Since an article detailing companies’ responses to gun and accessory bans appeared in the Cheaper Than Dirt Chronicle, almost 100 manufacturers have announced they are not selling equipment to law-enforcement agencies that their states’ citizens can’t own—in particular, New York.
Originally, LaRue Tactical was one of a few companies that announced a new sales policy for state and local law-enforcement agencies. Cheaper Than Dirt! was also one of the early announcers. Our sales statement is here.
On Monday, we contacted NRA Public Affairs for a comment on the burgeoning effort. We received an email response on Tuesday that said, “NSSF would be best suited for this inquiry.”
Chris Dolnack, senior vice president & chief marketing officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said, “Recently, there have been calls by consumers urging members of the firearms industry as a means of protesting recently enacted gun control measures like New York’s SAFE Act, to stop selling their products to law enforcement agencies in those states.
“Some have suggested that NSSF should bring attention to this protest movement. Individual companies are free to independently decide which customers and markets they wish to serve. However, agreeing with others to boycott certain customers or markets raises very serious legal questions concerning antitrust laws and may be illegal. Due to these antitrust concerns, NSSF is unable to promote this protest.
“We are also concerned that members of law enforcement are not made less safe due to the ill-advised decisions of antigun politicians. We encourage all hunters, target shooters, and firearms owners to become involved in the democratic process, advocate for repeal of these anti-gun measures and vote for candidates who respect the Second Amendment.”
Elsewhere, we have found as many as 98 companies participating:
- 2A Armament
- 2A Firearms
- 3RI Technologies
- 3 Rivers Precision
- 556 Tactical
- Allegiance Ammunition
- Allstar Tactical
- Alpine Guns Alex Arms
- American Spirit Arms
- Ammoclip
- Arrowhead Shooting Sports
- Black Mountain Survival
- Bison Armory
- Badger Peak
- Barrett Firearms
- Big Horn Armory
- Big Sky Ammunition
- Boise Tactical
- Bravo Company USA
- Bullwater Enterprises
- Chaos Arms
- Cheaper Than Dirt
- Citizen Arms
- Clark Fork Tactical
- Climags
- CMMG Inc
- Controlled Chaos Arms
- Critical Survival
- Crusader Weaponry
- Csspecs Magazines
- Daniel Byer FFL
- Dead Bang Guns
- Delmarva Shooting Supply
- DogLeg Arms
- Doublestar Corp (J&T Distr. & Ace LTD)
- Evolution Weaponry
- Exile Machine
- Extreme Firepower Inc, LLC
- Franklin Armory
- GWACS Armory
- Head Down Products
- Hill Country Black Rifles
- Huntertown Arms
- Iron Goat Guns
- J&G Sales
- JABTAC
- JCW Industries
- Kiss Tactical
- Lanco Tactical
- LaRue Tactical
- Lauer Custom Weaponry
- Liberty Suppressors
- Midway USA
- MFI
- NEMO Arms
- Norton Firearms
- OCS Guns
- OFA Tactical
- OJ’s Gun Shop
- Old Grouch’s Military Surplus
- Olympic Arms
- One Source Tactical
- Paige Firearms
- Precision Firearms
- Predator Intelligence
- Predator Tactical
- Primary Weapons Systems
- Progressive Micro Devices
- Quality Arms Idaho
- Red Jacket Firearms
- Rhino Arms
- Rock River ArmsShade’s Landing
- Rocky Top Tactical
- Semper Fi Arms
- Shade’s Landing Inc.
- Smith Enterprise
- Southern Appalachian Arms
- Southwest Shooting Authority
- Spike’s Tactical
- SRT Arms
- Stoner Arms
- Tactical Solutions
- Templar Custom
- Templar Tactical Arms
- The Tactical Toolbox
- Thunder Beast Arms
- Tier One Arms
- Top Gun Supply
- Trident Armory
- Umlaut Industries
- Umbrella Corp
- Victory Defense Consulting
- Volquartsen Custom
- Warbirds Custom Guns
- West Acre Sporting Goods
- West Fork Armory
- West Michigan Tactical
- York Arms
Two places to keep abreast of new companies joining the effort are here:
The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!’s blog, “The Shooter’s Log,” is to provide information—not opinions—to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!
Thanks for the list, now I know where else to look for equipment. I like supporting United States manufacturing companies and ones with guts.
Comment by Roger — March 1, 2013 @ 10:29 pm
Well you know, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will find a way to get them somehow. When you are walking from your vehicle toward the front doors of CTD, and a pair of cops in an un-marked try to wave you over toward them with the promise of money and confiscated drugs if you’ll buy them a couple of ARs, a Remington 742, and an 1100 Waterfowler, you’ll certainly be tested.
Comment by Bill from Boomhower, Texas — March 1, 2013 @ 11:01 pm
It is nice to know that the above companies will not sell to states that try to limited the rights of there citizens.Local,city,state, law enforcement can use the same weapons that we would be allowed to use.Why should they be treated better then there citizens? I would also like to advise the companies not to sell to the federal law enforcement agency.They would be the ones that will arrest you if you have to give up your weapons.They deserve the same treament that the local law police will receive. Remember the federal loe are no better then we are.
Comment by kenneth kaplan — March 2, 2013 @ 6:37 am
As a colorado native, These liberals bunch up in the cities and you just can’t out vote them. They live in a different world and can’t manage their toilet paper let along along with no brains. Get in the rural areas and you will see a differnce, Thats the reason they feel safer in the city passing laws for everyone. Boomberg needs keep his *** where it belongs and stay out of Colorado politics as with the rest of these other state loonies.
Comment by weiss46 — March 2, 2013 @ 9:08 am
Didn’t see COLT, Bushmaster, Remington, Benelli, Mossberg, GLOCK, FNH, HK or Smith & Wesson. These with a couple others are the major manufacturers that supply the majority of the Law Enforcement in the nation. They are the ones that count. Without their cooperation the Law Enforcement Entitities will not feel the pressure therefore their government administrators will not feel the pressure.
Get those email accounts working and start sending eails to the major law enforcement suppliers to include, Federal/Lake City, Remington, Black Hills Ammo etc. billions of rounds don’t make themselves.
.Gov contracts mean a lot to manufacturers but the civilian market still controls their major profit margin.
Liberal groups pressure huge corporations like Wal Mart to change their policy, they force television networks to drop certain shows and fire certain talking heads to further their agenda. it’s time to further our agenda.
Cheaper Than Dirt has the corporate connections in their product purchasing. forcing the major manufacturers to make a choice is a no brainier. The bottom line it they will lose money if they know their only sales will be to a handfull of law enforcement agencies in gun grabber states.
Comment by EdH — March 2, 2013 @ 9:18 am
I do not have a problem putting pressure on the police with regards to gun rights. Why shouldn’t they feel as “threatened” as the public when it comes to being able to protrect themselves and other. If it applies to the public, so should it apply to the police force “protecting” them.
Bottom line, if the public can’t buy then neither should the police.
Comment by Common Sense — March 2, 2013 @ 11:38 am
as someone that’s been a hunter, shooter, gun owner for 30+ years I have this to say, this is stupid, why take it out on the men and women that need and deserve as many of the best firearms that they can get? If the gun manufacturers want limit what is sold in the civilian market that is certainly their choice, and for the most part majority of those on the list I’ve never even heard of, there are some ‘names’ here but what does Southern Appalachian Arms or Thunder Beast arms supply to New York law enforcement or other law enforcement?, I’m not really ‘picking on’ those two I just grabbed 2 random names off the list, besides if these companies want to cut their own throat by limiting their sales to LEO’s how long will it be before they’re in Washington whining for a bailout because of lost revenue over this. Just watch, the big names that aren’t on this list will soon be getting big contracts because they’re the only ones smart enough to stay off this bandwagon.
Comment by Mike — March 2, 2013 @ 5:40 pm
Mike – If a police officer does not feel safe only carrying seven rounds, why should the state think that I can safely defend myself with only seven rounds? It actually makes economic sense for the companies: they don’t have to tool two different lines, one for citizens and one for LEOs. In point of fact, their LEO line would just be what they sell in other states, but by forcing the LEOs in states with different requirements to buy to those requirements, they stand to increase volume on those lines, decreasing their cost. Of course, EdH made an excellent point, that most of the manufacturers don’t get much volume from LEOs, so it’s really not going to make a difference to the state until some of the major manufacturers hop on board. If and when they do, I think the first movers stand to take a lot of (civilian) sales from the others.
Comment by DrZow — March 3, 2013 @ 1:02 pm
DrZow – why tool a different line? Very few manufacturers that I know of produce LEO specific firearms, depending on my day I carry a full size M&P .40 with a Zyphos NT light in a level 3 Blackhawk or a M&P compact .40 with a Viridian light in a Tac-Loc holster and sometimes a little ol Bersa .380 in a Bianchi ankle holster any of which anyone can purchase. I understand what you’re saying but why wouldn’t a manufacturer WANT their product ready and available to all that can legally purchase them, as an after thought tho, it’s almost getting redundant what people carry anyway since this country seems to be running out of ammo or charging 3-4 times what the prices were a few months ago
Comment by Mike — March 3, 2013 @ 7:03 pm
Mike – Like I said, in reality the “LEO line” is what they produce for the rest of the country. There is a real expense to retooling when a state imposes new restrictions, so I think there’s a fair logic to say, “If we have to change what we manufacture for your state, that’s all ANYONE in that state will be allowed to buy.” I think the real threat to manufacturers is that as each state imposes different restrictions, the cost of doing business will skyrocket, and even consumers in less restrictive states will be affected by having many products built to the lowest common denominator. It’s because of that threat that it makes good business sense for the manufacturers to take a stand now.
Comment by DrZow — March 3, 2013 @ 9:23 pm
It may be that the above companies enjoy good relations with LEO. They do not want to go against the tide of good money. For there products that they sell to to all levels of LOE. locale,state ,city and federal.Also the fact is that they may not care about retooling for a change in products.
Comment by kenneth kaplan — March 4, 2013 @ 12:11 pm