Beretta to remain in MD, but reevaluating plans for expansion within the state

[chompers]

They are 100% on my "no buy" list.

 

[RustinRifle55]

Was interested in a Beretta shotgun and 9mm. Not now.

 

[UNcommon Arms]

http://blog.berettausa.com/bid/292160/Response-to-Gov-O-Malley-s-signature-of-SB281-Your-Gun-Rights



Sounds like they have Federal contract obligations to keep MFG ops within the state, but may be moving civilian production elsewhere.

Looks like Cowardice outweighs Conscience. I understand moving their operations would cost millions but sometimes you have to put principle before a pay check.

I consider the MD police Chiefs in the same light - not the rank and file or the sheriffs. The police chiefs and superintendents whose jobs were threatened by the executives - O'Malley, Rawlings-Blake et al. who cowered at the feet of their masters allowed SB281 to pass. If every police chief and each subordinate stood up to the ignorant bureaucrats this laws would never have passed.

 

[zoostation]

I wouldn't be angry at them. It's not their fault. While I would have liked to have seen them move too, I can understand why they didn't. And you can like or hate their products, but they do care about their employees and I sincerely believe that also played into this decision. I would suggest viewing them as a powerful friend who will be remaining here, not someone to shun because they didn't do what a handful of armchair strategists with nothing to lose wanted them to do. They could not have stopped this bill by moving. The legislators in Annapolis could care less about 300 manufacturing jobs in a largely federally-subsidized state of 7 million people. But it's possible they had a lot more to do with the bill at least getting significantly watered down than people realize or hear about. Just possible.

 

[501st]

Very disappointing considering they just need to jump over the river where they already have an existing facility.

honestly the hostility here may be a little unfounded.. the company has contractual obligations to supply the US armed forces with small arms and would be unable to fulfill these obligations if they invested energies in leaving the state immediately over a political message.

Their manufacturing processes aren't nearly as compartmentalized as an injection-molded components manufacturer like Magpul. Executing a bad pack up and move (especially if liquidated damage clauses are in force) could bankrupt the US portion of the company.

Until I see them breaking ground on a new warehouse on this side of the river or giving a press release stating their intention to stay indefinitely, I'll hold off on final judgment.

Nobody would expect them to leave immediately. But it would mean a lot if they laid out a plan to leave, say by election time 2014 or even by 2015, as long as they left.

This response basically validates the actions of O'malley and Miller. They got to ram through this legislation with no consequences from the largest gun manufacturer in the state.

I'm sure we all are familiar with the line: Elections have consequences. There doesn't seem to be consequences for the current administration/establishment that pushed for/passed SB281 from those who could make the biggest statement/impact. And god knows what they will try to do next year and beyond.

Basically this along with actions of other gun companies tell politicians that the "gun manufacturers" are all bark and no bite and the worst they will have to deal with are the "petty" grievances of 2A "extremists".

This is not the message we want to send.

We must stand strong, stand together and show the anti's what happens when they try to infringe the 2nd amendment.

 

[Multifaceted]

F*** THEM!


Seriously, share this story on every gun board on the net. We will make them regret this decision.

NO ONE BETTER BUY AN ARX100. NO ONE OR WE WILL DISOWN YOU.

The ARX160 is still O.K. though... right...... right?

 

[Ranger Tom]

Beretta is now on my "no purchase list".

 

[-Z/28-]

The ARX160 is still O.K. though... right...... right?

Nein. If you want a tacti-cool .22, go buy an MP5-22 or an M&P15-22.

 

[Fox123]

Called it.

Baretta's testimony was all about getting their carve out.


They are not effected by 281 and keep going business as usual.

 

[occbrian]

I will never purchase one of their products.

not because they didn't move. Because they didn't FIGHT for us. They carved out their exceptions.

They gave testimony saying they "might leave" and then proceeded to work behind the scenes to preserve their own interests. I can't hate them for that, but if they chose to ignore me as a customer, I chose to ignore them as a manufacturer.

 

[Fox123]

Yeah i can't find their testimony online right now. I'm pretty sure what he said was something to the effect of AS the bill is currently written (before amendments) we would have no choice but to leave.

I later heard some woman delegate specifically refer while voting on amendments "this is the beretta amendment?" when she couldn't figure out what she was voting on.

Some here were quoting "beretta don't bluff" they didn't bluff. They stayed true to what they said.

 

[oldsarge]

I like that one of their reasons for not moving is their employee's welfare. Their plant is located right on the PG/Charles County border. What two counties helped put democrats in Annapolis and DC. The employees deserve what they voted for. I know not all employees are from these two counties but we would not be having these problems if the majority of the people had not voted as they did. You can't have it both ways, vote democrat and have quality people running your state and federal government.

 

[Ringmaster]

Looks like Mike Miller was right when he said "Beretta has cried wolf before" In other words he predicted that they were bluffing.

 

[GTOGUNNER]

Lets see if they pony up some funds to fight 281 in court. That will be an indication of what they are thinking.

 

[sleev-les]

I'll be spreading the information since Beretta doesn't have anything I've been looking for anyway. If they did, it would be off the list. Look at the drop in Dicks revenue when they bent over and stopped selling scary black guns. I think Beretta will take a decent hit once this floods the nation. I would be intereseted to know what firearms manufactures numbers were if they didn't come through with the threats.

 

[John from MD]

I say we put pressure on them to support the 281 court fight both with testamony and money. That will give us a good indication where their interests really lie.

John

 

[hogarth]

Was thinking hard about a cx4. Probably wont get one now. If I do, I will make it a used one so they don't get a dime.

 

[joppaj]

If every police chief and each subordinate stood up to the ignorant bureaucrats this laws would never have passed.

Police Chiefs don't have that kind of clout and are easily replaced. There's a reason that they tend to work as "at will" employees.

I wouldn't be angry at them. It's not their fault. While I would have liked to have seen them move too, I can understand why they didn't. And you can like or hate their products, but they do care about their employees and I sincerely believe that also played into this decision. I would suggest viewing them as a powerful friend who will be remaining here, not someone to shun because they didn't do what a handful of armchair strategists with nothing to lose wanted them to do. They could not have stopped this bill by moving. The legislators in Annapolis could care less about 300 manufacturing jobs in a largely federally-subsidized state of 7 million people. But it's possible they had a lot more to do with the bill at least getting significantly watered down than people realize or hear about. Just possible.

I respect your views and realize that you have a perspective that I don't. That said, I can envision Neville Chamberlain reading their statement. I wasn't planning to buy anything they make anyway, but this seals it.

 

[LoneRanger]

I will never purchase one of their products.

not because they didn't move. Because they didn't FIGHT for us. They carved out their exceptions.

They gave testimony saying they "might leave" and then proceeded to work behind the scenes to preserve their own interests. I can't hate them for that, but if they chose to ignore me as a customer, I chose to ignore them as a manufacturer.

+1....... There are one or two more things I plan to buy before Oct then I will be sitting on the sidelines.

A 9mm Beretta was near the top of my list......now it's off the list.....

 

[joppaj]

The resulting law that passed is not acceptable, even with the improvements we were able to obtain. In short, the law that finally passed went from being atrocious to simply being bad.

That's from their press release. "Simply being bad"? WTF do these sanctimonious a-holes consider "atrocious"? Other than confiscation, they got everything. We lost our asses in this fight and these mouth breathers think it's "simply bad"? I'm now disgusted and insulted. They got exemptions carved out so they could continue to kiss thier lord's ring and they feel like they did ok. Ef them, sideways, with a cactus.