MidwayUSA = good guys

[In Lou I Trust]

Email received from MidwayUSA today:

Dear Valued Customer,
One million is an attention-getting number, no matter what the circumstances. At MidwayUSA, Brenda and I - along with the MidwayUSA Employees - have celebrated a good many 'one million' milestones during the last 35+ years.

In 1983, our seventh year in business, we reached the milestone of one million dollars in business during a single calendar year. 2008 was the first year we filled one million orders for our Customers. In 2012 your NRA "Round-Up" contributions, through MidwayUSA, exceeded one million dollars during that single year. Please note that NRA "Round-Up" contributions come from you, our Customers, and each week since 1992 we have sent your contributions directly to the NRA/ILA National Endowment for the Protection of the 2nd Amendment. Our Customers should get all the credit for that, we just collect and remit your money. Now, in March of 2013 came another milestone to celebrate - one million active Customers - Customers who have ordered from MidwayUSA during the last twelve months. For a country kid from Missouri, that's an amazing milestone.

I believe our vision to be the best-run, most-respected business in America, for the benefit of our Customers, our family values and our relentless pursuit of Customer Satisfaction are what brought us to this milestone of one million active Customers. Brenda and I, along with all the Employees at MidwayUSA, thank you very much for your support.

As you might imagine, we gave quite a bit of thought as to how we could celebrate. Should we choose our one millionth active Customer and give he or she a special gift? Well, we could have done that, but all of our Customers are equally important, not just the one who put us over the top. Then someone came up with the idea that we should donate $1 to the NRA for each of our active Customers. Well, let's see, what is $1 times one million?

And so it was! On Monday morning about 10am, when we went over one million active Customers, MidwayUSA authorized our bank to send a wire transfer of one million dollars to the NRA/ILA National Endowment for the Protection of the 2nd Amendment; because we can and because we should.

Thanks a Million!

Larry Potterfield,
Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA
5875 West Van Horn Tavern Rd.
Columbia, MO 65203©2013 MidwayUSA, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Good for them!!

 

[phork]

MOAR GUNZ!

 

[cody1smith]

Great people, only forty minutes from my house!

 

[ACamp1900]

Colmbia Mizzou is a heck of a little town... great place to spend some time.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Yes this definitely confirms they are good guys!

 

[JadeBrecks]

Done plenty of business with them. They are good people. Everyone is price gouging right now and they still have their rock bottom prices.

 

[pumpdog20]

Hopefully the NRA is better at protecting 2nd Amendment rights than FILA is at protecting Olympic wrestling.

 

[peoriairish]

I'm Larry Potterfield and thank you for your business.

Love the commercials. Good for them. I'll be sure to order from them next time I'm in the need. What's that? I need a new scope? To Midway USA I go!

 

[Rhode Irish]

What the hell is midwayUSA? Maybe its my northeast bias again, but....never mind.

 

[Irishnuke]

MOAR GUNZ!

Your act is tired.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Of all the causes in the world that would merit a $1M donation, these creeps choose a weapon lobbyist firm. Great guys!

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Great company with a stellar reputation. If any of you become FFL 03 (Curio & Relic) licensed collectors, I'd recommend faxing/sending a copy to them and about a dozen other of the more respected internet firearm commerce companies to streamline the first time you experience their great customer service in a purchase.

Thanks Midway!

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I think I would like to take a cut at it. An arms firm sends one million dollars, in lieu of a customer appreciation gesture, to the NRA. The NRA has established it's priority to put more arms in the hands of more people, as it's first and only objective. There is nothing like acting in their own narrow self interest and waving the flag and promoting it as a gesture to do anything other than raise their own bottom line.

Number of American people killed in all wars since the Revolution; about 1.11 million

Number of American people killed since Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968; about 1.37 million.

I don't mind companies like Midway. I hope they do just fine. What I mind is how transparently fraudulent this gun issue has become with both lobbyist and supporters.

 

[BobD]

Good guys myass. Besides helping to fund lobbyists, they won't sell to law enforcement officers in states that pass tougher gun laws. In my book that makes them scum.

Gun Manufacturers Boycott Copshops in States That Fight Gun Violence With Laws
By mcallisterbryant
The gun industry, which is made up of large manufacturers like Colt, Smith & Wesson, Glock, and Beretta; small bespoke manufacturers like Wilson Combat and Magpul; as well as internet commerce businesses like Cheaper Than Dirt and MidwayUSA are each staking out their positions in the highly polarized battle that encompasses the gun violence debate and associated legislation. The primary tactics of the manufacturers are three-pronged. First, they are flooding their lobbyists at the NRA with money. Then, they announce variations of boycott, either threatening to move their manufacturing out of states that pass laws or threatening police, states and government agencies that, should gun regulations be applied, they will not sell firearms or accessories to cops and police agencies “that citizens can’t buy”. In other words, if a state votes to limit magazine capacity to 7 [such as New York State], none of the boycotting manufacturers would sell magazines to cops, federal agents or any other law enforcement magazines that have higher capacity.

I would point out that many of them, while “standing on principle” with their boycott are also raising their prices and price gouging current customers under the cover of current panic buying by gun enthusiasts but that would just be a cheap shot. Principles are, apparently a moving target.

Magpul, the AR-15 magazine and accessory company in Colorado was the first, most vocal protester in support of their vested economic interests. Magpul declared, in no uncertain terms that, should Colorado pass HB 1224, which limited magazine capacity they would move out of Colorado and take their 300 jobs with them.

To date the measure, HB 1224 has passed the Colorado House and it is scheduled for March 4th in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The threat of boycott remains.

Beretta upped the ante by threatening to leave Maryland should that state’s legislature pass an assault weapons ban and other gun regulations. Beretta, current supplier of the sidearm for the US Military is the US arm of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, the oldest firearms manufacturer in the world, in business since 1526. BerettaUSA threatened to move manufacturing away from Maryland should the bill pass. It passed the Senate earlier this week and is in House committee today. Maryland’s governor supports the measure.

The second element of the boycott is to refuse to sell to cops, to police agencies or any law enforcement firearms which can’t be bought by “civilians”. This was begun with folks like Cheaper Than Dirt and MidwayUSA, large internet gun shops that are intrinsically tied to the NRA with their extensive advertising in print, broadcast and internet media.

These retailers are joined by dozens of small, bespoke manufacturers and accessory dealers like Wilson Combat and Barrett who have said they will either 1) move out of states which pass laws and/or 2) will not sell to anyone, law enforcement included items that are not available to everyone. Their strength, however is diminished because the large manufacturers, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Sig Sauer are NOT part of the boycotts. And as the heavyweights in the discussion, if they decide to continue to sell to their primary customers…the boycott will have little or no effect.

What does this all mean? Right now the two most vocal, largest manufacturers who have decided to boycott are awaiting their respective state legislatures to finalize votes on gun bans or magazine bans. If they pass, as expected the manufacturers have to decide to either commit to their rhetoric or figure out a way to rationalize their business decisions should they stay. The rest of the small businesses…well, they will have little impact. For each of them there are multiple alternatives in the marketplace who have not restricted purchases for law enforcement.

It also means that the decisions regarding regulations that are intended to impact gun violence will be played out in both legislative houses across the country as well as in the free market with businesses and consumers alike able to “put their money where their mouth is”. Some companies, like Barrett would likely fold if they maintain and extend their boycott to the federal government should the federal Assault Weapons Ban pass…the main customers of their $10,000, 50 caliber sniper rifle are government…and that is how the free market works.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Good article Bob. So many want to liken themselves to the founding fathers, and that first cause of freedom. That makes me sick, because sooner or later, these modern day minutemen get exposed for the cheap pandering profiteers they are. People forget the sacrafice the founding fathers, and the 1.1 million war dead made. Just a values issue, I don't feel the need to consecrate industry with 1.3 million dead every 45 years.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

The news of moving from states that pass tough legislation and not selling to PDs located in these states is old news and I see no issue with it. If you owned a brewery and they outlawed alcohol in your state would you stick around? As far as the donation to the NRA... ask any Midway customer if they have a problem with it. I love it.

 

[JadeBrecks]

I think I would like to take a cut at it. An arms firm sends one million dollars, in lieu of a customer appreciation gesture, to the NRA. The NRA has established it's priority to put more arms in the hands of more people, as it's first and only objective. There is nothing like acting in their own narrow self interest and waving the flag and promoting it as a gesture to do anything other than raise their own bottom line.

Number of people killed in all wars since the Revolution; about 1.11 million

Number of people killed since Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968; about 1.37 million.

I don't mind companies like Midway. I hope they do just fine. What I mind is how transparently fraudulent this gun issue has become with both lobbyist and supporters.

Not sure exactly what you are trying to get at with your numbers but here is an interesting fact. More Americans died in Chicago with a firearm related death than Afghanistan last year. How's that for a "gun free" utopia.

As far as "transparently fraudulent" is concerned I don't know where you stand on the gun issue but I hope you see it with the gun control crowd too. Those writing the "assault weapon" ban and the gun transfer background check laws openly admit they won't work as is. They admit themselves that it won't work without Mandatory gun confiscation and Mandatory gun registration of all currently possessed firearms.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

The news of moving from states that pass tough legislation and not selling to PDs located in these states is old news and I see no issue with it. If you owned a brewery and they outlawed alcohol in your state would you stick around? As far as the donation to the NRA... ask any Midway customer if they have a problem with it. I love it.

Your amorality is evident; your analogy defies logic; your final statement is false. I bought From Midway, as did my father. Not a lot, but I am a customer. And more and more non NRA funded polls show that registered gun owners are breaking for stiffer registration regulations. Let alone a plethora of vets, who have seen what a .556 cal round can do.

I have a valued friend who I never talked politics with. He told me he was impressed that Obama won in '08, but he was really convinced that the heart of the nation had changed when he won re-election. My friend is a former elite Army specialist, Viet Nam tested, who just happens to be African-American.

He described what had happened before as a good old boy popularity contest, kind of approach to public opinion influencing government policy. This man retired from a local law enforcement agency with distinction, having won several citations. He now works as an officer of the court for another agency, where he does a lot of good work. He shoots regularly, and carries every day. He sees this as another vocal minority situation, where a larger group is scared into silence or just wallows in its apathy, allowing the big mouths to talk for them.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

Your amorality is evident

So this is why many on this site dislike you. I'm amoral because I support Midway and the NRA? Get off your high horse you sad, lonely, old POS.

 

[dshans]

If you owned a brewery and they outlawed alcohol in your state would you stick around?

Does this explain why the Jack Daniel's and George Dickel distilleries are (and have been for many, many years) located in a dry county in Tennessee?

By the by, I like Bogs, in spite of his periodic grammatical errors. Don't confuse amorality with immorality. "POS" is a broad term that is at the mercy of the eye of the beholder and can be applied liberally. Or conservatively. Or willy-nilly depending on the topic. It's rarely a constructive step in effective discourse.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

So this is why many on this site dislike you. I'm amoral because I support Midway and the NRA? Get off your high horse you sad, lonely, old POS.

You are amoral because you insist on seeing a self serving stunt as a patriotic event, when it is just an attempt to fuel the incredible murderous violence that these merchants are arming us for. And you do this on the basis of an ideology, not love. (of your fellow man)

As far as your point or perspective, I don't care whether anyone on this site like me or not. My moral convictions are based upon the considerations of no man but myself. That is actually the beginning of a good healthy moral system. But, as in your last post, you are again inaccurate. I bet you would find more "like" me than you may expect.

As to the rest: sad, not particularly; lonely; not more than less; POS, I once again never called you a name. I have attacked your post, not you. This, to me is proof to the point of my posts which was only attacking what you have said, not you as a person. Since you have made it personal, I am done. You don't know me, so from a logical standpoint, this conversation is a fail. I won't further respond.

 

[IrishLion]

You are amoral because you insist on seeing a self serving stunt as a patriotic event, when it is just an attempt to fuel the incredible murderous violence that these merchants are arming us for. And you do this on the basis of an ideology, not love. (of your fellow man)

As far as your point or perspective, I don't care whether anyone on this site like me or not. My moral convictions are based upon the considerations of no man but myself. That is actually the beginning of a good healthy moral system. But, as in your last post, you are again inaccurate. I bet you would find more "like" me than you may expect.

As to the rest: sad, not particularly; lonely; not more than less; POS, I once again never called you a name. I have attacked your post, not you. This, to me is proof to the point of my posts which was only attacking what you have said, not you as a person. Since you have made it personal, I am done. You don't know me, so from a logical standpoint, this conversation is a fail. I won't further respond.

Well, you did seem to reference that he lacked morals...

That seems aimed at the person, not the post. But now I'm just throwing feul to the fire.

 

[Redbar]

In Lou,
Posting this article and informing us that they are good guys = trolling. You wanted to make your political statement and evoke a response, which you got. Mission accomplish, I guess. Then you call the guy a sad, lonely, POS. Trollific. I don't care about your political beliefs, you think the NRA are a good bunch of guys, cool live with it, but don't get on your soap box proselytizing and then tell another guy he is on a high horse.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

In Lou,
Posting this article and informing us that they are good guys = trolling. You wanted to make your political statement and evoke a response, which you got. Mission accomplish, I guess. Then you call the guy a sad, lonely, POS. Trollific. I don't care about your political beliefs, you think the NRA are a good bunch of guys, cool live with it, but don't get on your soap box proselytizing and then tell another guy he is on a high horse.

Redbar... This was not meant as trolling. I know there are many gun supporters on here and I was only sharing an email I received. I have no problem with others attacking my post or opinion. However, he attacked me as a person and that's where this started. Am I not allowed to call Midway good guys because some liberal tight *** will get offended?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Well, you did seem to reference that he lacked morals...

That seems aimed at the person, not the post. But now I'm just throwing feul to the fire.

An amoral stand and immoral behavior are two different things. Amoral is not necessarily a knock. Certainly toward a person. It is a judgement of a behavior. It is a behavior devoid of moral consideration. Kind of like getting bubble gum stuck in the poodles hair.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Redbar... This was not meant as trolling. I know there are many gun supporters on here and I was only sharing an email I received. I have no problem with others attacking my post or opinion. However, he attacked me as a person and that's where this started. Am I not allowed to call Midway good guys because some liberal tight *** will get offended?

My a$s us not tight, I would not describe myself as liberal, I carry a Smith&Wesson 686P and a Colt Commander, regularly, and have a CCP valid and issued in the State of Ohio.

Please, show me where I attacked you, your person in my posts:

Your amorality is evident; your analogy defies logic; your final statement is false. I bought From Midway, as did my father. Not a lot, but I am a customer. And more and more non NRA funded polls show that registered gun owners are breaking for stiffer registration regulations. Let alone a plethora of vets, who have seen what a .556 cal round can do.

State of neither being moral or immoral on this issue. I find this consistent with most on the same issue, when the issue becomes more important than the lives taken.

You are amoral because you insist on seeing a self serving stunt as a patriotic event, when it is just an attempt to fuel the incredible murderous violence that these merchants are arming us for. And you do this on the basis of an ideology, not love. (of your fellow man)

Again, it is a description of your behavior, on an issue at a particular time. I did not call you generally amoral, or immoral or refer to you as an amoral or immoral person. My apologies to anyone to whom the definition of amoral was not clear or if they mistook my words about a stand, or a behavior, as if I was criticizing the whole person.

With that however, I must state that calling someone a sad lonely POS, leaves little doubt.

 

[irishog77]

An amoral stand and immoral behavior are two different things. Amoral is not necessarily a knock. Certainly toward a person. It is a judgement of a behavior. It is a behavior devoid of moral consideration. Kind of like getting bubble gum stuck in the poodles hair.

And likewise, "sad," "lonely," or a "piece of sh!t" aren't necessarily knocks either.

 

[irishpat183]

Of all the causes in the world that would merit a $1M donation, these creeps choose a weapon lobbyist firm. Great guys!

But you're ok with our government giving Egypt 250 milllion?


Please. It's their money. Let them spend as they see fit. Worry about your boys up in DC spending OUR money.

 

[Downinthebend]

In Lou,
Posting this article and informing us that they are good guys = trolling. You wanted to make your political statement and evoke a response, which you got. Mission accomplish, I guess. Then you call the guy a sad, lonely, POS. Trollific. I don't care about your political beliefs, you think the NRA are a good bunch of guys, cool live with it, but don't get on your soap box proselytizing and then tell another guy he is on a high horse.

I agree that the title should be less politically opinionated, but I also think that people questioning other's morality like was done is pretty uncalled for.

 

[JadeBrecks]

In Lou,
Posting this article and informing us that they are good guys = trolling. You wanted to make your political statement and evoke a response, which you got. Mission accomplish, I guess.

Just out of curiosity if the thread is not meant to be an "Are you for or against this" thread why do people think it has to be? I know people have strong opinions on politics and guns but why can't you leave a thread alone? (not meant as you solely)If someone posted that a OSU, Gator, Michigan, or whatever school's athlete won an award or did something they felt was right would you find the need to rip into the player because he isn't a Notre Dame player? We have a political thread. We have a gun discussion thread. He was pointing out something he thought was a good thing. I don't believe he was trying to be evil or antagonistic. Can we all take a step back for a minute? Please try and think before you post a reply to these sensitive topics. If there is a thread for disusing the topic reply there. No need to rain on someones parade because you feel or believe different. Its sad what these topics are doing to this board. We all really need to step back and look at this place. Pick a thread and replace it with football. Is this the way we discussed these topics before. I'm not claiming I'm not part of the problem either. All I'm asking is everyone take a step back and think on these things.