Did the 1989 import ban actually help American gun manufactures?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Did the 1989 import ban actually help American gun manufactures?

Posted: 1/6/2005 9:53:13 AM EDT

I don't agree with law but now we have US AK's,FALs, HK clones, etc.........

Posted: 1/6/2005 10:02:19 AM EDT

[#1]

Yes i think it did, at our expense, you used to be able to buy a quality AK from china or russia cheap. Now you have to get an american version. You know before the bans went into effect you hardley saw anyone with an ar or an ak or anyother so-called assault weapon. Now since the bans and during the bans the guns shows are full of them and more people do own them and are sympathetic to our cause. Just my .02 russ

Posted: 1/6/2005 10:06:14 AM EDT

[#2]

I figure they made more money per gun...especially on pre-ban stuff. But I bet now that the ban is gone this nice AR15 sales wave is probably pretty nice.

Guy I was talking to at a local shop said the Clinton ban almost put them out of business. He didn't elaborate but thats what he said. He said if Kerry was elected they were probably going to go under.

He could have been full of it...who knows.

Posted: 1/6/2005 10:51:29 AM EDT

[#3]

Yes. A huge amount of people that frequent this forum would be shooting AUGS, SG5XX, G36, FNC, etc, if the import ban was not in place.

The AR15 community would take a big hit if the import ban were overturned.

Posted: 1/6/2005 2:04:38 PM EDT

[#4]

I'm willing to take the hit. I'd like to be able to get teh imported stuff.

All these bans are a slow erosion of our rights. Just think, before 1934, you could have anything you wanted. Then GCA 196_, then 1986 MG ban, then 1989 import ban then the 1994 AWB, I mean, if this keeps up, in 50-100 years, your kids and grandkids won't even be able to own the guns you hand down to them....

Oh, and notice that there has been an apparent increase in bans in teh last 20 years. SO maybe the process is picking up....

Posted: 1/6/2005 4:20:50 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I'm willing to take the hit. I'd like to be able to get teh imported stuff.

All these bans are a slow erosion of our rights. Just think, before 1934, you could have anything you wanted. Then GCA 196_, then 1986 MG ban, then 1989 import ban then the 1994 AWB, I mean, if this keeps up, in 50-100 years, your kids and grandkids won't even be able to own the guns you hand down to them....

Oh, and notice that there has been an apparent increase in bans in teh last 20 years. SO maybe the process is picking up....

Its funny I remeber I think it was on history channel or somewhere but you could buy a thompson machine gun in a hardware store and the price was like 15 bucks!! I think thats why in 34 they made the NFA and taxed the guns 200 dollars...which now is nothing but think about how much that was back then!!!

Posted: 1/6/2005 4:33:36 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I don't agree with law but now we have US AK's,FALs, HK clones, etc.........

I think no one one will argue that it did. I competition is a healthy thing, it keeps quality up and prices reasonable. That's why I am still against the 1989 ban.

Posted: 1/6/2005 5:11:29 PM EDT

[#7]

I think it really helped the gun makers here....but it hurt the hell out of the gun buyers. We're paying HIGH dollars for certain semi's, when we could be paying low ball for the real imported deal...and probably getting 2-3 for the same price as US clones. Nothing against any of them, I'm just a poor college boy wishin i had more dough

I really hope that sometime in the next 4-12 years (depending on elections) that your precious republicans will revoke the Bush Ban....Sorry, not a big fan of any politician currently in power.....and it would be really really really nice to see a repeal of the 86 ban, or at least an amnesty period like they had in the 60's(right decade??) I know its wishful thinking, but hey, who woulda thunk 2 or 3 years ago that the AWB would end.

Posted: 1/7/2005 2:39:06 PM EDT

[#8]

Well there isnt anyway that bush jr will undo ANYTHING his DA DA did. The 86 machine gun ban would be an easier target than the 89 import ban untill bush is out of office. Hopefully we wont get a democrat in four years but who knows. Russ

Posted: 1/7/2005 3:11:39 PM EDT

[#9]

I see it as a bad thing. We are void of to many exotic arms, it allowed domestic manufacturers to hike their prices up, and what did it do for it's proposed purpose? It may have been a good thing for the economy, but it was a low blow for the firearm enthusiast. Imagine being able to walk into the gun store and buy an HK94 or UMP. Or an AUG, or a brand new cheap AK even.

Posted: 1/7/2005 3:38:55 PM EDT

[#10]

Basically the '89 ban acts like a huge tariff. Tariffs are usually put in place to protect domestic industry. What the '89 ban did was create a domestic industry.

Posted: 1/7/2005 6:35:46 PM EDT

[#11]

The import ban will never be overturned. the act simply cannot be justified politically. I wish that werent the case becasue I'd love to get my hands on a SIG SG5XX more than any other 5.56 rifle on the planet.

Since Europe is a gun hating union of sociialists they will never apply the politica,l trade and commerce pressure needed to make our president open up to foreign guns. Maybe we will get lucky and HK, SIG, GIAT, and FN will start making rifles in the USA which which would make them exempt from the ban.

Posted: 1/7/2005 8:04:12 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Basically the '89 ban acts like a huge tariff. Tariffs are usually put in place to protect domestic industry. What the '89 ban did was create a domestic industry.

+1
right on the money

Posted: 1/7/2005 8:24:11 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Basically the '89 ban acts like a huge tariff. Tariffs are usually put in place to protect domestic industry. What the '89 ban did was create a domestic industry.

+1
right on the money

+5000000000000000000000000000

Econ 101, but a ban is the ultimate tax. A true "100%" tax in that sense I guess you could say.

Bans or regulatory non-sense (particularly the Brady Bill) is not aimed towards necessarily banning "assault weapons" as they're aimed towards making guns that much more expensive to purchase and own amongst the peasantry.

It's a damn shame we can't order our MP5s factory direct, but remember folks, we live in a FREE COUNTRY SO VOTE FOR GWB!

themao

Posted: 1/7/2005 8:28:13 PM EDT

[#14]

Actually, I remember reading that the original 1968 GCA (which was used as reasoning in '89 to ban AWs) was actually supported or sponsored by American gun makers. They could not compete with all the imports coming in.

Posted: 1/7/2005 10:56:09 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

I think no one one will argue that it did. I competition is a healthy thing, it keeps quality up and prices reasonable. That's why I am still against the 1989 ban.

+1

If those imports were made legal again, I would not be less prone to buy american. My collection would just be bigger to include some of those imports.

Posted: 1/7/2005 11:33:04 PM EDT

[#16]

Yep.

I think that American companies have done a very good job of filling in for the foreign gun makers...

The only rifles that aren't readily available since the end of the AWB that I have any interest in owning are the Sako 95 and the SIG 551.

Anything else, I can get easily (DSA FAL Para, on my list for this year) or I already have (2 Arsenal AK's, Krebs KTR-03V side folder).

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Did the 1989 import ban actually help American gun manufactures?

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