The first mistake this article makes is to assume that gun owners equal hunters. There are many gun owners who own guns for target shooting and protection who never will hunt a deer or shoot a quail.

The second problem is that currently there are only two publicly traded firearms manufacturers - Smith and Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR). You could add Alliant (ATK) if you wanted to include powder and ammo manufacturers. Alliant, by the way, is doing just fine thanks to ammunition consumption in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This brings up another point that is related - the cost of ammunition is going through the roof due to increased demand by the military and the cost of commodities like copper and lead.

Finally, this article ignores the sales of weapons like the AR-15 aka The Evil Black Rifle. One need only go to sites like www.ar15.com and see the traffic to know this is where the action in the gun industry is right now. Sales of the AR in all its combinations and permutations make it the best selling firearm in America. Evidence of the importance of this part of the market can be seen in the fact that Remington just brought out their first AR. The same Remington that has been outfitting hunters with bolt-action rifles for many a year. I should also note that the mega private capital firm Cerebrus Capital Management who is buying Chrysler is the new owner of Remington. They also just bought Bushmaster, DPMS Panther Arms, and Cobb Manufacturing - all AR makers.

Excellent post. The mainstreaming of the civilian version of the M-16 has been going on for years. Its now quite popular with small game hunters, as well it should be. Its rugged, reliable, and has low recoil. Something we in the military have always known. Its virtually taken over the range at weekly club and national shooting competitions. And no, it is not "easily converted" to fire like a machine gun.

if your "aim" is to spray and pray, {machine gun}, then a hellfire trigger actuator or the crank, may be of interest, both completely legal and do not change the function of the original trigger group, {hence, the legality}..fun, but not practical...

They dont work well either. Neither permits aimed automatic fire as a machine gun does. If semi automatic firearms are banned, criminals will simply discover what gun owners have know all along...that grandpas shotgun is a far deadlier weapon for a massacre than an AR-15, and uncle Joeys $400 Wal Mart Remington bolt action rifle is far more powerful than an AR15 and we will hear more cat calls for "reasonable restrictions"

on another note, i have always found it interesting that the media and others who have no knowledge of firearms will call any semi-auto an "assalt weapon"...the fact is most would not know one if it was inserted in their rectum,,they think because it looks like one, it functions like one....its like cubic ziconias are diamonds...neither is correct...