Springfield, Massachusetts-based Troy Industries is leaving the anti-gun Commonwealth for friendlier digs down south in the Volunteer State. 

The nearly 20-year-old gun, magazine, and accessory maker announced this week that it will relocate its headquarters and manufacturing plant to Clarksville, Tennessee. The $7.2 million move will begin this June and will offer 75 new jobs in the Montgomery County area. 

Whereas Massachusetts is one of the most frigid states when it comes to Second Amendment rights – having a ban on consumer ownership of suppressors as well as a prohibition on modern sporting rifles coupled with a magazine capacity limit – Tennessee is welcoming Troy with open arms. 

“I appreciate Troy for choosing to relocate to Tennessee and am proud to partner with this world-renowned firearms manufacturer," said Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican that just signed a permitless carry bill into law. "When companies pick Tennessee to locate or expand their operations, it is a vote of confidence to our state’s business-friendly climate and skilled workforce. I thank Troy for this investment and the creation of new jobs for Tennesseans.” 

Tennessee is already home to Barrett Firearms in Murfreesboro and has a large Beretta factory in Gallatin. 

Troy, founded in 2003 by Steve Troy, Jr., is one of America’s largest suppliers of OEM small arms accessories, with a wide customer base among consumers as well as military and law enforcement. Mr. Troy was candid about the reasons for leaving what had been the company's home for the past two decades. 

"While Troy has enjoyed a very successful period of growth in Massachusetts, the changing climate for firearms manufacturers in the state determined the need for our relocation to Tennessee to ensure the continued success of the company," he said. "We are excited to begin this new venture and appreciate all the support we have already received from Rep. Mark Green, Gov. Bill Lee, and the state of Tennessee in making this relocation possible.”

Last month, lawmakers in the Massachusetts legislature filed a bill this week that would end the legal production of popular semi-auto firearms in the Commonwealth, one that could have largely halted gun makers like Troy in its tracks. 
 

Gun Makers Know When They Aren't Wanted


Troy is not the first household name in the firearms industry to shift production after its longtime home gave it a cold shoulder. 

Smith & Wesson, founded in Massachusetts, has been steadily pushing production and distribution to a state-of-the-art facility in Missouri, where they completed 130,000 rifles in 2019. Going beyond that, Kimber and Check-Mate have been moving from New York to facilities in Alabama and Georgia, respectively, while Kahr made a similar transition to Pennsylvania in 2014.

When Colorado adopted a magazine capacity limit in 2013, Magpul kept a promise to leave the state, moving the next year to facilities in Wyoming and Texas. More recently, Weatherby, a rifle maker that called California home for generations, relocated to Wyoming as well

Finally, although they called Illinois home for over 40 years, LMT, formerly known as Lewis Machine & Tool, pulled stumps in 2019 and opened a new factory just across the state line in pro-2A Iowa. They may have learned the trick from Olin-Winchester, as the ammo maker may be headquartered in the Land of Lincoln, but for the past several years has concentrated production in Mississippi, a constitutional carry state with industry-friendly practices. 

Banner photo: Troy 

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