Has the boycott of S&W and Ruger ended?

[rajb123]

Wakipedia on S&W boycott (in part):

Agreement of 2000

In March 2000 Smith & Wesson was the only major gun manufacturer to sign an agreement with the Clinton Administration.[4] The company agreed to numerous safety and design standards, as well as limits on the sale and distribution of their products. Gun clubs and gun rights groups responded to this agreement by initiating large-scale boycotts of Smith & Wesson by refusing to buy their new products and flooding the firearms market with used S&W guns.[4][5][6] After a 40% sales slide,[7] the sales impact from the boycotts led Smith and Wesson to suspend manufacturing at two plants.[8] The success of the boycott led to a Federal Trade Commission anti-trust investigation being initiated under the Clinton administration,[6] targeting gun dealers and gun rights groups, which was subsequently dropped in 2003.[9] This agreement signed by Tomkins PLC ended with the sale of Smith and Wesson to the Saf-T-Hammer Corporation. The new company (Smith and Wesson Holding Corporation), which publicly renounced the agreement, was received positively by the firearms community.[10]
[edit] Acquisition by Saf-T-Hammer

 

[CDW4ME]

NO IL for me

Wakipedia on S&W boycott (in part):

Agreement of 2000

In March 2000 Smith & Wesson was the only major gun manufacturer to sign an agreement with the Clinton Administration.[4] The company agreed to numerous safety and design standards, as well as limits on the sale and distribution of their products.

Thank you!

I was 27 years old in 1994 when the "assault weapons ban" happened, thanks to the Clinton administration. I wished that I had stocked up on "high capacity magazines" for my 2nd generation Glock 19 & 23, although I did have about 4 magazines for each.

Also, I remember having an assinine 5 day waiting period at some point in the past; what's the point in making me wait for a new pistol when I already have 3 or 4. (I won't end that statement with a question mark)

The "assault weaponds ban" did nothing except make the price of "high capacity" magazines skyrocket for 10 years; it did not stop crime. That IL stuck in the side of a S&W revolver reminds me of the stupidity I've had to endure in the past.

If Ford had been a supporter of the hypothetical 2000 PETA campain but Dodge sponsored the NRA convention then I would buy my vehicle accordingly. Some current gun owners who were not out of middle school in the year 2000 would not care now, or they would say I don't drive a Ford, I drive a Mercury (which is made by Ford). (IMO a fairly good analogy)

 

[MagnumDweeb]

after a 40% sales slide,[7] the sales impact from the boycotts led Smith and Wesson to suspend manufacturing at two plants.[8] The success of the boycott led to a Federal Trade Commission anti-trust investigation being initiated under the Clinton administration,[6] targeting gun dealers and gun rights groups, which was subsequently dropped in 2003.[9]

So if a boycott is successful you can somehow, if you are the government, penalize and prosecute people for not buying a product or them going and utilizing their first amendment right to share their political beliefs about not buying product. Essentially spitting on the face of the spirit of the Revolution, where it got ramped up with boycotts (why we mostly drink coffee instead of tea). Learn something new about Slick'Willy sometimes.

 

[19-3Ben]

Even if you want to say the boycotts made a difference at some point, my guess is that the number of people who are still boycotting is so low as to be statistically irrelevant.
Heck, I purposely seek out guns made by Ruger and S&W because they are darn fine guns. My primary carry guns a Ruger and a S&W.

 

[BSA1]

If you don't like the ILS why don't you just...

The reality is in today's political and legal climate there is a legitiment need for gun manufacturers to reduce the number of lawsuits and judgments.

Those of you with the excellent memory of old Bill Ruger's actions in the '90's must also remember the hugh lawsuit payout the company had when someone managed to shoot themselves with a oriiginal Blackhawk. As a direct result Ruger redesigned it to the New Model Blackhawk. A whole product line was discontinued because of one lawsuit.

The complaints against S&W's ILS are frankly old as I, at least, have not read of any confirmed reports of ILS failures for several years. I do have two complaints; 1. the dang hole and 2. mistrust of adding small parts (Murphy law).

However the solution is very simple. If you don't like the ILS why don't you just ADD THE PLUG??? Gee no hole and no more small parts.

 

[JohnBT]

In other news, Bill Ruger died July 6, 2002.

Yes, that's ten years ago in round numbers.

Somebody else can do the math on the English company that ran S&W into the ground. They tried to blame it all on the boycott, but it was really their mismanagement and extravagant home office spending that forced them to sell the company.

 

[cemjr]

Even if you want to say the boycotts made a difference at some point, my guess is that the number of people who are still boycotting is so low as to be statistically irrelevant.
Heck, I purposely seek out guns made by Ruger and S&W because they are darn fine guns. My primary carry guns a Ruger and a S&W.

Agreed: My last hand gun purchase was a S&W revolver, the one before that was a S&W 1911sc. My most recent rifle purchase was a Ruger 10-22 take down.

 

[JERRY]

if the lock on a defensive gun doesnt both folks, i offer them a trade of my locked LC9 for an Iver Johnson TP-22 in better than average shape.

the only thing i have against ruger is their built in lock, and no choice for the consumer. S&W now offers locked and non-locked guns, because they left the choice to me i will still buy one of their new non-locked guns.

 

[Ben86]

If you are still hung up over that old news you are needlessly limiting the variety of firearms available to you. S&W and Ruger make great guns. They have new owners now with very pro-gun attitudes.

Why not still hold a grudge against Democrats since a Democratic president saw to the Cuban trade embargo that denies us those fine Cuban cigars?

Get over it.

 

[psyopspec]

IMHO some people take the your with us or against us thing a little too far.

I'm in that camp. One of those wackos who take shall not be infringed to mean, well, shall not be infringed.

I'm one of those gun owners that will never express a look of disdain at another shooter at the range, so long as what they're doing is safe and legal. Even in the face of hobby hunters calling for bans on my guns, I absolutely will not attempt to dictate to law abiding citizens what they can and cannot own.

I expect my gun companies to manufacture whatever they want to, so long their products are safe and only go off when mechanically induced to do so. I don't expect any manufacture to produce anything they don't want to. I DO expect them to support 2A, or if they think otherwise, to keep their thoughts to themselves. To do otherwise would be silly, like a newspaper that's all for censorship, sedition laws, and government-controlled media.

 

[DPris]

S&W only offers the J frame revolvers without locks, to the best of my knowledge, and every time I ask if that'll spread to larger guns they say no.
Still not really much choice about the lock.
Denis

 

[eye5600]

It amuses me that people complain so vociferously about the S&W gun locks but never mention the internal lock on the New Vaquero. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

[rajb123]

I'm not sure why this thread was moved from the Strategies section of THR since all other threads concerning other boycotts remain in that section.

Anyway, a boycott is a consumer action strategy that is intended to economically damage a company and change its behavior or beliefs. ...And that is what has ocurred for the boycott against both Ruger and S&W.

 

[JohnBT]

Surely you've noticed that there's no active, effective boycott in place. Planning a boycott might belong in S&T, but discussing the history of ancient complaints doesn't fit there.

"Bill Ruger died July 6, 2002." - me

John

 

[surveyor]

while i'm not a fan of the ils, and it did lock up one of my j frames, I did buy a new j frame with one..

i just don't prefer it..still too many used ones without it to choose from.

 

[exavid]

The great Ruger boycott is kinda similar to how Liberals tend to boycott WalMart. Both Ruger and Walmart are doing right fine thanks. I always wondered why there never was a boycott against the VW Beetle? Designed by Ferdinand Porche at the order of Adolf Hitler for a scheme that swindled a lot of Germans out of their savings you'd think that would be reason enough. The whole boycott idea is just plain dumb. If you don't like a company for any reason don't do business with them, but don't expect too many others to feel the same way.

 

[jon_in_wv]

The only reason I don't like their guns is because they make alot of guns with...lets say "borrowed" designs.

I don't suppose you own any Glocks, or XDs, or any 1911s or an AR not made by Colt, right? If you are going to be intellectually honest with that philosophy there are very few guns you are going to own.