Industry Generosity: Companies Give Back

by
posted on December 19, 2013
gsagi2015_fs.jpg

It’s the holiday season, that time of year when the odds greatly increase that an anti-gun party crasher using a drink in each hand for balance will stagger you into a corner for a debate. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being polite. This year I’m firing back, with some solid information on the charitable work done by the shooting industry during 2013.

Hornady just made a donation in excess of $38,000 to the GRACE Foundation, which is dedicated to helping cancer patients, their families and the survivors. If the drunk doesn’t care about health care, bring up public safety-including theirs. Lewis Machine & Tool Company donated $5,350 to the National Tactical Officers Association.

Then, of course, the industry always takes care of those in uniform. Earlier this year Glock gave $100,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Pease Greeters, an organization that welcomes servicemen and women passing through Pease International Airport, received $25,000 from SIG Sauer. Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) received $50,000 from Smith & Wesson.

Yamaha Outdoors donated a fully rigged Rhino as a grand prize in a drawing that raised money for HAVA and Feed the Children. Rocky Brands donated more than $100,000 to Give Breast Cancer the Boot.

That’s a short list, one even dead voters in Chicago can appreciate. I deliberately left out all the firearm-related donations.

Then there are those small things that go on all the time, with little or absolutely no fanfare. It’s just the right thing to do.

I was contacted by someone in the Army (name withheld) to ascertain if I knew anyone in the industry who would donate hats and ammo to a special hunt for wounded SOCOM soldiers. No photos, no interviews and, as you may have noticed, no details could be released. I’m not releasing anything (because these guys could hunt me down and hurt me), except for the fact Federal Premium stepped up to the plate with the requested gear. That’s about all the publicity the company can expect, and it knew so before sending the gear. How awesome is that?

And, in the 10 years I worked at NRA headquarters there was always a Toys for Tots donation box in the lobby in December. I’m not at my desk this year, but the box was-as I’m certain similar, small and from-the-heart programs are in every single firearms-related company in the nation.

Latest

Taurus Tx22 Compact Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Tx22 Compact Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus TX22 Compact

A downsized version of Taurus USA's TX22 is available, giving folks a smaller, handier version of the full-size TX22 rimfire pistol that's become one of the company's most popular offerings.

New For 2025: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9 mm Pistol

Recently, Springfield Armory added a large-format pistol variant of its Saint Victor 9 mm carbine, giving enthusiasts a compact PCC that feeds from Colt-pattern magazines.

The Rifleman Report: New Developments

Our official coverage of new products for the current year is set for next month, but we included two substantial new developments in this issue that have the potential to make significant ripples in the firearm business even before then.

Arkansas To Begin Mandatory Gun Safety Lessons In Schools

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law requiring public and open enrollment public charter schools to provide age-appropriate firearm safety instruction beginning during the 2025-2026 school year.

Adams Arms Set To Relaunch

Alexandria Pro-Fab, a contract machine shop based in Minnesota, announced that it has purchased the assets of Adams Arms, along with all of the company’s intellectual property, and it plans to relaunch the company in the second quarter of 2025.

I Have This Old Gun: Bayard Auto Pistol

The Herstal, Belgium, firm of Anciens Etablissements Pieper was apparently expecting big things when, in 1908, it named its new semi-automatic pocket pistol “Bayard.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.