Kludge
09-07-2011, 02:33 AM
Not much news to many of us, I suspect... Still, was interesting to see in Bloomberg Businesweek
"Sales of firearms have surged since he took office—and could plunge under a Republican Presidenthttp://images.businessweek.com/cms/2011-09-01/pol__guns37__01__600.jpgData: Bloomberg; Gun: Tim McCreary/AP Photo; Gold: Corbis
By Joshua Green
(http://www.businessweek.com/bios/joshua-green-2956.html)Rick Perry’s emergence as the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination would seem like a coup for the gun industry. The Texas governor’s enthusiasm for firearms rivals Yosemite Sam’s. He has an A+ rating from the Texas State Rifle Assn. and packs a laser-sighted Ruger pistol when he jogs. Last year, he famously shot a coyote that threatened his dog during a run. To commemorate his act of valor, the manufacturer, Sturm Ruger (RGR (http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=RGR)), produced a lightweight, limited-edition “Coyote Special” with the words “A True Texan” emblazoned on the barrel. Collectors snapped them up. Perry would be as ardent a champion of gun rights as has ever occupied the White House.
And yet he still may not do as much for the industry as Barack Obama already has. In the time since he took office, gun sales have soared. The government doesn’t track individual sales. But the FBI criminal background check required to purchase a gun is considered a reasonable proxy, and these have hit record numbers each year Obama has been in office. This year, they’re on track to surpass 15 million for the first time.
Ruger has done especially well. Since Obama’s inauguration the company’s stock price has risen more than 400 percent, making it a better investment than gold, which is up 113 percent. “They’ve been outstanding in offering new products, especially in the concealable handgun segment,” says Jim Barrett, an analyst at CL King who tracks the gun industry and rates the company a “strong buy.”
...
Dealers and analysts have several theories. One is that hardcore gun enthusiasts fear the lousy economy will set off a crime wave. Another is that political upheaval over the federal debt may lead to riots like those in Greece and London. Still another popular, if paranoid, belief that’s taken hold among gun-rights advocates: that Obama is waiting until he is reelected to separate Americans from their firearms, prompting worried gun owners to stock up in anticipation.
..."
Full article with comments @ http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/why-the-gun-industry-secretly-loves-obama-09012011.html
"Sales of firearms have surged since he took office—and could plunge under a Republican Presidenthttp://images.businessweek.com/cms/2011-09-01/pol__guns37__01__600.jpgData: Bloomberg; Gun: Tim McCreary/AP Photo; Gold: Corbis
By Joshua Green
(http://www.businessweek.com/bios/joshua-green-2956.html)Rick Perry’s emergence as the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination would seem like a coup for the gun industry. The Texas governor’s enthusiasm for firearms rivals Yosemite Sam’s. He has an A+ rating from the Texas State Rifle Assn. and packs a laser-sighted Ruger pistol when he jogs. Last year, he famously shot a coyote that threatened his dog during a run. To commemorate his act of valor, the manufacturer, Sturm Ruger (RGR (http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=RGR)), produced a lightweight, limited-edition “Coyote Special” with the words “A True Texan” emblazoned on the barrel. Collectors snapped them up. Perry would be as ardent a champion of gun rights as has ever occupied the White House.
And yet he still may not do as much for the industry as Barack Obama already has. In the time since he took office, gun sales have soared. The government doesn’t track individual sales. But the FBI criminal background check required to purchase a gun is considered a reasonable proxy, and these have hit record numbers each year Obama has been in office. This year, they’re on track to surpass 15 million for the first time.
Ruger has done especially well. Since Obama’s inauguration the company’s stock price has risen more than 400 percent, making it a better investment than gold, which is up 113 percent. “They’ve been outstanding in offering new products, especially in the concealable handgun segment,” says Jim Barrett, an analyst at CL King who tracks the gun industry and rates the company a “strong buy.”
...
Dealers and analysts have several theories. One is that hardcore gun enthusiasts fear the lousy economy will set off a crime wave. Another is that political upheaval over the federal debt may lead to riots like those in Greece and London. Still another popular, if paranoid, belief that’s taken hold among gun-rights advocates: that Obama is waiting until he is reelected to separate Americans from their firearms, prompting worried gun owners to stock up in anticipation.
..."
Full article with comments @ http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/why-the-gun-industry-secretly-loves-obama-09012011.html