Search the Community

The gun industry is booming -- and Smith & Wesson believes it's only going to get stronger. Smith & Wesson (SWHC) revealed on Thursday a 40% surge in quarterly sales and a doubling of profits from last year. The gun maker also ramped up its forecast far above what even Wall Street had been hoping for. Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney credited "strong consumer demand" as well as his company's ability to capture more market share. It's the latest evidence of a thriving gun industry, in part due to concerns among some that a string of mass shootings in the U.S. will cause the government to limit gun sales. FBI background checks for gun purchases have surged in recent months and are on track to shatter last year's record. Smith & Wesson stock soared 5% during regular trading on Thursday, just shy of the all-time highs hit last month. Related: Gun CEO worries about Hillary Clinton as president Not only did Smith & Wesson sales soar 40%, but the company now expects to earn as much as $2.48 per share this fiscal year. That's well above Wall Street's target. Smith & Wesson also raised its sales guidance for the fiscal year above expectations. Some gun executives have suggested the possible election of Hillary Clinton, who wants to restrict military-style assault weapons, as a driver behind strong demand. Sturm Ruger (RGR) CEO Michael Fifer recently told CNNMoney that gun makers are facing a "unique time in our history" because a presidential candidate is "actively campaigning" against the industry and criticizing a Supreme Court ruling on firearms.

Sturm Ruger sales jump 19% by Jackie Wattles and Aaron Smith @CNNMoneyInvest August 2, 2016: 5:54 PM ET Gun sales in America are still soaring, pushing Sturm Ruger's sales and profits sharply higher this quarter. The company said its sales were driven by several new products, including the American Pistol, the LC9s pistol, the Precision Rifle and the AR-556s modern sporting rifle. Ruger's sales for the second quarter jumped 19%, to $168 million, while earnings-per-share climbed 34%. The company also announced that its CEO Michael Fifer, who's headed the company for a decade, will retire on May 9, 2017. Replacing him is Christopher Killoy, who currently serves as Ruger's COO. The country's other major gun maker, Smith & Wesson (SWHC), has also seen unprecedented sales volumes. Its stock hit a new all-time high yesterday. The FBI reported last month was the busiest July on record for background checks, putting 2016 on pace to set an annual record.

AUGUSTA — Four people were arrested Sunday following an apparent drug-related incident in which police said two suspects fired guns at each other during a dispute in the parking Wal-Mart. There were possibly two other people involved who had not been detained and police were still investigating Monday. Charged in connection with the incident were: • Kwiesha “Reggie” McBride of Harlem, New York, charged with reckless conduct with a firearm, Class C, and aggravated trafficking in drugs (heroin), Class B. His bail was set at $50,000. • Frankie Dejesus of Rochester, New York, charged with reckless conduct with a firearm, Class C, and aggravated assault, Class B. His bail was set at $25,000. • Diana Davis of Rochester, New York, charged with aggravated assault, Class B. Her bail was set at $5,000. • Samantha Tupper, of Augusta, charged with probation violation and furnishing drugs (heroin), Class B. She was held without bail. In a media briefing Sunday evening, Augusta police Sgt. Christian Behr said the shooting broke out between people in two cars parked beside each other at the Wal-Mart parking lot. Police received several 911 calls of shots fired around 5:24 p.m., and witnesses called police with vehicle and people descriptions, he said. Shots were fired between both vehicles by a pair of the suspects and then one suspect emerged from one car and confronted people in the other car, Behr said. The altercation was interrupted by two armed civilians who had been watching the dispute unfold, he said. No one was injured during the shooting, police said, although a blood trail and shell casings could be seen at the parking lot scene. Crime scene tape blocked off an area around a silver Volkswagen Passat with its doors open Sunday night. All the suspects all refused any medical assistance, Behr said. After the shooting, Behr said apparently the people in the vehicles knew each other and later Sunday said that heroin was involved. Augusta police said on its Facebook page Sunday night that one female who was involved in the incident may have fled the area and that police dogs were tracking the suspect. At a Sunday night news conference, police said there were reports of six people total being involved and they were still investigating. Officers from the Augusta Police Department, the Maine State Police and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office participated in the search for possible fifth suspect Sunday along Civic Center Drive and into the woods east of there. In addition to the state police and Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, the Hallowell, Winthrop, and Capitol police departments also assisted. http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/06/26/report-of-shots-fired-at-augusta-wal-mart/

Guns and booze mixed well back in the Saloons of the old west

IMO if the AR-15 was banned the terrorists / wackos would just find another weapon like the Ruger Mini 30 to use in their crimes.