NSSF Video Highlights Economic Impact Gun Industry has on Connecticut (VIDEO)

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the lobby group for the gun industry, released a video today about the economic impact the gun industry has in its homestate of Connecticut.

This is the NSSF’s second response to Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy since he proposed stricter gun laws on Feb. 21.

The video focuses on the employees and management of three Connecticut-based companies O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Stag Arms and Ammunition Storage Components. While there are numerous gun and gun related companies in the state as well, these three companies give a well-rounded view of how the Governor’s proposals may effect these types of businesses.

The Governor’s proposals included adding more expansive background checks, but they mainly focused on banning high capacity magazines and semi-automatic rifles with military-style features.

“We need to strengthen our assault weapons ban,” Malloy said in his speech. “We have decent laws on the books today, but that law didn’t prevent the sale of an AR-15. I am proposing that we change the definition of an assault weapon to any semi-automatic that has at least one military characteristic and ban the sale of these weapons in our state.”

In addition to the bans and background check, Malloy proposed that gun owners should be held accountable if a firearm he or she owns is used in a incident like a robbery or shooting.

These were the first major, concrete proposals delivered by the Governor since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. The plan came after the Governor met with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss gun violence prevention.

Needless to say the proposals the Governor made could make owning a gun in Connecticut difficult and would effect, at least in terms of sales, all three companies interviewed in the video.

Stag Arms makes AR-15 rifles, Mossberg is known for its shotguns, but also makes modern sporting rifles, and ASC produces magazines for AR- and AK-style rifles.

The video highlights a couple key points such as gun and gun-related manufacturers seem to be the only factories staying in the area (others have relocated out of the U.S.), and the fact that these jobs employ, directly and indirectly, thousands of people.

There were nearly 3,000 people employed by a firearm or firearm related company in Connecticut in 2011, while supporting another 2,400 supplier positions in the state, according to the NSSF. The total economic impact to the state exceeded $1.7 billion.

In the United States there are 99,820 jobs directly related to the firearm and ammo industry, and another 120,310 supply and indirectly related firearm and ammo jobs, according to the data compiled by the NSSF for a 2012 report. The total economic impact of those jobs equals to more than $33 billion.

What are your thoughts?

Latest Reviews

revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading