Washington DC – -(Ammoland.com)- Gun control laws passed by Democrat state legislators and signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) in March have missed an opportunity for Colorado to gain millions economically from any expansion of the Freedom Group Family of Companies (FGI).
FGI includes Remington, Marlin, Bushmaster, DPMS, Barnes Bullets, Para, and AAC among others.
An anonymous source familiar with FGI told Breitbart News that this year’s “passage of anti-gun legislation in Colorado has taken the Centennial State out of contention for expansion opportunities.”
There are many reasons for this, one of which is the foolishness of building or expanding manufacturing plants in Colorado for rifles and pistols that hold magazines that became illegal when Colorado’s strict new gun control laws went into effect on July 1.
For example, rifle or pistol magazines with a capacity beyond 15 rounds are now banned in Colorado. But Bushmaster and DPMS are among the companies owned by FGI, and these companies manufacture AR-15s and pistols for which they sell 26 and 30 round magazines and beyond. Selling these magazines would be illegal within Colorado.
Moreover, another gun control measure that did not pass but was pushed by Democrats would have made “assault rifle” manufacturers, sellers, and owners liable for the misuse of their weapons. Even if the gun were sold to a legitimate, law-abiding gun owner, the manufacturer, seller, and owner would have been open to liability had the gun been stolen and misused.
Why would a company that owns AR-15 manufacturers want to spend tens of millions to expand in a state where lawmakers are looking for ways to make their products a liability?
Make no mistake–tens of millions of dollars are what is at stake. Just weeks ago, FGI announced a $32 million expansion in Arkansas. Who knows how many jobs that will create within the state?
FGI has 20 properties across 12 different states, and they will focus on states that are friendly to them and their products, as any reputable business would do.
Looks like gun control is proving costly to Colorado’s economy.
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About:
AWR Hawkins writes for all the BIG sites, for Pajamas Media, for RedCounty.com, for Townhall.com and now AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.
His southern drawl is frequently heard discussing his take on current events on radio shows like America’s Morning News, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, the Ken Pittman Show, and the NRA’s Cam & Company, among others. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal (summer 2010), and he holds a PhD in military history from Texas Tech University.
If you have questions or comments, email him at awr@awrhawkins.com. You can find him on facebook at www.facebook.com/awr.hawkins.