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Beretta’s future in Maryland tied to state’s gun-control debate


“We literally are part of the arsenal of democracy,” said Reh, sweeping his hand toward the production floor, where on a recent afternoon more than 1,000 of the military version of the pistol sat in various stages of assembly. “That’s why we consider this so insulting.”

To fulfill the contract, Beretta expanded the plant by the length of a football field, installed an underground shooting range and hired 500 people. By 1990, during the peak of the first Gulf War, the company was the second-largest employer in Southern Maryland and had a supply chain of contractors that employed hundreds more.

Today, the company produces more than 100,000 guns annually, supplying the militaries and police of the United States and its allies, including the Iraqi army. It has shipped an additional million for purchase by private citizens, including some on display at its high-end galleries in Dallas, London, Milan and Paris. There, Beretta has turned firearms into a luxury accessory with its $130,000 Montecarlo shotguns, $1,000 hunting jackets and sweepstakes to hunt with the Duchess of Rutland.

The company’s new rifle, which it is reluctant to call an “assault” weapon, could add to that profile. It would be the first civilian version of a machine gun that is now available only to militaries, and that is configured with a clip-on grenade launcher for many special operations units.

Beretta plans to sell the semiautomatic, .223 caliber version as the ARX-100. It is expected to sell for about $2,000.

Uncertain future

The assault-weapons ban isn’t the only part of the governor’s bill Beretta dislikes.

In Maryland, gun manufacturers are required to register as firearms dealers, which some say could expose the company to lawsuits for selling and shipping weapons as dealers do. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which passed the governor’s bill 7 to 4 late Thursday, spelled out an exemption for Beretta and a handful of other smaller manufacturers in the state.

But the company said it is still not clear how it would handle warranty and repair issues for its many lines of guns, which are also serviced in Accokeek. The bill does not specify if the company could charge to fix guns that would be deemed illegal for sale, or if it could legally ship them back to their owners. Lawmakers said intermediary gun dealers would likely have to facilitate the transactions.

O’Malley aides say the bill could have outright banned manufacturing of assault weapons in the state but did not in part because of Beretta, which has agreed to meet with the administration on Monday to discuss the bill.

“We think getting assault weapons off the streets and keeping this company can both be accomplished,” said Raquel Guillory, O’Malley’s spokeswoman.

But some lawmakers said Beretta will have to be a bigger part of the discussion before the bill passes.

Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), whose district encompasses the Accokeek plant, said he would do everything he could for the company.

“We want to keep those jobs,” said Vallario, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has a key role in approving the legislation.

As he walked along the production floor recently, Reh said Beretta officials say they do not want to leave their U.S. headquarters in Maryland.

Relocating high-tech machining equipment and vats of chrome used to plate Beretta barrels would be costly and out of character for a company that is still based in the Italian town where it began in 1526.

The company’s Italian patriarch, Ugo Gussalli Beretta, visited the plant shortly after O’Malley introduced his gun-control bill, and the two discussed the issue. But Reh declined to say if the two reached any decisions about what would happen if the governor’s bill passes.

“All I can tell you is, Mr. Beretta said, ‘There always seems to be a problem with Maryland.’ ”

www.washingtonpost.com . . .


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Wna keep the jobs. Drop the stupid bill which really aomplishes very little.

FUCK Fairyland !

Drunken catlick commie cunts as far as the eye can see.

Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), whose district encompasses the Accokeek plant, said he would do everything he could for the company.

LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!!
HOW CAN HE SPOUT DAT AFTER HE PASSED THIS BULLSHIT LEGISLATION??
What up ?

“We want to keep those jobs,” -- NO YOU DON'T YOU FORKED TONGUED PRICK --said Vallario, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has a key role in approving the legislation.

Only an Italian company would be so stylish and so fucking serious about guns "insieme" (together)..you gotta love those EYE-talians

Family-owned SINCE 1526, Italian gun-maker, Beretta, is the oldest industrial company in the world!

They DID BUILD it you commie fucks, fuck you (both Italian & Amerikan commie fucks.)

Mi piace molto Beretta

berettausa.com
beretta.com

Beretta 9mm are pretty good pistols. Shoot anything you put in it, even hot reloads

They also make a pretty good 25 cal semi auto.

Cant find the dies for 25 cal stuff in stock thou...

Come on down to Georgia Mr firearm manufacturers !

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Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519. Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta, gun barrel maker for the city of Venice, was born in 1490, before Columbus discovered America. The company still has a 1526 bill of sale to Venice in their archives. ... After nearly 500 years of continuous gun making the family knows a little something about both guns and business. Maryland's piss-ant liberal politics don't mean shit to Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. ... Hope they pull out and move to Texas, where we'll treat 'em right.




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LMAO wrote:

Come on down to Georgia Mr firearm manufacturers !

Agreed. They'll be much more welcome down here in the South as opposed to that fucking Communist-infested Yankeeland.

Henry Repeating Arms is in jersey. They got hit by Sandy pretty hard. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, they will relocate to the south.

Caro Signore TexanForever,
Perfetto!
I have the pleasure of going to Italy many times a year for work.
(I call them "fake" business trips because I ALWAYS have a fantastic time in bell'Italia)
There are plenty of conservative Italian business people who love the USA.
They despise the moronic commies, moozlams, and deadbeats in both Italy and Amerika.
They understand our plight; they have the fucking EU making their business (and personal) lives a misery.
Italians are very, very proud and polite; much like Texans are.
I now you'll treat 'em right and they will APPRECIATE your kindness.
I see a match made in Heaven

TexanForever wrote:

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Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519. Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta, gun barrel maker for the city of Venice, was born in 1490, before Columbus discovered America. The company still has a 1526 bill of sale to Venice in their archives. ... After nearly 500 years of continuous gun making the family knows a little something about both guns and business. Maryland's piss-ant liberal politics don't mean shit to Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. ... Hope they pull out and move to Texas, where we'll treat 'em right.




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The best food and drink I had overseas was in Italy. ... It consistently beat the overrated and overpriced French swill. Many of the Italian women I met were svelte knockouts. The men seemed fun-loving and gentlemanly for the most part. All Italians were cleaner than the frogs.

I frequently listen to Italian radio stations on my WiFi radio, but unfortunately my limited understanding of the language is slowly slipping away.



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