Gun makers ready to bolt from Illinois

[KBCraig]

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006 ... 108082.prt

Gun makers say they'll leave state if weapons ban OK'd
By Kurt Erickson
kurt.erickson@lee.net

SPRINGFIELD - Several Illinois gun manufacturers said Wednesday they will pack up and leave Illinois if state lawmakers approve a ban on assault weapons.

The threats came as a House panel approved legislation to ban the weapons, even though the proposal's prospects appear bleak in the Senate following comments earlier this week by Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago.

In a press conference before the House Executive Committee's 9-3 vote in favor the ban, the gun makers said they would pull up stakes and take 750 jobs with them if the ban is OK'd.

"If this passes, we're out of town," said Dennis Reese, co-owner of Springfield Armory in Geneseo, one of four gun makers located in the Rock River Valley town of 6,400 residents.

"Our only course of action would be moving out of state," added Mark Westrom, president of ArmaLite Inc., another Geneseo gun manufacturer.

The sparring comes after Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in his State of the State speech last month that reinstating the expired federal ban on certain kinds of military-style weapons was one of his top priorities in this spring's legislative session.

But Jones, in comments earlier in the week, said he doubts the measure will come up for a vote in the Senate because it is too contentious.

Despite its apparently dim prospects, state Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, pushed the legislation through the House Executive Committee. The measure could come up for a vote on the House floor this week.

An attempt last year to move the ban through the House failed to receive enough votes.

Gun makers and their state lawmakers argued that they operate legal businesses that are subject to tough state and federal requirements.

Westrom said the state should concentrate on catching criminals, rather than on banning guns.

"The arms manufacturers of Illinois and their customers are not the problem," Westrom said.

Along with Springfield Armory and ArmaLite, other companies involved in fighting the ban include Lewis Machine & Tool of Moline, Les Baer Custom Inc. of Hillsdale and Rock River Arms Inc. of Colona.

State lawmakers on both sides of aisle vowed to help block the ban.

"The State of Illinois has almost become an enemy of my district," said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

"We will fight this with everything we have," added state Sen. Todd Sieben, R-Geneseo.

The legislation is House Bill 2414.

[longtooth]

Sure hope they mean what they say.

[MoJo]

We could use those jobs here!

[flintknapper]

Like LT, I sure hope they mean it as well! If Springfield were to relocate, I would be one of the first in line to buy one of their products... for no other reason than support!

We can ill afford to have firearms manufactures "give in". So, I pray there is resolve in what they say.

[longtooth]

Yes gentlemen, it boils my blood (but I do it because I like it & there is no GOOD answer) to send my red, white, & blue, 2nd amendment money out of state to carry a Personal defense weapon that has stamped on the side, Yonkers New York. I am now on the lookout for a good SA 1911. I can't afford & problably never will be able to afford one of the others there. Florida is good but I am still waiting for a bad excperience to play out w/ them before final judgment. (Should post it & up date w/ new developments)

[revjen45]

I always hate to see hoplophobic laws passed, but if the Illinois mfrs get out I hope they move somewhere I would like to live. I would really like to get back into the gun industry.

Revjen45

[longtooth]

Guess I ought to up date the above post. I do have that SA-A1 custom loaded. Sure do like it & Flint the more I shoot that tape on the front strap the more I like it too. Thanks. That is a good deal. We will still see what really hot sweat & the complete cleaning does to it. For the above Florida problem. I have got to be the only customer Kel-Tec has that they have just continually messed up with. The 1st 3AT I bought for Mom was a lemon & the service rep I talked to would only take it back to factory if I pd the freight both ways & it had to be FFL to them. Now I know better but then I did not. No one there knows who or why because they have several other deals. The 2nd I bought for me believing that the 2nd Gen. took care of the problems. Wrong. They were supposed to send me the shipping label & I take it to UPS. Date supposed to be here no label. I check the next day & no label. Email them & "We wil check on it to see." Next day an email from them saying they needed my physical address and that was the hold up. I had not furnished that for them. Pulled up old Email & sent them a reply on it. They had it for just over a week at that time. OK got the label & spent 5 weeks in thir shop for repairs. Got it back Tuesday. Looked good except for one thing. Had a P32 mag in it. Called them & they wanted to know if I was sure it was a .32. Yes I am sure. This mag has 6 load indicator holes in the side & the 3AT mags only have 5. They are shipping me the right mag. Promiced it would be here tomorrow. Will see. Probably never buy another KT again.

[dws1117]

Sorry your having so many problems with your Kel-Tecs and the company. I've heard of nothing but stellar customer service from them.

Back to the topic. It would be nice if all of the gun makers would pull out of the states where thier own workers can't own some or all of the products that they make.

Granted, it's no easy, or inexpensive task to pick up and move an entire company, but why would you stay in a place that would like nothing more than to see your products illegal?

Junk like this really bugs me.

[flintknapper]

Guess I ought to up date the above post. I do have that SA-A1 custom loaded. Sure do like it & Flint the more I shoot that tape on the front strap the more I like it too. Thanks. That is a good deal. We will still see what really hot sweat & the complete cleaning does to it. For the above Florida problem. I have got to be the only customer Kel-Tec has that they have just continually messed up with. The 1st 3AT I bought for Mom was a lemon & the service rep I talked to would only take it back to factory if I pd the freight both ways & it had to be FFL to them. Now I know better but then I did not. No one there knows who or why because they have several other deals. The 2nd I bought for me believing that the 2nd Gen. took care of the problems. Wrong. They were supposed to send me the shipping label & I take it to UPS. Date supposed to be here no label. I check the next day & no label. Email them & "We wil check on it to see." Next day an email from them saying they needed my physical address and that was the hold up. I had not furnished that for them. Pulled up old Email & sent them a reply on it. They had it for just over a week at that time. OK got the label & spent 5 weeks in thir shop for repairs. Got it back Tuesday. Looked good except for one thing. Had a P32 mag in it. Called them & they wanted to know if I was sure it was a .32. Yes I am sure. This mag has 6 load indicator holes in the side & the 3AT mags only have 5. They are shipping me the right mag. Promiced it would be here tomorrow. Will see. Probably never buy another KT again.

Nope, you're not the only one. My "fiasco" happened about 5-6 years ago when I purchased a P-40. It absolutely would not "run". I sent it back to them, waited 3 weeks. Called about it, got the run around, waited another 2 weeks, called again. They acted like it was a big bother to them, but they finally shipped it.

Pistol had not been touched that I could tell. It still wouldn't feed or eject more than 4-5 rounds before a stoppage. Sent it back again (on my nickle), waited 2 weeks, no word from them, e-mailed them with polite request for information. No response! Called at the end of the week, they said they'd check on it and get back to me. 5 days go by, no word. Called again, they act its just killing them to find out what the status is of my gun. Finally get it back 3 days later. Still "no dice", thing won't run.

Well, no point in sending it back to them, they obviously can't or won't fix it, and act all "put out" about it anyway. I decide to send it to Jack Fuselier to see if he can get it "up and running" and have him nickle plate the slide and magazines while he's at it. Comes back from Jack running slick as you please. He fluffed and buffed it, dehorned it, polished the bolt face, chamber, trigger job, etc...and now I'm happy with it.

Mistake number two: I want to have night sights put on it, and Kel-Tec has their own version that the folks at (org.) are saying is good.

So.......exercising extremely poor judgment, I send my slide off to Kel-Tec for the sights. This time, they get it back to me in two weeks (not bad at all) BUT one side of the rear sight has no tritium at all in it, the front sight is crooked and so dim it made me think I was going blind. I had several friends at work check it out. They said "what night sight"?

I call them back (oh dread), and they say "send it back" (big sigh). I send it back (again on my nickle), they install new sights and ship it off.

This time.. the thieving #$%^&^*'s at UPS ripped open the end of the box and steal the slide! I call Kel-Tec immediately to have them file a claim. They agree to do this and then tell me they will be sending a blued or parkerized slide to replace it. I told them that was not acceptable, that I had sent them a highly customized slide. They acknowledged as much, but still refused to send anything but a regular slide back. At this point I lost it. I told them I would be sending the rest of the pistol back to them, and they could reimburse me or not, I really didn't care. I told them that I would not make it my life's mission to "slam them" but if anyone ever asked my opinion or brought the subject up....I would happily share my experience. They sent me a check for the amount I purchased the pistol for, and I just had to "eat" the cost of the "smithing".

Folks, you couldn't give me a Kel-Tec, and frankly... I wouldn't bother sending one back for repairs either. I read of people praising their service department and can only surmise that someone else must be at the helm now. Doesn't matter, 'cause I'll never deal with them again.

Sorry for the rant, it still makes my blood boil, (and anyone that knows me will tell you thats a hard thing to do).

Flint.

[longtooth]

Very similar on some stuff I shortened up too. The work on Momma's was accomplished because I FINALLY got them to send me the parts & I pd for them to be installed & the fluff & buff. Your sights deal sounds like my wrong mag. There is no excuse for that. No over the wrong Mag in the gun either. I did tell them I would never need to bother them over any serial # that I did not own at present but did expect them to take care of what I have. I don't expect folks to go about giving me apologies but when I sent the reply email that showed them they had my address for just over a week, my next day mail from them said "You will have your shipping label tomorrow." No at all. To keep from hijacking the topic. My Springer sure runs good. Man I wish there was a Kimber Texas.

[oilman]

I always hate to see hoplophobic laws passed, but if the Illinois mfrs get out I hope they move somewhere I would like to live. I would really like to get back into the gun industry.

Revjen45

hoplophobic?

[Kalrog]

hoplophobic?

irrational fear of guns.

[stevie_d_64]

Everybody start thinking positive thoughts...

Texas..........Texas..........Texas..........

Come to Texas..........Texas...........Texas............




I'll swear I'll get a team together and build them a state of the art facility if they come this way...

[longtooth]

Good Idea Stevie. I play a Texas made guitar. Collings D1A. Built in Austin. Sure would like to shoot a "Texas Built Pistol." oooh That has nearly as good a sound to it as Ronda. Yes ladies & gentlemen, I name my guitars like my weapons.