Gun Business: U.S. Army Orders Gatling Guns and M2 Gets Makeover
Two interesting stories caught our eye this week. First up, the “Gatling Gun” might have been 19th century technology but General Dynamics is keeping it alive and well in the 21st century. From a company press release:
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $7.3 million contract to produce and deliver more than two dozen GAU-19/B Gatling gun systems for use on U.S. Army helicopters. General Dynamics also will provide field support, spare parts and logistics support under the contract.
The GAU-19/B is a lighter version of General Dynamics’ GAU-19/A, a .50 caliber, three-barrel gun which is currently fielded on aircraft, ground vehicles and ships. All of the GAU-19/B gun systems will be delivered in February.
And it seems the nearly century old .50 caliber is getting a makeover as well! Bloomberg reports:
The U.S. Army’s “Ma Deuce,” the .50-caliber M2 machine gun wielded by World War II hero Audie Murphy, is being revamped to prevent malfunctions that have injured dozens of soldiers.
Congress shifted $34 million at the Army’s request to supplement $15 million originally sought in this year’s defense budget for modifications to correct a “safety issue” with the M2, according to the conference report accompanying legislation. The funds may benefit gunmakers General Dynamics Corp. (GD) and U.S. Ordnance Inc.
This just proves that the old technology from Gatling and Browning is still viable today with a few improvements.
Illinois Gun Licenses Rose Six Percent in 2011
The media is reporting an interesting story this week. Illinois residents are buying guns, as licenses rose by six percent. Even those from the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence noted to local Chicago media, “that is a pretty big increase.”
So is there more to the story? What the media is only touching upon is that Chicago ended – by way of the Supreme Court – a ban on handgun ownership. And in the Windy City gun ownership, or at least the number of people with firearms cards, increased by 16 percent in 2011.
This is a story, a big story. Now some anti-gun types are no doubt going to say, “This is bad” and cite possible increase in violence. But the truth is that Chicago has had gun violence because the criminal element ignored the gun ban. So maybe we could actually see some decrease in crime as the innocent law-abiding citizens won’t have to automatically be victims.
NRA News: Why U.S. Gun Sales Are Shooting For The Moon
Cam Edwards talks to Frank Miniter from Forbes and Executive Field Editor of American Hunter Magazine
Firing Back: Why Have Guns Been Selling?
The mainstream media has spent the last two months reporting on record gun sales, and time and time again it has made sure to include commentary from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or some other anti-gun group to “explain it.”
But what needs to be explained? We’re coming into an election year and despite the resounding statement from the anti-gun crowd that President Obama hasn’t done much with gun control, he hasn’t exactly been pro-gun either. Likewise, there is uncertainty with the economy, but there have been other factors.
First, women are picking up guns; to defend themselves and to hunt, or just take part in shooting sports. Is there anything wrong with this? And young people are once again showing interest in firearms.
But instead the media continues to ask why? And for reasons that make no sense in business related stories, ask for commentary from anti-gun types as if this will provide the answer.
The truth is that gun ownership is on the rise, crime is down. What is wrong with that?
And here is another point to consider, why would the media root against sales? Doesn’t the economy need to pick up? Imagine if this were any other product and the media tried to paint it as bad? The media wants strong consumer good sales, as it indicates a good economy. The media likes to report on strong housing or automobile sales, so why wouldn’t the media want strong firearms sales?
These are criminals buying guns, but to many in the media anyone with a gun should be deemed a potential outlaw.
Left Leaning Care 2 Offs Biased Reporting as “News”
The headline sums up where this story is going: On The First Anniversary of the Giffords Assassination Attempt, Things Are Still In Limbo.
This from Care2.com ,which begs the question… what is in limbo? Apparently because guns are still legal the issue is in limbo. But this article then throws in bias as news. It does begin as news, as is noted with this introduction:
It’s been exactly one year since the country was stunned by the violent shooting rampage that nearly killed Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and did kill and wound numerous staff, supporters and even a little girl.
That is news and it sums up the situation well, but consider this misinformation at the end of the article:
And others are even using the anniversary to promote weapons. According to Think Progress, the Crossroads of the West gun show has decided to use today as the day to throw their Tuscon exhibit and sale. But at least they don’t appear to be raffling away the same type of gun that nearly killed her, like the Arizona GOP did last fall.
The gun show wasn’t scheduled for any particular reason! But this article would you have believe that was in fact the motive of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show organizers! Shameful that this is bias passes as news.
NRA News: Gun Makers Baffled by ATF Criteria: Models OK’d on Case-By-Case Basis
Cam Edwards talks to Robert Sanders, NRA Board Member and North Carolina attorney
Media Matters: “Massive Obama Conspiracy”
Why are sales of firearms increasing? Much of the media has reported time and time again it is fears that President Obama might push for more gun control. This was really old news, but is making rounds again because we’re back in an election cycle.
So when FoxNews reports it, left-leaning Media Matters for America calls it “Massive Obama Conspiracy” and tries to dispel this notion.
The irony of this is that it was the guests on Fox Business’ Follow the Money the Money show that offered the commentary. But isn’t that their job? Media Matters even offered this transcript:
TRACY BYRNES (GUEST HOST): There has been this dramatic increase in gun purchases, why do you think it is?
BO DIETL: Well, all I can say is one thing, President Obama is the reason. The people of the United States are really fearful that he will win a second term, and he wins a second term he’s going to try to get more restrictions to gun control in the United States of America. We know what his ideas are, we know what his socialistic ideas, his very liberal ideas are. He doesn’t like guns, and if he has one more term, that is why people listening here should not vote for him, cause if he gets one more term he’s going to institute more regulatory stuff, people are now buying guns more than ever.
In other words the guest, who was called on to answer the question, provided the answer and Media Matters calls them out on it.
Does Media Matters have nothing been to do than defend Obama and pick on Fox News?
Reuters Gun Story Mixes Apples and Background Checks
This week Reuters, via The Huffington Post no less, offered a business story titled, “Firearm Background Checks Spike in 2011 According to FBI Statistics.” The story is now sort of old news, but there is a problem with this reporting.
The end third of the story has nothing whatsoever to do with sales. It begins with this passage:
The FBI data for 2011 was released close to the Jan. 8 anniversary of the shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, that killed 6 people and injured 13, including Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords.
The very rest of the story is about background checks, and even includes commentary from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence that notes “there has been no progress on legislative efforts to tighten gun control following the Tucson shooting.”
What does any of that have to do with sales last year? It is almost as if Reuters wanted to see fewer sales instead!
USA Today Includes Biased Closing Passage
Gun sales were up for the month of December and the media seems intent on being a Grinch about it. This week in a story titled, “Record gun checks, sales for Christmas,” USA Today offered these two paragraphs including the closing passage:
Gun control advocates note that fear about crime appears to be greater than actual crime, which FBI statistics show has been declining. They accuse the NRA of fear-mongering.
“It’s a false sense of security, but they might go purchase a gun,” said Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence. “I’m bothered by, especially at the holiday time, how many people think that these things ought to be holiday gifts, Christmas gifts for their families and their children. We’re seeing more of that, which means it’s becoming sort of an accepted thing. Firearms and weapons don’t seem to go with holidays and peacefulness to me. I think we have a problem.”
This is all opinion and doesn’t offer any thoughts as to why the gun sales were so strong. Hoovers comments clearly are just meant to be its own type of fear-mongering. What is disturbing about this is that one man tries to say what he believes to be the proper holiday gift – and apparently he’s never seen “A Christmas Story,” where the little boy wants the Red Rider BB Gun! As we said… a Grinch!
NY Daily News Caption Cites Experts – What Experts?
As with many outlets this week, The New York Daily News noted, “Gun sales break records before Christmas, as FBI reports gun dealers ordered 1.5M background checks.” The story includes a photo with the caption, “More guns than ever are being purchased, but experts say the sales are from repeat buyers.”
Here is the problem with this caption: no true “experts” are actually cited in the story. While an NRA source is quoted in the piece he doesn’t offer the option that the sales are from repeat buyers.
In fact, the story notes:
Andrew Arulanandam also attributed the spike in gun sales to an increased interest in sports that involve firearms, such as skeet shooting.
This follows with three paragraphs of opinion from Caroline Brewer of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who was quoted from a CNN story! So in other words, this is hardly “expert” opinion – and more to the point this is just opinion without any facts, statistics or other data to back it up.
And yet time and time again, the Brady Campaign is being called to close out these stories, almost as if it is there to reassure the anti-gun editors as much as the readers!
