Springfield Armory published the following statement on their Instagram page:

Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese Statement regarding IFMA and Gun Dealer Licensing Act (SB1657). GENESEO, IL, May 2, 2017 –

The Executive Director of the Illinois Firearm Manufacturers Association (IFMA) acted without our prior knowledge and against our principles and those of the industry as a whole with respect to the Gun Dealer Licensing Act.

We no longer have confidence in IFMA and after speaking to other directors we have made the decision to sever all ties with the organization, effective immediately.

I take full responsibility for my failure of oversight in this case and deeply apologize to my employees, customers and industry partners for the distraction and divisiveness this situation has caused within our tight-knit community.

Our industry has always stood strong and fought fiercely together in the past and I am personally committed to defeating this harmful legislation. To that end, I have pledged to the NRA that we will bring the full resources of my company to bear in this fight.

We are not new to this battle, Springfield Armory has fought and defeated legislation like this in Illinois for decades. We are wholeheartedly against this bill and will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with the NRA, National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Illinois State Rifle Association and others to see it defeated as the unnecessary and harmful overreach that it is.

We want to assure all Americans, like us, who fight to protect the Second Amendment that we and our industry partners will leave no stone unturned to defeat this bill.

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121 COMMENTS

    • Dennis apparently has an integrity problem… we can’t believe any of his statements. Back in 1989, he got in trouble for bribery.

      “Prosecutors cleared the way for the indictment last month when Dennis Reese, president of Springfield Armory Inc. of Geneseo, Ill., who alleged arranged the payoffs, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to cooperate with investigators.”

      http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/03/16/Salvador-based-Army-colonel-indicted-on-bribery-charges/5406606027600/

    • Perhaps that link is a better example than first thought.

      Are we too quick to build a wall between us and Springfield and Rock River?

      Would it be better to utilize such large firearms manufacturers on our side, now that there’s been an issue we can get them to work 100 times harder for Pro Gun causes in an effort to make up to the consumer.

      As I said before, if we just run them out of town on a rail, the Anti Gun win! we help them shut down two major manufacturers in a state that is near a total gun free zone!

      • Yes Bob, it would be better to have folks fighting on our side. That was expected of SA and RRA, above and beyond just being firearms manufacturers. Yet, they failed miserably. The old adage of “with friends like that, who needs enemies” fits perfectly here. Both SA and RRA must be boycotted into bankruptcy. If for no other reason than to serve as a cautionary tale for other, future, would be sell outs.

        • Yes but from what I can see, little to no damage was done by the sell out, but I can see far more damage done to the pro gun side by boycotting into bankruptcy two major manufacturers.

          Think of it this way.

          I know far too many people who find flaws in every relationship they are in, so they scrap that person in search of the perfect mate. Eventually, they find themselves well along in life and still single, still looking for someone, but now the choices have become extremely thin, eventually settling for far less than they could of had early on.

          I’m not staying what they did wasn’t a poor decision, but was it so horrifying that they should be shunned by society forever? Should we be giving up what could be millions of dollars in future contributions to pro 2A fights, simply because we feel slighted?

          • Bob- Some folks view the 2A with more importance than you do. To me, it is the cornerstone of our republic. Every infringement is part of an existential threat to the nation. IMO, it is no longer enough to be willing to participate politically. It is no longer enough to even be willing to fight and die for these rights. At this point, folks must be willing to kill for the preservation of our God given rights. For single issue guys like myself, gun rights are what keeps America the finest Constitutional Republic ever known to man. Everyone who takes part, in any way, in the infringement of these rights, should be tried for treason.

        • Spoken like a dyed in the wool libtard, sounds like you’ve lived your life in a gun free zone, does your wife fight your battles for you to?

        • Maybe we read different reports.

          SA didn’t draft the bill, nor lobby for it to pass. They simply didn’t pick sides.
          That’s not a direct attack on your rights, disappointing, but not an attack.

          As for the guessing that I’m a liberal gun free zone lover, just shows how off of the subject you are.

          I’m just saying, you can’t just NUKE every problem you come across or nobody is going to take you seriously.

          THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE LEFT THINK WE’RE JUST A BUNCH OF GUN TOTING PSYCHOPATHS!

          Top notch aggression should be saved for when needed, not tossed about at every whim.

          Idiots…..

      • Bob? As in Bob Owens… who is swinging from the SA nutsack?

        We don’t need traitors in our midst. I’m wondering if that includes you and the crew at BA.

      • You’re claiming they didn’t “support” the IMFA? They were one of the most major monetary supporters of the bill…

        Between you seemingly ignoring that little tidbit and/or dismissing it as non-support, as well as trying to equate the boycott of a manufacturer for egregious error with “someone who leaves/nukes everyone over petty slights”, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had something to lose should Springfield tank. Perhaps a job or a great deal of stock investments?

        Either that or you actually think that Springfield does something other than license out/blatantly copy other famous designs in notoriously mediocre fashion. I mean you do realize that even the XD is a Croatian HS2000, not something they actually designed or had any hand in making, right?

        As for Rock Island being either particularly worthwhile or having any concern for our rights…I’ll let someone else uncork that hysterical can of worms.

    • My first audio thought was of Carol King but that one is pretty good too.

  2. Would they be willing to donate to the SAF for all the legal fees that they will incur fighting this in courts after the fact?

        • “Founded by Robert Farago in 2002, The Truth About Cars publicized itself as an independent voice in the automotive media. TTAC adopted an adversarial tone, particularly with regard to the Big Three domestic auto makers.” Robert Farago started The Truth About Cars, a disruptive website which touted speaking the “truth” about auto manufacturers while instead causing chaos within the industry. Guess who was bought out by the auto manufacturers to shut him up? Robert Farago! He then started The Truth About Guns, where guess what, he’s doing the same thing. I’m wondering if Robert is hoping to get bought out by Springfield and RRA???

          This is 100% about money for TTAG! Look at all the links in the article itself, they link to Midway to sell stuff. They don’t care at all about the gun industry or your rights, this is all about generating conflict to get people to their site. This is bad all around for the gun industry with this us against them mentality. If SA and RRA go out of business because of this crap, that’s 100s or 1000s of people out of jobs. Who builds the parts for their guns? who builds the cases they come in? All those companies will take a hit just because people are so stupid to believe this without seeing what’s really going on.

          Do you think for a second SA and RRA thought, “What a good idea, lets go against gun owners, the people we market to and sell our products to exclusively. Let’s make sure we stuff the 2A right where the sun doesn’t shine, that will help our business!” What good would this bill have done for them?

          TTAG ran with this, blew it completely out of the water for one reason: MONEY, and if you don’t understand that, there’s no hope for you. They are going to wrongfully damage SA and RRA to personally gain from this. The TRUTH about The Truth About Guns? FAAAAAAKE NEWS!

          • Hey honey… adults are talking.

            TTAG had nothing to do with SAI and RRA (who comprise 75% of the leadership of IFMA) funding anti-2A politicians in Illinois for the last several years. TTAG had nothing to do with SAI & RRA cutting a deal to get themselves an exemption.

            Quit shilling for Bob and BA.

          • Amber, I agree with you. How shallow does TTAG think we are? Trust 2 companies that have fought anti gun legislation tooth and nail for years, in Illinois, no less, to harm themselves, or trust a lobbyist and opportunists, that would sellout to highest bidder? Look at these 2 companies history. Then turn on them? Divide and conquer. SMH. Dont be CNN, we are not sheeple . Gun owners stick together!

        • FEO2 I don’t know Bob or BA or whoever you’re talking about at all. Looks to me like you’re trying to suck up to mini George Soros ie Robert Farago. Creating chaos to make a buck. I don’t know Bob whatever his name is, but I understand politics and I live in freaking communist IL. Democrats have controlled it for so long, there is no voice for gun owners or manufacturers and there never will be now. At least SA and RRA were trying to have some presence in Springfield. Do you understand, Mr. Adult, how backdoor deals work? Give and take? Maybe some money was shelled out to Democrats, just like what Trump did, to get deals done. Getting some type of leverage in Springfield is better than nothing. So they tried to do something, and idiots like you jump all over them. Idiots like you want to boycott and run them into the ground. Companies that for years have employed Americans building guns- nothing more patriotic than that. Nope, HONEY, just keep your eyes closed and keep sucking up to George Soros. Maybe he’ll start another website once he’s done with this one. TheTruthAboutFishingPoles.com, he could make a killing.

          • That’s cute, Amber. Your bubbleheaded analysis lives up to your stripper-esque name.

            Springfield Assholes Inc and Rat River Arms are our version of the Judenrat. They’ll sell out their own people to Anti-2A for a few silver coins or a slice of bread. Maybe you’re new to this game, but every single time we compromise on 2A issues – we lose ground. Every time. No exceptions.

            It sucks what’s going to happen to SAI and RRA employees. I feel for them.

            The market is set for a huge contraction. RRA won’t survive, as they produce nothing unique or innovative. SAI might survive with new leadership (like Ruger and S&W scandals) and some innovative products to the market. Both make fine firearms, but nothing unique or special. Their positions in the rapidly shrinking market will be sucked up by better positioned companies. Oh well – that’s the power of the free market.

            Frankly, I hope the management of both companies drown in the saliva of their own nervous breakdowns, knowing they could have prevented it by not being quislings.

        • FEO2, so I’m bubble-headed and a stripper because of my name? That’s cute- and you’re probably 400 lbs. 35 years old, and live in your mommy’s basement. If not, Congratulations, because you sound like it! Springfield Armory and RRA are our own versions of the Judenrat? That is so ridiculous, there is no reason they’d want to take down the gun industry and gun rights. It makes no sense! But go ahead, twiddle your thumbs in your basement waiting for a reply from the “stripper”. Can’t wait to hear about the next conspiracy theory. You’re just about to expose the CEO of McDonald’s for trying to outlaw fried food, am I right?

          • It’s okay to be ignorant. It’s inexcusable to be willfully so like you’re doing.

            The Judenrat sold out their own people for a guaranteed spot on the last train to the concentration camps. That’s what SAI and RRA did for gun owners in Illinois.

            Are they paying you overtime at Springfield to post comments this late? Or is it RRA?

  4. Did I miss “We fired his ass.”? How about, “We have terminated our relationship with…”? Or maybe “We asked him to move come get his toothbrush”?

  5. HOW do you divorce YOURSELF?!? Or explain how you gave 10000 bucks to Cullerton? Springfield is and will be DEAD to me…

    • He isn’t the Executive Director of the IFMA. The doc we linked to showed Mr. Reese was, at least when the doc was created, President of it. The actual lobbyist was/is the Executive Director.

      I know that Springfield has been active in defeating assault weapons legislation in Illinois in the past, in one case threatening to move operations to Iowa.

      • Threatening to move . . . nice words then, more words now, how about some actions – like start packing up yesterday?

      • There are only two members of the “Illinois Firearms Manufacturer Association”; Springfield Armory and RRA
        The IFMA DID support the 2A aggressively in Illinois when Tom Reese ran the company. Then he sold out to his brother Denny. Denny then sold Illinois gun owners out. He is the owner and CEO of SA.

        He has now started the slide into obscurity and his company into bankruptcy

      • Magpul threatened to leave colorado back in 2013 if anti-gun legislation passed, and when it did, they followed it up with actions and bounced.

        If the Reeses want to take responsibility for what happened, they should both resign from springfield. Immediately. Their continued presence will only hurt the company.

  6. OK, this seems like a planned modified limited hangout at this point…both RRA and
    SA release again on the same day with the same general content. Looks like phase 3 (“sacrificially burn the disposable trade association”) of the ‘plausible deniability’ program is underway. I’m guessing this was the plan all along if things got really ugly…as they have.

    • Yes, all carefully planned to take place after the bill passes and is on the governor’s desk.

      • According to a letter sent to me by Illinois state senator Dale Righter……he voted against the bill and said there is currently no funding at this time to set up a regulatory agency to implement the provisions and enforcement of this new law if signed by governor Rauner…….the cost to Illinois taxpayers could be nearly $3 million just to get it implemented and with no state budget in place and Illinois in such bad shape financially I doubt Governor Rauner will sign it.

        • you think budgets, common sense and the inability to actually put legislation into action will stop these people? They’ll just sign it anyway and let all the gun owners and FFL’s pound sand until they get around to figuring out how to implement it. This trash flies in the Land ‘o Lincoln, gander at the way the previous Cook County handgun ban worked, or the way they tried to de-facto ban CCL laws until the fire was put to some feet.

          I sometimes kinda miss having 4 seasons of weather and the nice peaceful country plain views, but not nearly enough to ever go back, not even close. Hope you fellas there keep up the good fight

        • Budget isn’t an issue with these gun grabbers. Take it from a Californian constantly dealing with anti-gun legislation. We were $2 billion under budget coming into 2017 and that didn’t stop the gun grabbers from passing what was called “gunpocalypse”. We’re into May now and the CA DOJ has yet to come up with regulations on how to enforce these new anti-gun laws. In the end, it’s all about screwing with freedom loving Americans.

  9. Is it possible that the owners of both RRA and Springfield are upright, good gun guys, and they’ve been blindsided by an evil opportunistic lobbyist? Sure. But if that’s the case there’s quite a bit of explaining to do.

    Given how small the IFMA appears to be, and that the principals of both SA and RRA were on the (very short member list) board, not knowing what the lobbyist was doing is kind of hard to believe. Or, let me be charitable, if they didn’t know, then they darn well should have known they didn’t know.

    In contrast, the contributions to various politicians extend back for several years, as per an earlier article in TTAG, and unless the lobbyist had signature authority on the checks, it’s hard to argue the board didn’t know who they were donating to. Certainly the treasurer should have, at least; and I would argue that it’s simple due-diligence to perform a basic Google search on any state politician you’re paying. Again, unless the lobbyist was operating with zero oversight, and wasn’t keeping the board informed of donations; but then, whose fault would that be?

    • How does SA and RRA not know a $50K check was being cut and where it went? SMH…smart, but not that smart the create a cloak entity for their dirty business and as their scapegoat.

      • It’s plausible – sort of – if neither the SA nor RRA principals spent a lot of time on this (believable) and didn’t ever do any serious audits of the activities (harder to believe given the success of both companies).

        That’s why the history of donations is the issue for me. I can believe their lobbyist went rogue and for a few months they didn’t notice. But going 5 years without even asking who they were donating to?

        • I agree with you that it’s plausible, up to the point where they don’t do serious audits. I mean, it’s typical that any firearm manufacturer expenses are not under a microscope?

        • I can totally see the lapse in oversight happening, but what’s the motivation of the lobbyist to do this? Isn’t going against the wishes of those you’re lobbying for basically career suicide?

        • Bob: Probably, but again giving some benefit of the doubt, if the lobbyist was not a “person of the gun” he might have simply been trying to protect his principals from threatening legislation, and didn’t really “get” the broader repercussions. Many lobbyists aren’t “of” the cause they’re lobbying for, it’s just a job. Part of that job, of course, is to understand the subtleties, but again that brings us around to the incompetence vs. malfeasance question.

          Honestly, in this case I don’t know nor really care that much. The current affair has led to some interesting allegations about the history of donations, which the principals should have been cognizant of – or at least at some point, I’d have thought, reviewed.

  10. I see they finally got around to step 1. Step two is a little tougher. If they don’t get that bill killed, fuck ’em and feed ’em fish heads.

    • They’d better hope that, that bill doesn’t go through. Even if that bill is vetoed, SA and RRA still has a long ways to go before I’ll ever consider their products ever again.

  11. Do they and RRA really expect people to believe them? IFMA lists 4 board member in IRS form 990, 2 from Springfield 1 from RRA and the Jay Keller, the lobbyist they are throwing under the bus to try and save themselves. Look it up for yourself https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/search?execution=e4s1&formtype=p990&formId=464628447-990POL-02 and punch in the ID number, 46-4628447 .

    So if I were to believe them, that IFMA which only has 2 clients both of which have members that make up the majority of the Board didn’t know a thing about what the lone lobbyist was doing? I’m not that gullible and I hope no one else is as well.

    There is something else missing from both RRA and Springfield statement, there is no mention of giving contributions to anti-gun politicians. I guess we are to believe they didn’t know anything about that as well.

    • Today’s action was EXACTLY what I was looking for from SA and RRA, back on Friday, before I knew that IFMA was their own personal/private PAC.

      Now that we know they’re in charge of IFMA, and they’ve been using IFMA to funnel money to the likes of Madigan, there is no talking their way out of it.

  12. I’m saving up the money to buy and AR-15 rifle. It will not be one from Springfield or Rock River Arms.

    • Same. I was just short of picking up one of their ‘beast’ uppers. Now they can suck it. Sphincter-headgear…the lot of them.

  13. So they are severing ties with themselves? Considering that the President, founder and main contributor of the IFMA is the owner and CEO of Springfield, I don’t see any other route.

    The trade off you make for taking a high level exec position is that of accountability – even if you didn’t directly cause something to happen, the buck stops at your desk.

    SA doesn’t get a penny from me until their Quisling owner and CEO divests himself of both equity and leadership.

  14. What a joke.
    More backpedaling and CYA from SA & RRA.

    How is Dennis Reese going to sever ties with himself?
    Springfield and RRA are the IFMA. They founded & funded the IFMA from the start and are the only members.

  15. I’m shocked, shocked(!) that there is dirty lobbying being done by the firm we created to do dirty lobbying.

    Don’t worry, we’ll be getting rid of them immediately! The IFMA will be replaced by the IFMO which will be made up of the same executive members. And hopefully we’ll have another few years before we have to ‘get rid of’ them for the same reason…

  17. This sh!t’s getting silly.

    Next thing you know, the IFMA will sever connections with itself and then everything will be great, except that Illinois gun owners and LGS will still be totally forked.

  18. Talk is cheap. What are you going to do to regain our trust? Better be impressive as hell.

  19. Good job Springfield, you got my support. Everyone ans every company makes mistakes. It’s what you do afterwards that shows your true intentions. Don’t let the haters get ya down,they are perfect and mistake free but they are few.

    • Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but we IL residents have to deal with the results. Also, how does this apology explain 5 years of donations to anti-gun politicians?

      • Sales & Marketing probably has beaucoup spare time, and has been retargeted to “social talk damage squads” (STD’s)

        Right now, SA (which does not stand for “sore ass”) and RRA (which does not stand for “really raw ass”) have deployed STD’s across the nation to get a Grip on the throbbing pulse of the firearms community and put a cap on this raging discussion.

  20. How’s about some DEEEEEEEEP discounts on SA products?
    And I don’t mean range bags…….

    • Those who are getting it deeeeep are IL folks who are allowing this SB to get this far before the mainstream industry got wind of it… FUBAR.

  21. Oh FFS.

    I divorce me! I divorce me! I divorce me!

    Isn’t that how the RoPer’s do it?

  22. Do Reese and Larson really think gun owners will believe their latest, ludicrous statements? THEY ARE THE IMFA. What are they going to tell us next? They didn’t know about IMFA contributions to anti-gun pols in the past?

    Both companies should be punished severely for selling out gun owners for their own personal gain.

  24. “we have made the decision to sever all ties with the organization”. The apt analogy is that SA has decided to cut off its own arm. There is no distinction between SA and IFMA. and you spoken to other “directors”? You mean your family members and Mr Larson at RRA, right?

  25. And this kids is a great example of “polishing the brass on the Titanic” after it has hit the iceberg. Hey look, maybe those deck chairs need rearranging as well.

    • I resent your implication that their business is sinking… it’s soaring… they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.

  26. Do the honestly expect anybody with two brain cells to rub together to believe this bullshit? Honestly, I might believe them if they owned up and admitted to IL influence peddling backfiring. That explanation wouldn’t require me to pretend I had undergone a full frontal lobotomy with a rusty ice cream scoop… via my ass…

  27. I think both RRA and SA should each make very large contributions ($100K) to the Second Amendment Foundation to show they are serious about their apology.

    • Bullshit. All the money in the world won’t buy back the rights of others they’ve bargained away for their own benefit. They MUST BE BOYCOTTED INTO BANKRUPTCY.

      • Yup! This isn’t about SA or RRA, it is about the folks operating and living out of IL. When you are SA sized company and not have to worry about the day to day op, how do you whiff on this one when YOU ARE the IMFA during your meetings? I mean really, what else do you talk about on your IMFA calls?

        IMFA is the ONE thing that can make or break your business due to your political ties! Geeezuz – the community is NOT that stupid!!!

    • So the cost of doing business ends up being 200k? If that’s all they have to pay every few years when it blows up in their face I doubt they have much reason to change.

  28. Well, Since we’re using Toby Keith here:
    https://youtu.be/XI7YzUKE_wI
    A Little less talk and a lot more action. SA has said and done what they should have done on Friday. Fine.
    They and their lobby firm IFMA/RIP did a bad thing. I don’t think the lesson of the social media lynch mob will be lost on them or any other firearms industry participant trying to get cute with 3D Political chess.

    I welcome them to our side of the ball and hope they play hard. A strong contribution to the destruction of this bill will go a long way towards restoring their standing in the gun world, and frankly, I’d rather see SA, its employees, vendors, distributors, customers, and dealers come out stronger and together than throwing rocks at each other.

  29. ROFLcopter!!!! The only thing worse than the back room deal with special carveouts that Springfield/Rock River negotiated at the expense of law-abiding citizens is their half-assed attempt to cover it up. Enjoy your looming bankruptcy and inevitable fire sale guys.

  30. Dennis apparently has an integrity problem… we can’t believe any of his statements.

    “Prosecutors cleared the way for the indictment last month when Dennis Reese, president of Springfield Armory Inc. of Geneseo, Ill., who alleged arranged the payoffs, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to cooperate with investigators.”

    “Reese, who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator, pleaded guilty in February to single counts of conspiracy and filing false statements.”

    http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/03/16/Salvador-based-Army-colonel-indicted-on-bribery-charges/5406606027600/

  31. This is most definitely a cya story. The betrayal of gun owners was bad enough. But the lies and bs stories after you got caught?????
    Your reputation is crap now.
    The products I bought from you will forever be tainted by your betrayal. I’m sorry to all the families who work for these companies, but you will never see another penny from me.

  32. Meanwhile, at Bearing Arms, Bob Owens is calling for calm and reason (and making some slams at what I can only conclude are TTAG staff), and also pointing out that at this point in time the priority really should be to STOP THE D*NM BILL!!!

    With that latter part I have to agree, both for the sake of Illinois gun owners, and for the rest of us so this doesn’t get held up as model legislation.

    Re the former … honestly, were it not for the history of donations I’d say he probably has a point about jumping to conclusions, etc. But read for yourself and draw your own conclusion: https://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2017/05/01/springfield-armory-rock-river-arms-oppose-gun-dealer-licensing-act/

    • The conclusion I’m drawing is that Bob Owens is covering for SA. Whether he’s just a fanboy or getting some type of compensation is anyone’s guess but he sure is pushing people to accept SA’s and RRA’s statement without question. Nice to see the majority of the people commenting on the article aren’t buying what he’s trying to sell.

      • I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s clear bob and a few others and I mean very few are in protection mode for their own reasons just like SA and RRA in this mess.

        Be careful who you attach yourself to bob! You may get pulled down with that ship if you keep swimming around it, and rightfully so.

    • I don’t see how they even thought they could get away with this the way they did. Both Ruger and S&W suffered a long time over their alliances with the dark side, and both had a long (and expensive) path to atonment. This isn’t even like it was back then, the Internet was nothing like it was today and they both got hit hard when people found out.

  33. Just so I understand what happened, Rock River Arms just fired themselves and flushed $50,000 down the toilet to cover up the fact that they’re the IFMA?

    How gullible do they think everyone is?

    • SA needs to change their logo to two cannons pointed at a foot.

      Anyone wanna try a quick MS-PAINT?

  34. remember folks The attention and disgust must be directed toward the IL legislature

  35. I have been reading about this sa and rra thing for the past few days. I must not understand exactly what is going on still. I will admit that I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed. Can someone explain to me what sa and rra did, and treat me as if I were a 3rd grader haha.

    • Long of the short they got a carve out on a dealer licensing bill in IL and transfer limits without becoming a dealer. Not only that but they also have been giving to grabbers.

    • They dropped their opposition to a bill screwing pretty much everyone in Illinois by getting an exception for themselves. The bill in question (which, among other things, limits how many gun purchases\sales someone can do in a year) then passed by one vote. People figured out what the two companies had done through a lobbying firm which they control. Springfield basically said they dindu nothing while RRA delayed. Now they’re playing damage control by blaming it all on the lobbying firm which they not only controlled but created.

  36. In the future, this whole thing will be studied as a pure example of how not to handle a public relations screw-up. I don’t think there’s any way that these clowns could have made things worse for themselves. They would have been better off just releasing a statement on Friday that said, “Well, sorry we fucked you guys. But at least we got our piece, ya’ll can go screw.” Maybe a few people would have respected the directness of that, instead of all the mealy-mouthed backpedaling and implausible excuses we’ve been treated to yesterday and today.

    It’s just comical at this point. In my head, while I’m watching this all unfold and reading the latest SA or RRA mag-dump-into-their-own-foot press release, I’m just hearing “Yakety Sax”.

    How old are Chuck Larson and Dennis Reese? Is it possible they don’t know that the Internet exists? Maybe in their heads it’s still 1986, and we don’t have instant access to all the filings about who IFMA is, where there money came from, and where it went.

  38. I email Springfield two days ago and informed them that we shall
    never purchase a SA product from them again.

    We are done with them and other past aggressors.

  39. Blame the other guy now that its out in the open! Swear on a thousand bibles that its against your principles; BS. your bank account is going to suffer, money, money, money that’s all that matters ! Hope you wither on the vine; assholes and all your rich shareholders get zip!

  40. As many have already pointed out, so what? the damage is already done. Now Illinois gun owners and FFLs are at the mercy of the lege’ and governor. Hopefully someone choses to abort this ill conceived law, but if so it will be pure dumb luck/providence, SA and RRA dont get off the hook that easily. Again, so glad I sold my SA Loaded 1911 earlier this year, will be shopping other brands when it comes time to replace it.

  42. If they really want to show commitment to gun rights they need to issue a statement that they will leave Illinois if this passes. If it does pass they also need leave ASAP.

  43. I have watched these companies fight this type of legislation for years. Spent time, money and sending buses to Springfield IL in opppsition. Is anyone really naive enough to believe they supported it? A gun company supporting anti gun legislation? Not true. I refuse to believe it. Sit back, the truth will come out. I believe in and will continue to support those that have a history of supporting the 2nd amendment. Including SA and RRA.

    • Two things:
      1) they had 3 options. Support it. Remain neutral or fight it. They chose to remain neutral, thus giving the politicians cover to promote “hey, even SA and RRA don’t oppose this”. Of course, in return for not fighting this bill, they received exemption from the contents.
      2) equally, if not more damaging, is that it was discovered that SA and RRA have habitually donated vast sums of money to the most ardent anti gun, Bloomberg puppet politicians in Illinois.

      There is no plausible deniability with the lobbying company, because SA and RRA created it and arenits only 2 members. The two owners both comprise the leadership positions of the lobbying firm.

      It’s not enough to say they are sorry after being exposed. They get no forgiveness for now deciding to fight this bill. What some people forget is that these gun grabbing infringements never get rolled back. SA and RRA must be boycotted into bankruptcy. If for no other reason than to serve as a cautionary tale for other would be sell outs, in the future.

      • When you “are no longer opposing” a bill after it is edited to make it less onerous to you, you’re not “remaining neutral”, you’re dropping your objection to the bill, which isn’t functionally different from “supporting”.

      • Basically, they’re sorry for getting caught. That’s not quite the same as being sorry for having made a bad mistake. The Brits have a saying for all this: They were “too clever by half”.

    • Believe in Unicorns if you want. Both Reese and his old man were busted for bribery back in the 80’s. He’s no stranger to the dark side. It’s documented.

      Believing both SA & RRA were oblivious to an exception carved out SPECIFICALLY for them and then changing their stance from “opposed” to “neutral”? (aka “plausible deniability”)

      Wake up.

  44. As the owner of two Springfield handguns, I’m very disappointed in Springfield for trading support of this bill for a carve out and then issuing these lame statements claiming they didn’t know what was going on. Especially when it is obvious to anyone paying attention exactly who the IFMA is. It’s going to affect my future purchases.

    As for the political contributions, I’m somewhat dismayed by that too. But then I’ve also been dismayed by the NRA’s political bedfellows many times over. Just for S and G, and to be fair and balanced and all that, it would be nice to see a similar investigation of contributions from Glock, S&W, Ruger, Beretta, Kahr, etc. Beretta and Kahr have moved recently but from some extremely blue states.

  45. Me a liberal? Yeah, you’re clearly mistaken. I’m a militant 3%er who has literally advocated for a kinetic Restorative War and internment camps for Liberal Terrorists™. Don’t quit your day job to pursue a career in intelligence and character evaluations. Lol.

  46. To quote my friend a Sheriff’s Deputy: What made you think you wouldn’t get caught?

    YOU put the nails in your own coffin.

  47. Check out the latest stop on the (Baghdad) Bob Owens Apology Tour for SA & RRA:

    https://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2017/05/02/rock-river-springfield-armory-pull-imfa-carve-fiasco/

    Note that TTAG, “an allegedly pro-gun media outlet that has screwed over gun owners in the past”, is now guilty of a “scurrilous attack” for having the audacity to point out the ridiculousness of the SA & RRA press statements and share with their readers the true facts about the situation.

    Bob is going all-in with his defense of SA & RRA:

    “Not only have Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms never done anything to deserve this sort of scurrilous attack in more than 60 combined years in business, they have now terminated their relationship with the Illinois Firearms Manufacturing Association, the group that actually made the deal.”

    I’m kind of reminded of the first 14 seconds of this testimony:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jm6IDC1LM

    Although several people in the comments do point out that the IFMA is comprised solely of the directors of SA & RRA and a lobbyist (which makes their ludicrous excuse the equivalent of say they are terminating their relationship with themselves), this information fails to sway Bob from his full-on fan boy support.

    I love the final sentence, where Bob scolds all of us that “Perhaps in the future people will know better than to take the unfounded word of an allegedly pro-gun media outlet that really isn’t that into getting facts or details correct.”

    Yes, Bob, that’s exactly how I feel about Bearing Arms right about now.

  48. “Note that TTAG, “an allegedly pro-gun media outlet that has screwed over gun owners in the past”, is now guilty of a “scurrilous attack” for having the audacity to point out the ridiculousness of the SA & RRA press statements and share with their readers the true facts about the situation.”

    Looks to me like TTAG is walking on good ‘ole Bob’s shadow. If I were Robert, I think I’d take BA’s vituperations as a great compliment.

  49. Springfield realized that they stepped knee deep in it and is doing damage control. Question is…why did they think they would get away with it in this day and age?

  50. I have read all of the comments above
    I also read the statement posted above by Springfield Armory
    I have to say I like the fact that the statement says they will now do everything in their power to prevent this bill from passing
    He takes full responsibility for not supervising the lobbyist closely
    I understand everyone’s anger at Springfield Armory, but if he can stop this bill, then he would’ve got along way towards making up for his actions

  51. “The Executive Director of the Illinois Firearm Manufacturers Association (IFMA) acted without our prior knowledge and against our principles and those of the industry as a whole with respect to the Gun Dealer Licensing Act.”

    Odd how they acted without your knowledge, but RRA and SA were *Exempt* from the law due to the lobbying of the IFMA.

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