesman for Springfield-based Smith & Wesson did not return a call seeking comment Monday.

Under the deal reached March 17, Smith & Wesson promised to install safety locks, demand background checks on gun-show buyers and work on "smart guns" that can be fired only by their owner. Public officials agreed to drop Smith & Wesson from municipal lawsuits challenging the safety and marketing practices of the gun industry.

Smith & Wesson also will be the preferred gun retailer for law enforcement officials in 190 U.S. communities, a deal challenged in federal court by other gun makers who say it is an illegal conspiracy to retrain trade.

The company also has been sharply criticized by other gun makers and the leaders of the National Rifle Association.

Prosecutors in at least six states are investigating whether the gun industry is illegally trying to punish Smith & Wesson by depriving it of business opportunities.

- ---=

On the Net:

Smith & Wesson: http://www.smith-wesson.com

National Rifle Association: http://www.nra.org
 
This is only the first news of what I'm sure will be the begining of the end for Smith & Wesson as we know it. I think our message is clear. Sell out to the Clinton administration and perish.
Yes, I feel for the workers. However let us not lose sight of the ultimate out come. This is a test folks. We've won just the first minor victory. Gun owners can be united and will not allow the Clinton administration to use back handed politics to force regulations on us.
Nothing to be happy about to be sure but certainly something to be proud of.

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Gunslinger TFL Imperial Potentate

TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
(The Clenched fist sweeps downward with a verticle motion)

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BOYCOTT SMITH AND WESSON!!!
Defend the Constitution from the foreign threat!!!!

"Man killing is nasty business"---Finn Aggard
 
Let that be a lesson in economics and politics to the gun industry at large!!!

Tom


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A "Miss" is the ultimate overpenetration!
You can never be too rich, too skinny, or too well armed!
Wake up and realize that you have the moral imperative of action..!!!
 
Everyone reading reading the preceding article needs to identify the press for what it is now: a propaganda mechanism.

The deal is not a gun safety measure. It is however, a way for Clinton to subvert the Constitution as he loves to do. They blatantly omit the key aspects of this agreement so that when the average Joe reads this, they think our side is unreasonable.

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"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
 
I thought when you try to subvert or destroy our constitution, you are guilty of treason.
Punishment is hanging. Doesn't this still apply? Guess it depends on the definition of "is".
Gee, too bad about S&W. NOT!!!!!!
Dennie
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gunslinger: ... We've won just the first minor victory ...[/quote]While it is tempting to see S&W as the enemy (after all, they did sell-out for what they thought would be the almighty dollar) and rejoice on the hard times that they are now facing, I fail to see how we can view this as a victory. We lost Colt and now we're losing the largest American-based handgun maker. You can say what you want about their products but they had to be doing something right to become the largest US-based handgun maker. IMHO, in the end, we, the gun-buying public, are the untimate losers.
Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
Sad. So very sad.

I just hope this isn't a nail in the coffin of handgun ownership in this country.

Joe


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Go NRA
 
The only people depriving Smith & Wesson of business opportunities is Smith & Wesson..



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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
That's a shame for the employees though. None of them had much choice in the deal with the Pres., but they more than the execs will be hurting.

Andy

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"No democratic government can long be much better or much worse than the people it represents." Henry Adams
 
FUD and Joe just mentioned something really important: firearm production is being cut back, leaving us, the consumer (law abiding, tax paying, average folks) with less options on how we can exercise our constitutional rights. I hate to sound like a pamphlet but that ain't necessarily a good thing.
I am sure there are anti-gun people who are laughing up their sleeves at the announcement because they've manipulated the manufacturer AND the consumer.
Something to think about.

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
I was just thinking the same thing. I believe I will attempt to counter this effort by immediately going out and puchasing a weapon from a company that is opposed to the agreement. Yeah, that's the excuse . . . I mean, reason!
 
"Prosecuters ... are investigating whether the gun industry is illegally trying to punish Smith & Wesson"???? How about the government trying to illegally punish those who want to own guns??

Casey
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Apple a Day:
FUD and Joe just mentioned something really important: firearm production is being cut back, leaving us, the consumer (law abiding, tax paying, average folks) with less options on how we can exercise our constitutional rights. I hate to sound like a pamphlet but that ain't necessarily a good thing. [/quote]

You're right, but it's the lesser of two evils -- a much worse outcome would be the success or expansion of S&W, which (since they signed the agreement, as others have noted a much worse devil's deal than the article's synopsis suggests) very likely could be the death knell of the right to choose a personal firearm from *any* company.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> I am sure there are anti-gun people who are laughing up their sleeves at the announcement because they've manipulated the manufacturer AND the consumer.
Something to think about.
[/quote]

He who laughs last, laughs best. The failure of S&W may give gun-grabbers a short-term snicker, but the lawsuits against various preferential backdoor attempts to keep them in business and the demonstrated inability of the carrot-danglers to come through on having the cities drop S&W from their lawsuits are good for all of our rights in general (legislation by threatened litigation being even worse IMO than legislation by actual litigation), as well as probably good for gun rights in particular in the medium-term and for a longer perspective.
 
Beachrat,
I hope you are right. In one sense it shows the strength of gun owner/buyers that we have flexed a little commercial muscle. I am sure it sent a clear message to the other manufacturers.
On the other hand it damages the industry if just in diversity. If folks still invest in purcheses from other companies it makes them stronger, I suppose. It just irks me to see the net result of these political shenanigans is that a historical gun maker gets creamed. Commercial Darwinism, I suppose. The rest may become stronger for it.
So, experts help me out- what is the closest design from a different manufacturer to those that S&W has to offer?

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
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