One of the few reasons Foreign Firearms Mfgs are here in the USA is to sell weapons to the US Gov't and Military. The US Military DOD - DCA -DCASMA Contracts stipulate that firearms, aircraft, nuke, ships and weapons MUST be at least 94% Mfg, Assembled and tested in the USA for USA let and used contracts.
For us old guys, remember when the military decided to go from Colt 1911A1's in .45acp to Beretta 92's in 9mm due to NATO pressure and all the firms that wanted their firearms tested. S&W, HK, Glock, Ruger, Colt, Sig, Browning, Styer and a few others. They all had to open USA Mfg sites, be certified under MIL-Q -9858A, MIL-I-45208A for suppliers and MIL-STD-105D for quality sampling (now all of that is covered under ISO9001 Certification).
Same thing happened for M16 Magazines, Colt and a cpl others lost the contracts and a company called Sanchez Manufacturing moved into the USA kind of quiet like in a small plant in Mansfield Ohio and litterally stole the entire contract for a couple years. Their M16/AR15/M4 magazines are some of the most sought after in the world due to their approach to mfg methods, quality and reliability.
Just being sampled by the military was HUGE advertising for all of these firms and allowed when they failed to get the USA Gov't Contracts or Minimal Spec Op contracts to also make and sell their wares here in the USA.
Then along came free trade (laughs) and everyone felt that somewhat smooth sucking sound. The firearms industry was again turned upside down due to LOW quality, mass produced from other country firearms. It was done quietly for the most part and then all of a sudden you found Brownings made in Japan, Winchesters made in Malaysia, Remingtons made anywhere they were cheapest, Colt to the north, S&W to the south..........then there was Bill Ruger, stead fast he kept chunking out the RST's, Speed Six, Mini14 and Blackhawks. Ruger alone was responsable for bringing the firearms industry back to the USA, you then had Charter, S&W, Colt, Hi-Standard, NAA, Glock, HK, Beretta and a few others revive via newly created companies an almost totally lost industry here.
Now we are seeing the cycle again, with the advent of capatolism in the eastern bloc countries, their low cost of labor and over head even beats China and S. Korea, yet their quality surpasses most expectations anywhere in the world due to ISO9001 & ISO14000 stadardization.
It is now the customer service that has failed. They meaning the foreign and USA made firearms firms are working on the CS and little by little you see it coming back. People just do not want to talk to Pakastanies, Russians and East Indians about their 1911A1, I know I do not.
SO.............what should / would you support? USA traditional firearms being brought back mfg at a lower quality / feature standard and higher cost (does not include custom made at unworldly costs)...or...foreign made firearms at a lower cost and higher quality and feature standard being sold side by side the USA made firearms?
The trend right now is buy foreign (even though made in the USA, Corp is foreign) low cost, get better quality, more features, more gadgets and along with that side.... buy used milsurp low and still get high quality.
I break that trend a lil by buying Para and NAA and Savage. I do buy many foreign Milsurp though and their ammunitions.
The one or two firearm exceptions to the over all rule are the M4 style (all mfgs) and the 1911 & A1 (all mfgs) for USA made and assembled and/or custom made.
Lets not even get into a discussion about fireign Vs USA made ammunition... * ducks and slips out for a coffee
Gringo
