The gun manufacturer cited “support for the 2nd Amendment” among its reasons to relocate to Tennessee.
Reacting to the Massachusetts Legislature’s proposal to ban certain firearms, gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson announced intentions to move its headquarters to Tennessee, the Associated Press reported. The gunmaker, established in 1852, said it is spending $125 million to relocate its Springfield base due to legislative proposals that would ban them from manufacturing assault weapons, according to officials. The Democrat-led Legislature is weighing its options to ban the sale and possession of assault weapons or large-capacity magazines, a sweeping gun control measure that would also outlaw their manufacturing, unless for military or law enforcement purposes. “While we are hopeful that this arbitrary and damaging legislation will be defeated in this session, these products made up over 60 percent of our revenue last year, and the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson,” Mark Smith, Smith & Wesson CEO, said in a news release.
