Do you only purchase USA-made firearms?

[Walking Dead]

I buy anything except Chinese.

 

[GEM]

My last gun was made in America but so what. I also bought some cheese yesterday. Two were from TX, one from Vermont and one from Switzerland.

Typed in on a computer made in ... Guess where!

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

Whats wrong with Chinese? Their AKs are great and their 1911s of great quality. Of course, we have a trade embargo..

 

[PabloJ]

Whats wrong with Chinese? .....

When Chinese had an Empire Europeans lived in clay huts with straw roofs?

 

[SeekHer]

Yeah, they had a great empire where most of the population ALSO lived in clay huts but Genghis Khan changed that 2,000 years ago...The problem with Chinese products lies not in the people, the culture or heritage but for the fact that they are Communist and that's because we didn't back the right horse during and after World War II.

I won't buy from companies that still allow lead paint on the children's toys and keep trying to pass it off.
I won't buy from companies that haven't heard of paying a decent wage for work performed.
I won't buy from companies who allow child labour.
I wont buy from companies that have grievously unsafe working conditions and who have no intention to fix them.
I won't buy from companies who will use slave labour (prisoners) because they don't have to pay them.
I won't buy from companies that thinks $0.40 a day, for a twelve to fourteen day is good wages.
I won't buy from companies who do not abide by some form of grievance commission for the workers.
I won't buy from companies that have cases pending before the World Court in the Hague for human exploitation.
I won't buy from companies that disregard the World Court's decisions, snub their noses at them, and continue their practices all the same--see point one above.

I won't buy from companies that abide by any of the above, regardless of their name, regardless of whom they promote and regardless of where they are headquartered.

I won't knowingly buy Communist Chinese because their companies violate all of the above and flaunt it back into our faces...I am very happy to buy from China, Republic of, Taiwan.

 

[larryh1108]

I used to buy American, then I realized that it was just a marketing ploy for some companies to sell inferior products.

The car companies used it as an excuse for second rate cars that cost too much. Then the buyers got fed up and went foreign, all of a sudden, American cars are getting better.

Back in the 1980's, you either bought foreign guns if you wanted a double action semi auto or you bought second rate or ugly.

S&W quality had gone way down and was becoming uncompetitive, COLT was pricing itself out of the market and selling fewer and fewer products (where was that double action 9m.m. that THEY NEEDED TO SELL if they wanted to stay in the police/military market?).

RUGER was and is producing reliable and inexpensive firearms, but their P line of autos were CLUNKY. I owned a P90 which was completely reliable, but never felt right in my hand. They could not even come close to a BERETTA, GLOCK or SIG.
Now RUGER and S&W can compete because they are trying to.

Have you notice how the new, small gun companies that compete on at least one point have done well. It is because they know they cannot live of their name or reputation.

Well written! I copied and pasted this because it sums up our country's way of doing business for 100 years. There was a time that Made in America meant something. It wasn't so long ago that Made in Japan meant it was cheap junk and look at them today. The big companies got fat off of our loyalty and started putting out junk in the 70s and 80s. Those companies sat on their name and brand loyalty until the imports from Germany and Japan showed the buying public how much better their product was than ours.

We've become a much better and more competitive country because we were forced to make better products, not because we wanted to. We were losing market share to our foreign competitors not only because it was cheaper but it was also made better. It has come full circle, now, and America can proudly put that Made in America stamp on products again and it should mean quality and value. The big, American companies have realized that they have to compete with everyone else now because they got fat, lazy and complacent a generation ago. The consumer is the one who benefits the most because we end up with better products, whether it was made here, in Europe or in Asia. We also have the choice to buy cheap and get cheap. Walmart fills that niche and it doesn't seem that they are going anywhere soon. We now have choices and to say we buy only USA made products is a fallacy when you look at everything we buy and consume. You'd be shocked to know where a great majority of our consumer goods truly come from. You'd be shocked to know where the profits for gas goes and how many "American" banks are owned by foreign corporations. Buying outside the USA only rule has made us a better, and stronger, country. Competition makes good companies better and bad companies go away. Is that a bad thing?

 

[Waywatcher]

I prefer American, but I also buy European. I don't buy south american, chinese, etc.

 

[6.5swede]

Do you only purchase USA-made firearms?

I used to own primarily Remington and Winchester rifles and shotguns. But, Sako and Tikka rifles and Beretta and Benelli shotguns have spoiled me.

 

[yustinus1973]

Up untill two years ago i only owned one american made rifle. But since then a lot of what iv gotten has been american made, and now most of the pistols and rifles i owen are american. So i said no.

 

[toivo]

I have firearms made in England, Italy, Germany, Austria, Finland, Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, and the good old U.S. of A. They're all good -- some better than others.

 

[mgmorden]

I consider US-made a plus when considering a firearm, but it's a very minor part of the decision.

Case in point: I own 11 handguns. Only 4 of those were made in the US. Of the others, 2 were made in the Czech Republic, 2 in Germany, 1 in Italy, 1 in Russia and 1 in Yugoslavia.

 

[Jim NE]

I think SeekHer has some good points. The Chinese are an admirable people with an admirable work ethic, but their government is another thing. To many people in North America and Europe, Communism has been off the radar since the the demise of the USSR, but we tend to forget how very hostile it is to governments like ours.

True, China seems to be veering away from communism for the last 15 years, and that's good, but they are still a country ruled by the communist party. The USA became the world's preeminent military force by building wealth and developing manufacturing and heavy industry...exactly what China is doing now. Do you REALLY want to see China eventually become the world's preeminent military force?? That's why I avoid buying Chinese if at all possible.

I have no problem buying products made outside the US or Canada now and then, but I really try to avoid contributing to the enormous, disturbing TRANSFER of wealth to China.

 

[RETG]

Not sure if I have ever had a totally American made handgun.

I believe my SIG 239 was assembled in the USA, but the frame was stamped made in Germany (I believe, I sold it a few months ago).

My Berettas are stamped made in Italy.

My Stoeger is made in Turkey.

My Taurus revolver is made in Brazil.

My H&Ks were not made in the USA.

 

[SonofGilnockie89]

It isn't a requirement for me, but 4 of the 7 that I currently operate are US made.

 

[SigP229R]

I did not read all the post's since there are 5 pages but, my own personel opinon is since Sig and Beretta and Glock now have U.S. facilities and I want to think H&K also does I am not sure how you would seperate that. Anyway S&W Kimber Bretta Sig and H&K Wilson ae all fine firearms. Anyway I really don't know how to distinguish.

 

[oneounceload]

I won't buy from companies that still allow lead paint on the children's toys and keep trying to pass it off.
I won't buy from companies that haven't heard of paying a decent wage for work performed.
I won't buy from companies who allow child labour.
I wont buy from companies that have grievously unsafe working conditions and who have no intention to fix them.
I won't buy from companies who will use slave labour (prisoners) because they don't have to pay them.
I won't buy from companies that thinks $0.40 a day, for a twelve to fourteen day is good wages.
I won't buy from companies who do not abide by some form of grievance commission for the workers.
I won't buy from companies that have cases pending before the World Court in the Hague for human exploitation.
I won't buy from companies that disregard the World Court's decisions, snub their noses at them, and continue their practices all the same--see point one above.

I won't buy from companies that abide by any of the above, regardless of their name, regardless of whom they promote and regardless of where they are headquartered.

I guess you also don't eat much fresh produce, or stop by at places with waitresses, Walmart, etc., etc., etc.

While admirable in thought, it is impractical in today's global economy...even in this country


Sounds like you also think unions are a great device - yet that caused the ruin of Colt (among other things)

Buying the best quality, regardless of where any product is made SHOULD be everyone's priority - but as my sig line states, too many are only interested in the lowest initial purchase price

 

[PabloJ]

I guess you also don't eat much fresh produce, or stop by at places with waitresses, Walmart, etc., etc., etc.

While admirable in thought, it is impractical in today's global economy...even in this country


Sounds like you also think unions are a great device - yet that caused the ruin of Colt (among other things)

Buying the best quality, regardless of where any product is made SHOULD be everyone's priority - but as my sig line states, too many are only interested in the lowest initial purchase price

Unions were bad because they supported middle class and robbed rich of extra profits. Now that those are out of the way next will be social security, medicare and medicaid. These are standing in way of rich getting richer.
I only own one foreign made firearm a seven pin SLE systema Holland y Holland. The crude domestic version called L.C. Smith was vastly inferior.

 

[SeekHer]

I guess you also don't eat much fresh produce, or stop by at places with waitresses, Walmart, etc., etc., etc.

While admirable in thought, it is impractical in today's global economy...even in this country


Sounds like you also think unions are a great device - yet that caused the ruin of Colt (among other things)

Buying the best quality, regardless of where any product is made SHOULD be everyone's priority - but as my sig line states, too many are only interested in the lowest initial purchase price

Horse piddle!

Even if the person working as a waitress is only getting minimum wage (which I believe is over $8.00 per hour) they have a lunch break and two coffee breaks and work an eight hour shift, five days a week and get paid for overtime time and a half plus she'll also get tips.

Here, Wal-Mart, excluding management, only hire part time help so they can avoid having to pay statutory holidays, provide comprehensive medical/dental coverage, etc. but at least they'll get no less then minimum wage, with proper breaks in a fairly safe environment.

In both cases they'll be over 16 years old (depending on state), 21 for serving alcohol and they can always change jobs...I've got teenage daughters working at Wendy's, Pizza Hut and KFC/Taco Bell part time to make spending (clothes) money...They like it and the structured training and working really make them good future employees for someone...How many major business peoples first job was at McDonalds?

China has six and eight year old kids working in the weaving mills, fourteen hour days, seven days a week and getting paid $4 a week and political prisoners working in plants for no money just lousy food...Remember the big hoopla over Nike and New Balance (??) shoes and the pay scale for their Latino workers...It will probably also be the only workplace for fifty miles so moving to improve oneself is out of the question--of course large cities offer more opportunities for work but without any form of worker's rights they're in the same fecal matter just a different pile.

Unions were very necessary in the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s now they are a detriment...Unions were brought in to improve unsafe working environments, increase pay scales and better working hours...Now, there are numerous, crossover, government agencies that have enacted laws to cover all that and more.

As to fresh produce, I have no choice since we can only get local products for three, four months of the year and that selection is restricted as well since we live in a Northern clime...But due to labeling laws, the origin has to be identified so I can choose between some fresh produce, fish and fowl and all packaged goods.

As to Colt, they killed themselves with morons as management from the 1970s onward by shortening their product line--did away with revolvers and rifles other then the AR platform and concentrating on government contracts (which they've lost on the M4s)...Contracts run out of time and/or the ordered amount of product is filled...Look what happened with the M16/AR15 platform...They had the monopoly so the competition came out and started building their own versions, providing accessory parts (rails, optics etc.) so now the military can get a better made product, for less money, with bells and whistles and by foreign makers at that who've built plants here to manufacture the product(s)...Bye, Bye Colt bye, bye! They'll be sold off, again, in the next couple of years.

In today's global market you can choose what to buy and with the Internet have access to everything about the companies or products well ahead of time...Plus comparison shopping is so much easier.

 

[mgmorden]

Even if the person working as a waitress is only getting minimum wage (which I believe is over $8.00 per hour) they have a lunch break and two coffee breaks and work an eight hour shift, five days a week and get paid for overtime time and a half plus she'll also get tips.

Federal minimum wage is only $7.25/hr, but waitresses (or ANY occupation which regularly receives $30 or more per month in tips) are an exception and can be paid as little as $2.13 per hour so long as they receive enough tips to makeup the difference.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

I'm a fair market customer. I buy whatever strikes my fancy, doesn't matter where it was "born".

 

[Lord Palmerston]

What does "American" mean today?
I have a Winchester shotgun made in Belgium, a Harrington&Richardson made in China and a Stoeger, made in Brazil. All three shotguns are well known American brands. Yet, their products are no longer made here. Well I also have a Mossberg which happens to be "proudly made in the USA".

 

[PzGren]

Some very interesting things are written here about China. When I was in Shanghai I found it to be very different from what I had expected - in a positive way.

Of course, the media paints its own version.

 

[GEM]

How many of you fuel your manly truck, motorcycle, etc. with gas produced in a country that hates us and is an atrocious tyranny?

 

[PzGren]

How many of you fuel your manly truck, motorcycle, etc. with gas produced in a country that hates us and is an atrocious tyranny?

Where would you suggest that we buy our fuel? Or do you think it is okay to take it from them with force???

 

[Mike1234567]

Not many firearms (or anything else) are truly MIA these days. Most American firearm companies have there actions built overseas and slap them together with stocks when they arrive here. I'll buy whatever fits my budget and does the job... or just suits my fancy at the moment... no matter where it's "made".