This sucks...

http://www.galleryofguns.com/shootingtimes/Articles/DisplayArticles.asp?ID=4753

Bushmaster Won't Oppose Extension of Assault Weapons Ban  
by
Associated Press (ME)
Category: News Center  
May 14, 2003

   WINDHAM, Maine (AP) - Bushmaster Firearms says its sales
have increased by at least 900 percent in the nine years since a
federal ban on assault weapons took effect, so it's not
concerned about a proposed extension of the ban.
    The Windham-based gun maker has seen its revenue skyrocket
since the 1994 law's passage, erasing fears that the ban would
put manufacturers out of business.
    "We adjusted our business, as to what was allowed and what
wasn't allowed, and we've grown since then," said Allen Faraday,
Bushmaster's vice president of administration. "Basically, what
we did was going forward, we eliminated all of those items that
made it a banned firearm."
    The 1994 law banned a series of specific firearm models.
Bushmaster's AR-15, a civilian version of the M-16, wasn't on
the list, said Faraday, and that allowed the company to make
product modifications that helped it thrive.
    Bushmaster fought the law until is passed, then began to
redesign its AR-15 to comply with the new statute, he said,
adding that the changes were all cosmetic and didn't affect the
gun's performance.
    Faraday said most gun manufacturers made similar changes,
and he wasn't aware of any business that would suffer if the ban
were weren't lifted as scheduled in September 2004.
    Legislation proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and
others has been filed to extend the ban indefinitely.
    Bushmaster opposed the original ban, but the company is less
worried about an extension, Faraday said.
    "From our point of view, extending the ban is probably OK,"
he said.
    According to a statement from Feinstein's office, assault
weapons accounted for 8.2 percent of all guns used in crimes in
1993. In 1996, the latest date for which statistics are
available, the number dropped to 3.2 percent.
    Maine's Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe
have yet to announce their positions on the proposed extension.
    The House version of the bill would strengthen the current
law by including modified weapons.
    Faraday said he wasn't familiar with the House bill, but
said "if it makes sense, then we certainly will consider it."
    Bill Harwood, president of Maine Citizens Against Handgun
Violence, said the ban should go further.
    "It has had some effectiveness, but it's not nearly what it
could be," he said. "Manufacturers are very, very successful at
finding ways of getting as close to the line as possible. ...
Bushmaster's a good example."
    Bushmaster made the gun that was used in the sniper
shootings around Washington, D.C., last fall, and the company is
facing a suit filed by relatives of victims.
    The 77-employee firm makes semiautomatic rifles for
civilians, as well as automatic weapons for the military and
foreign government agencies.

oops, hit enter to quick.  Go to:

[url]www.bushmaster.com[/url]

and read their rebuttal before jumping the gun.

Faraday's quote was taken out of context. Read Bushmaster's [url=www.bushmaster.com]response.[/url]

Reply deleted after reading rebuttal.

I bet the guys over at Bushy are going to be a little more careful speaking with the media in the future.  That article had me duped right out of the gate, it's a shame that most people who read it and are subsequently affected by it will never see Bushy's rebuttal.