Looks like Sabre Defence is going under.

[W L Johnson]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/07/sabre-defence-is-being-liquidated/

Bushmaster and Marlin closing some factories and now this. Looks like the next year or so is going to be rocky for some firearms companies.

 

[esheato]

WTH....how did that happen?

 

[JQP]

Doesn't Sabre supply components for Colt's small arms division supplying military contracts?

If so, and given that FN has now taken over a good chunk of Colt's rifle supply business, that could be a contributing factor.

 

[killchain]

WTH....how did that happen?

Too many gun companies, too many guns, not enough buyers?

See AR15 panic buy of 2008.

 

[9mm+]

I think we're going to see more of this in the future. Gun ownership is at an all-time high, but the manufacturers overexpanded too quickly after the Obama administration came in. Panic buying is easing up and the manufacturers now have a glut in their supply as well as excess manufacturing capacity.

 

[Justin]

This is a shame. Sabre makes some really excellent rifles.

 

[earlthegoat2]

This is what I hope gun companies and retail sellers have prepared for and that is the large scale cut back of producing firearms.

Many companies have seen nice earnings the last few years but as soon as the people who bought their first gun realize they are no longer intrested (hence the reason they never had one to begin with) and see that there are going to not be any bans they will just sell them off.

The used market is going to be flooded with ARs soon enough. I see it already on here with quite a few ARs, as well as uppers and lowers, for sale and this was not the case in 2008.

 

[Joe in fla]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/07/sabre-defence-is-being-liquidated/

I just read the article at the link above and also found that Sabre had been raided by the ATF. I suspect that had more then a little to do with them shutting down! The article said that everyone leaving the building and all their automobiles were searched. Anybody have any idea what they were looking for or what the raid was about?

 

[rellascout]

Sabre Defence Industries are best known for manufacturing AR-15 rifles but they also manufactured the civilian semi-auto AUG SA rifle for Steyr. I wonder what this news means for Steyr.

So sad to hear this but I agree this is most likely the first of many. I found this little quote interesting. Yet another miss-step for Steyr in the US market. It took them forever to get these into the market and now this.

 

[danprkr]

Looks like it's time to start in on the first half of the profit equation and start buying low. There will be another panic, and and when it hits the capitalist that bought this inventory for pennies on the dollar will make out like a bandit.

Now, where can I lay my hands on some serious scratch?

 

[threefeathers]

good idea, just watched a news article on doing away with high cap mags.

 

[Bubba613]

My brief dealings with them were unpleasant and they seemed like an arrogant bunch. No surprise. Looks like a CavArms reprise, but with jail time.

 

[DPris]

I'm not aware of any of the major ammomakers "overexpanding" or having "excess manufacturing capacity".
ALL knew the Obamabubble was temporary & would burst, and that it'd be foolish to expand either footage or machinery. None that I'm aware of did.
There was an increase in round the clock operations in some cases, and production lines were shifted from less popular calibers to more popular calibers, but they did not overexpand.
Denis

 

[C96]

21-count indictment accuses Sabre Defence of conspiracy

Nashville firearms manufacturer Sabre Defence has been named in a 21-count federal indictment related to violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

From:http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/02/08/21-count-indictment-accuses-sabre-of.html

AND: A Brentwood man and four other co-workers of a Nashville-based firearms manufacturer were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges relating to international firearms and trafficking violations.

Elmer Hill, 64, of Brentwood, the chief financial officer of Sabre Defence Industries LLC , is facing charges along with company owner and United Kingdom citizen Guy Savage, 42; company president Charles Shearon, 55, of Ashland City; director of sales Michael Curlett, 44, of Hermitage; and international shipping and purchasing manager Arnold See Jr., 54, of Antioch.

The 21-count indictment alleges that the men were part of a conspiracy to illegally import and export regulated firearms and firearm components and technology to and from the United States. The indictment says Savage directed the illegal activities from his personal residences in the United Kingdom, as well as from his related company, Sabre Defence Industries, LTD, a licensed firearm manufacturer headquartered in the United Kingdom.

From:http://www.tennessean.com/article/2...-others-indicted-firearms-trafficking-charges

Looks like they were playing nasty with import/export rules. Nothing to do directly with their firearms production.

 

[Justin]

My brief dealings with them were unpleasant and they seemed like an arrogant bunch.

Odd, that. I was squadded with two guys from Sabre at Rocky Mountain 3 Gun last year, and they were both extremely nice guys.

 

[Bubba613]

Yes it is odd that out of a company of I don't know how many employees they had two nice guys working there.
My experience was echoed by others in the business here. The level of wrong-doing revealed by the indictment indicates a lack of "niceness" among the principles.

 

[merlinfire]

More or less, smuggling? How can that ever be worth it, when you're shipping between the US and the UK?

 

[gatorjames85]

BIG trouble

 

[Red Tornado]

When you have two sets of books, and the Feds know it, you're pretty much beyond help, I'm afraid.
RT

 

[Justin]

I was unaware of these issues. I would certainly hope that this turns out not to be the case.

 

[doc540]

I always thought they should've been indicted for the poor quality job they did in engraving my SBR lower.

(too soon?)

 

[Sgt.Murtaugh]

I know some of the guys mentioned in that article and they are super nice guys who you would never suspect of doing something like this. I am shocked to say the least, but mainly shocked at how dumb they could be. so sad, really

 

[lloveless]

If I am not mistaken in this country you are innocent until found guilty in a court of law by a jury of your peers.
ll

 

[JayBird]

I wouldnt jump to the conclusion yet that the allegations are true. You can be accused of anything...but they havent been convicted yet. I am not saying they are innocent, but I wont say they are guilty of anything until they are found guilty.

Now saying all of this....if they are found guilty, they wont be the first business person to have been found to be doing some unscrupulous business practices, nor the first company to have been found to be keeping two sets of books. Although to do it in the firearms industry IS definitely extremely stupid.

 

[Pilgrim]

My brief dealings with them were unpleasant and they seemed like an arrogant bunch. No surprise. Looks like a CavArms reprise, but with jail time.

Sabre Defence was at one time the sole distributor for the Sphinx pistol.

I tried to get a replacement slide for a Sphinx 2000 pistol. The original slide cracked below the ejection port.

Sphinx (Switzerland) and Sabre Defence didn't want to be bothered with solving my problem. All I kept hearing from both companies was 'import restrictions'.

Pilgrim