Why the gun industry secretly loves Obama

[jimmy olsen]

Rather ironic.

I expected the immediate post election surge, but didn't expect it to be still ongoing.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44375021/ns/business-us_business/

Why the gun industry secretly loves Obama
Sales of firearms have surged since he took office

By Joshua Green
updated 9/5/2011 11:25:14 AM ET 2011-09-05T15:25:14

Rick Perry's emergence as the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination would seem like a coup for the gun industry. The Texas governor's enthusiasm for firearms rivals Yosemite Sam's. He has an A+ rating from the Texas State Rifle Association and packs a laser-sighted Ruger pistol when he jogs. Last year, he famously shot a coyote that threatened his dog during a run. To commemorate his act of valor, the manufacturer, Sturm, Ruger & Co., produced a lightweight, limited-edition "Coyote Special" with the words "A True Texan" emblazoned on the barrel. Collectors snapped them up. Perry would be as ardent a champion of gun rights as has ever occupied the White House.

And yet he still may not do as much for the industry as Barack Obama already has. In the time since he took office, gun sales have soared. The government doesn't track individual sales. But the FBI criminal background check required to purchase a gun is considered a reasonable proxy, and these have hit record numbers each year Obama has been in office. This year, they're on track to surpass 15 million for the first time.

Ruger has done especially well. Since Obama's inauguration the company's stock price has risen more than 400 percent, making it a better investment than gold, which is up 113 percent. "They've been outstanding in offering new products, especially in the concealable handgun segment," says Jim Barrett, an analyst at CL King who tracks the gun industry and rates the company a "strong buy."

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Analysts anticipated a brief jump in firearm sales after the election as many gun owners, fearful that a new Democratic President would move to ban assault weapons, fortified their home arsenals. "Initially, what spiked were the tactical rifles, the stuff Rambo might use," says Barrett. As a result, 2009 was "a blockbuster year."

So was 2010. And so is 2011. The strong numbers go beyond Rambo-type firepower to include the compact pistols that Perry prefers, although joggers and fans of the governor won't have an easy time finding his signature model. "We were almost sold out before the press ever caught wind of it, and now that he's running for President the calls have intensified," says Brent Samperi, sales manager at Hill Country Wholesale, a distributor in Pflugerville, Texas. No one is entirely certain why sales are still surging. "Gun owners don't like to be surveyed," Barrett notes.

Dealers and analysts have several theories. One is that hardcore gun enthusiasts fear the lousy economy will set off a crime wave. Another is that political upheaval over the federal debt may lead to riots like those in Greece and London. Still another popular, if paranoid, belief that's taken hold among gun-rights advocates: that Obama is waiting until he is reelected to separate Americans from their firearms, prompting worried gun owners to stock up in anticipation.

Even as the industry pumps money into the National Rifle Association, which is intent upon defeating Obama, some gunmakers wonder if these fears — and the sales they generate — will dry up if a gun-friendly Republican like Perry wins the White House. Sturm, Ruger & Co. CEO Michael O. Fifer alluded to this concern in a July sales call. "I think half of the people in the firearms industry, if asked, would hope [Obama] is not President, but then will secretly go out and vote for him again," Fifer said. Talk like that won't win Fifer any plaudits from the NRA. But it does capture the industry's strange predicament: If gunmakers work too hard to defeat Obama, they may be shooting themselves in the foot.

The bottom line: Since Obama took office, Ruger's stock has climbed more than 400 percent, outperforming gold.

[Neil]

Owning guns is wrong.

[MadImmortalMan]

All power to the people. 

[11B4V]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

[Ed Anger]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

[Neil]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

That is also correct.

Well, I'm not a big fan of fun ownership, but I think that longgun owners are merely in error.  Handguns, on the other hand, are owned exclusively by criminals and evil people, and that anyone who owns a handgun should be considered a criminal, as there is no good reason why a civilized society should allow anyone to have one.

[11B4V]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

That is also correct.

Well, I'm not a big fan of fun ownership, but I think that longgun owners are merely in error.  Handguns, on the other hand, are owned exclusively by criminals and evil people, and that anyone who owns a handgun should be considered a criminal, as there is no good reason why a civilized society should allow anyone to have one.

Yes, guns are bad and the root of all problems.

[Neil]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

That is also correct.

Well, I'm not a big fan of fun ownership, but I think that longgun owners are merely in error.  Handguns, on the other hand, are owned exclusively by criminals and evil people, and that anyone who owns a handgun should be considered a criminal, as there is no good reason why a civilized society should allow anyone to have one.

Yes, guns are bad and the root of all problems.

A symptom, not a cause.

[11B4V]

Owning guns is wrong.

Yes and gun owners are wicked and evil.

Ah, glad that was clarified.
That is also correct.

Well, I'm not a big fan of fun ownership, but I think that longgun owners are merely in error.  Handguns, on the other hand, are owned exclusively by criminals and evil people, and that anyone who owns a handgun should be considered a criminal, as there is no good reason why a civilized society should allow anyone to have one.

Yes, guns are bad and the root of all problems.

A symptom, not a cause.

Glad that was clarified.

[Neil]

That said, things would be better if I were to go back in time and murder your founding fathers before they put in the Second Amendment.

[sbr]

That said, things would be better if I were to go back in time and murder your founding fathers before they put in the Second Amendment.

If you're gonna go that far why not stop the Revolution completely?

[Neil]

That said, things would be better if I were to go back in time and murder your founding fathers before they put in the Second Amendment.

If you're gonna go that far why not stop the Revolution completely?

A wise policy.  The Rebellion was utterly immoral.

[CountDeMoney]

That said, things would be better if I were to go back in time and murder your founding fathers before they put in the Second Amendment.

Wouldn't need to murder them; a copy of Strunk & White's would've helped, though.

[11B4V]

The bottom line: Since Obama took office, Ruger's stock has climbed more than 400 percent, outperforming gold.

[/quote]

Bought their SR 556 last Sept. Nice piece. I have owned several Ruger Bolt actions 30-06, .264, 7x57, and .338. and their single shot in 45-70. Ruger generally is of high qaulity. I still own the M77 in 7x57. Great little deer rifle. But, I'm still partial to my sporterized 30-40 Krag or CZ 7x64, when I'm out for deer.   

[Valmy]

For the life of me I do not get why this is still a divisive political issue.  Hasn't this already been decided in favor of the gun-lobby years ago?