Why are firearms companies seemingly uninvolved in politics?

[u/Sesemebun]

It is possible that I am wrong, but most gun companies seem to be not very involved in politics. The easy answer is that corporations don't really care about us, which is true to a degree. However from a business perspective, I feel there is a lot to be gained. First off, the restrictions cut off a lot of the market, or require work arounds that cost money.

Before the Solus, Aero pretty much lost their entire local clientele. People here liked supporting Aero since it was pretty much the only (large) gun company here. CA has been the way it is for a while now, and so companies have adjusted to it by offering models with fin grips, fixed mags etc. These require separate tooling and packaging. It's a product nearly identical to what they already make but with extra work.

Additionally, since the standard is pretty much indifference, companies that started investing in it would get really good PR. People like PSA just for being down to earth, doing stuff like what they've done with Paul Harrel. If we had a company actually use their size to stand up for their rights, people would support them. Consumers like customer service.

And even just money wise, Remington went bankrupt because of Sandy Hook, Bushmaster had to pay 500K in a settlement for some other thing. Lawyer fees to actually clear the market and help defend themselves could save them a lot of money in the long run.

Why is the closest thing to politics that modern gun companies seem to align themselves with, just being associated with the NRA? (which if anything gives worse press than if they did stuff with SAF,GOA,FPC, or even just doing it themselves)

[u/hybridtheory1331]

I've often thought the same. Why wouldn't Glock funnel a couple million into the fight per year to try to overturn the NFA? They would make hundreds of millions selling Glock brand switches and Glock 18s.

Some will say the companies don't want to get involved in politics and alienate part of their clientele, but PSA made a Fuck Joe Biden special lower and they're doing just fine. That's just an excuse.

[u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt → u/hybridtheory1331]

Why wouldn't Glock funnel a couple million into the fight per year to try to overturn the NFA?

Because it's never going to happen. It'd be a waste of millions of dollars a year. The NPV is absolutely trash on something like that especially with a probability of return being basically zero.

The average American does not want machine guns to be legalized. We here in the gun subs are a minority. There is zero political appetite for legalizing machine guns outside of strongly pro-2A gun enthusiasts.

You're not getting 60 votes in the senate to repeal the NFA. Even if you had 60 republicans there would be several against it.

[u/hybridtheory1331 → u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt]

https://apnews.com/article/machine-guns-court-ruling-kansas-a15526435c94d896d308fc21571811ce

It's not likely, but it's also not impossible. We just have to shift the Overton window.

But fine, for sake of argument let's look smaller. They could help to get suppressors taken off the NFA. Then they can sell more models with threaded barrels.

[u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt → u/hybridtheory1331]

Then they can sell more models with threaded barrels.

Again, the NPV is not worth it, especially weighed against the risk.

Let's completely ignore the risk that government contracts could be alienated and lost with this "investment" and let's assume they toss in $1,000,000 a year. Let's say it takes 5 years to affect the change they want, and if they weren't spending that $1,000,000 a year they'd just let it sit in their bank at oh, 3% interest. That's very low and they wouldn't do that, but let's assume they would because it favors your position. Let's also assume it's guaranteed this succeeds and doesn't just fail

That's an NPV of -$5,579,707.19.

Now, how much more money do you make selling threaded barrels? Maybe $50? You'd have to sell 111,595 units to make back that cost. Oh and remember that there's also dozens if not hundreds of aftermarket glock barrel makers you are competing with. Plus factor in the time frame it will take to sell all those units and the time value of money while you do it...

It is not a smart business move, politically or financially, for them to do this.

Now let's consider risk:

New York hates firearms, if glock pushes to repeal the NFA ban on suppressors maybe the NYPD and NYSP decide not to renew their glock contracts. How much are those contracts worth if glock pisses off the New York Socialist Republic? Keep in mind those sales contracts also have SERVICE contracts too.

And the risk that all that lobbying money doesn't actually work, and it's just pissed away.