Americana Dying

[Tom1911]

I had no idea USRAC was in the midst of shutting down operation. I just found out a few minutes ago.

There is no doubt that political forces have combined to do in the firearms industry. I have heard S&W is teetering, and now Winchester is all but gone. I wonder how much longer Colt remain viable. I did recognize that gun control forces were attempting back door gun control. I had no idea they'd be this successful! Where does the firearms industry go from here? If the goal is to raise the cost of doing business to such an extent that market shrinks, I guess the Diane Feinsteins of the gun control movement have won! :twisted:

Well, I guess it is time I buy my son what might be his one and only big game rifle. Since it might literally have to last him my lifetime, I might just have to get him either an '06 or .308 Win, maybe a .270 Win! I think I'll get him a stainless Featherweight. I'll just have to load him reduced velocity rounds until he grows into it.


Sorrowfully,

Tom

 

[roysclockgun]

I thought that USRAC/Winchester had thrown in with Browning, all owned by interest outside the USA.
I do believe that slow moving machinations are at work which will, over the next 20 years or so, cause all blood sports and private firearms ownership to cease to exist in the USA. My father, now 89, was among the last of the subsistance hunters on the east coast. In his youth, he was tasked to hunt and trap in order to help feed a large farm family. Just about anything brought home, went into the pot. I grew up with no need to subsistance hunt, but imbued with the same sort of hunting desire and passion. As a young man, I could not wait for dove season to open, as that season was the first in the fall to signal the coming of the hunting season in our area. Most of my friends were either hunters or wanted to learn to be hunters and being able to handle a firearm well was one way by which a man was judged. We even went as far as to look at those who did not hunt with a sort fo suspicion, (What is wrong with them?) Over my 50 odd years of hunting, all of that has changed. More then not, I find myself on the defensive, in the midst of of folk who view my hunting as some sort of weird throw back activity, better left in the 19th century. I answer questions such as: "Why would anyone need to own a gun these days?" and, "If people in this country did not have so many guns, we would not have the crime that we see each day on TV. " Sadly, the shoes of those questioners never leave concrete and they have not a clue as to what motivates me to hunt.
Getting back to Tom's question: The firearms industry is under attack from various directions, as are hunters and all who cherish blood sports and private firearms ownership. While I do not agree with everything that the NRA has become, I view the NRA as our one best shield against those who would disarm us. Every time I hear someone from HCI or one of the other anti-gun orgs speak, they attack the NRA. That alone is good enough for me, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If there were a better organization out there with the clout to fight the antis, I would join them. Just sending in the $35 per year to the NRA, lends them my name and my vote, which is about as politically active as I get.
My son, now 41, has a battery of firearms that I helped him to build. He takes time off work to go afield and I know that I gave him something in his life, that in his age group, is becoming rare and precious. My grand daughter has been in Korea for three years, as her dad is an Army Major. Each time she visits, I get out the air rifle and teach her to knock over targets, just as I did with her Mom, my daughter. Even at the age of 9, she is thrilled by being able to hit the target and I dream of taking her on her first hunt. The tradition of using firearms in the USA, goes back to our eariest days as pioneers. Maybe firearms ownership will die out. Only the current generation of young adults can do anything about that. Winchester can, sadly, become just a name in history and hunting will continue, but if young hunters stop stepping forward to take the place of oldsters, hunting will die as a sport.

 

[Tom1911]

roy,

Well written.

I pray our heritage does not become a fond memory.

I think I will not like my country as much if anti-gunners win. When the government comes for my guns it will no longer be my country but merely a place where I will have to live!

I wonder when the anti-hunters will come after my feared trout & tuna killing stuff. I gotta admit that these days I kill more with my Shimano, Diawa, & Penn reels than I do with my guns.

This ain't so much about killing wildlife because, regardless of who is running things, animals will always die. This is more about control and how one side's opinion about how the world should look is being foisted on the the rest of us.

There is a reason why politicians fear us with guns. The following is about as close to the truth as one can get! [/url]http://www.jpfo.org/ssandguns.htm Karl Marx and his theory of society will haunt us forever!

I don't think my link is working. If you cat 'n' paste it to your address bar you should be able to access this most informative article.

 

[Tom1911]

BTW, I have also been exposed to the idea that Remington is on the brink of closing, or moving operations to China.

 

[roysclockgun]

It would be a case of racism, pure and simple, to believe that the Chinese are incapable of producing quality firearms should they be contracted to do so by Remington. I would imagine that for a while, keeping to agreed delivery dates would present a problem, but they'd get used to that. Since China is already producing cars and motorcycles for export at more then competitive prices, I cannot believe that higher quality sporting arms will be long in coming.
The answer to why the American worker became unable to compete on the world market has no simple answer, anymore then when the giant industries in Taiwan collapsed, but one good area of blame can be aimed at China's cheap labor. The Chinese would rather subsidize labor then to pay welfare, which is smart business. Freeze out the competition by dumping finished goods, even at a lose and concern yourself with raising prices when most of the competition is gone!
China's emergence as a super trading partner is already a reality. What will be interesting will be to see how they handle all the problems that go with free enterprise, capitalistic economy, drugs, sex and rock n'roll!!
Remington firearms made in China? Yeah, I am not happy about that, but I can see why it may happen, and soon.

 

[Racklover]

Tom,

Did you find a FWT? The only thing I could find and bought was a Classic Stainless in 06. Would like to find a FWT...

 

[Tom1911]

Racklover,

I just got back from buying 2 9422 rifles. There were no more Model 70's in the So Cal chain from which I bought these guns. The salesman told me that Wichester has already closed its doors: no more guns will be coming from Winchester USA.

From what I understand, all future guns bearing the Winchester brand will be coming from Russia. There will be no more lever action rifles bearing the Winchester name. What is now in the market is it.

I asked the saleman about any Model 70's he had in stock. He had a few Shadow models with push-feed actions. But as previously written, there are no more Classic Model 70's around! I have not heard of any store in So Cal with Model 70's.


Take care,

Tom

 

[Racklover]

I bought this one the day after the news broke and may have a line on a new .270 SS FTW. Where in So. Cal. are you? Reason I ask is the SS Classic 06 I put on layaway could be available if the .270 comes through.

 

[Tom1911]

Hi Racklover,

I am in the Greater Los Angeles area.

I have no reason why I was asleep at the switch here. I should have been more on the ball.

I would love to be able to get my hands on a Model 70 Classic.

The future for hunters and shooters in this state and country is not good.

I am not sure I want to live in a country molded by Schumer, Boxer, Feinstein, and the Clintons. It burns my rear to think they've won!


Take care,

Tom

 

[roysclockgun]

Tom1911 wrote: "I am not sure I want to live in a country molded by Schumer, Boxer, Feinstein, and the Clintons. It burns my rear to think they've won! "

The fact is, that if all 80,000,000 firearms owners could unite under one flag, the antis could not win. Sadly too much fratracide stands in the way of that sort of real political clout being organized by firearms fanciers across the USA! The NRA could do what WE want done, but not enough firearms owners will join that org. to really make an instant impact. Can you imagine any lobbyist walking into a pol's office, holding a list of 80,000,000 names in one PAC and not being able to dictate how that pol was going to vote on most any issue? What happened in Australia can happen in the USA, when voters do not wake up and make their wishes known, BEFORE draconian firearms laws go into effect!

 

[Tom1911]

roy,

You are right on target. Sadly too many gun owners just do not seem to realize how they harm their best interests. I talked to a gun owner about a year ago who said that the best thing about the USA was the Second Amendment. Later he brought up that he was a proud member of his trade union. I asked him about the politicians his dues money was supporting. After a probing conversation during which he was initially defensive, he came to realize that he was trading whatever he assumed politicians he was supporting by proxy were doing for him for harm to the Second Amendment. He didn't realize that those politicians who claim to be advocates of labor are the same ones who seek to destroy our INDIVIDUAL right to own guns.

This cost can be quatified so that one can actually see in dollars how much one is gaining in exchange for diminished Second Amendment rights. In the end, one can look at a copy of his/her MOU and copies of the thousands of laws limiting our right to own guns to see in if was a fair trade. But the real approach is to negotiate a fair labor contract w/o supporting politicians who seek to destroy our individual rights!

I really wonder how much longer our Second Amendment will remain intact until another amendment negates it!


Take care,

Tom

 

[Anonymous]

I had no idea USRAC was in the midst of shutting down operation.

"USRAC" can work miracles if you do it right.