Gun control groups, the Parkland activists, and even banks have successfully put pressure on companies involved in the business of selling and manufacturing firearms. First, it was Dick’s Sporting Goods, stating it would no longer sell guns to anyone under the age of 21. Then the company started to destroy its inventory. Not too long after came Kroger and L.L. Bean. And of course, one can’t forget Fred Meyer and Walmart. Now, another company is caving to the left-wing, anti-gun mob by halting the gun manufacturing aspect of its business. This time, rather than a sporting goods store, it’s one of the largest ammo manufacturers in the country.

Here’s more from the Dayton Daily News:

Another company, this one among the largest ammunition makers in America, will stop producing firearms following the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High in February.

Vista Outdoor Inc. has been pressured for months by retailers that sell its other goods like Bell bicycle helmets and CamelBak water carriers, to distance itself from firearms.

The Utah company said Tuesday that it will focus on products for outdoor enthusiasts. It will continue to sell ammunition, its biggest core businesses.

REI, the national outdoor retailer, suspended all orders from Vista in March after it refused to say if it would continue to manufacture weapons.

Vista last year had revenue of $2.5 billion. It is looking for buyers for its Savage and Stevens firearms brands, and other product lines not related to firearms.

This case with Vista Outdoor Inc. is a little different than the others. Rather than merely changing its policies because of the anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment rhetoric, Vista is facing pressure from its business partners. Seeing one business force another business to fall in line with a particular set of values that could hurt it, in the long run, is something gun owners haven’t seen before. Vista can’t help it if a significant national outdoor retailer will no longer take orders for its other products because it still manufactures firearms.

Unfortunately, Vista didn’t have much choice in the matter. It needs to keep its business running, so it will do what it has to do. This situation appears to be a double-edged sword for the company, as halting gun manufacturing could affect the companies relationship with gun owners and the Second Amendment community. As the Dayton Daily News notes, however, most of the company’s revenue comes from ammunition sales. Vista may take a hit, but it may end up being okay.

Unlike Dick’s Sporting Goods, which made the awful choice of destroying its gun inventory, it appears that Vista is looking to sell what it has.

In a news release, Vista Outdoor Inc. stated:

In conducting the strategic review, Vista Outdoor management defined several criteria to evaluate whether individual product categories are part of the company’s core. Vista Outdoor evaluated brands within its current portfolio based on their ability to do the following:

• Serve the company’s target consumer – the outdoor enthusiast
• Create cross-selling and other similar synergy opportunities
• Achieve market leading positions and leadership economics
• Demonstrate omni-channel distribution capabilities

As a result of this evaluation, and with support from its board of directors, Vista Outdoor will focus on achieving growth through its market-leading brands in ammunition, hunting and shooting accessories, hydration bottles and packs, and outdoor cooking products.

…

The company plans to explore strategic options for assets that fall outside of these product categories, including its remaining Sports Protection brands (e.g. Bell, Giro, and Blackburn), Jimmy Styks paddle boards, and Savage and Stevens firearms. Vista Outdoor expects that the execution of this process will significantly reduce the company’s leverage, improve financial flexibility and the efficiency of its capital structure, and provide additional resources to reinvest in core product categories, both organically and through acquisition.

Read the full news release here.

Update: Other Gun Manufacturers Have Had Enough Of Dick’s Sporting Goods

Despite Vista Outdoor, Inc.’s decision to no longer be in the business of gun manufacturing, Second Amendment supports and gun owners have reason to rejoice as other gun manufacturers are taking the fight to gun control proponents and companies.  Due to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ new push for gun control, several gun manufacturers have had enough.

Mossberg

One gun manufacturer that is looking to make the lives of Dick’s Sporting Good executives much more difficult is Mossberg. Thanks to Dick’s anti-gun rhetoric, and its new anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment store policies, as well as its decision to hire lobbyists to further its gun control agenda, Mossberg decided to make it clear where it stood on the Constitution and the country’s right to bear arms.

In a statement, Iver Mossberg, Chief Executive Officer of O.F. Mossberg & Sons said, “It has come to our attention that Dick’s Sporting Goods recently hired lobbyists on Capitol Hill to promote additional gun control. Make no mistake, Mossberg is a staunch supporter of the U.S. Constitution and our Second Amendment rights, and we fully disagree with Dick’s Sporting Goods’ recent anti-Second Amendment actions.”

Springfield Armory

Springfield Armory, which attended the National Rifle’s Association Annual Meeting, released a statement on its Facebook page detailing its decision to break off its business with Dick’s after hearing the news it would bring new lobbyists into the company.

Part of its post reads, “This latest action follows Dick’s Sporting Goods’ decision to remove and destroy all modern sporting rifles (MSR) from their inventory. In addition, they have denied Second Amendment rights to Americans under the age of 21. We at Springfield Armory believe that all law-abiding American citizens of adult age are guaranteed this sacred right under our Constitution.”

National Shooting Sports Foundation

According to Beth Baumann at Townhall, the NSSF’s Board of Directors unanimously decided to remove Dick’s Sports Goods from the trade organization.

The gun manufacturers’ move comes after the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) expelled Dick’s Sporting Goods from their organization.

The NSSF announced last week that its Board of Directors voted unanimously to rescind Dick’s Sporting Goods membership from the trade organization. The decision came because Dick’s Sporting Goods made business decisions that are deemed “detrimental to the best interests of the Foundation,” the NSSF said in a press release.

The NSSF’s decision comes after Dick’s Sporting Goods made the following decisions:

• CEO Edward W. Stack announced that the company hired a Washington, D.C.-based government affairs firm to lobby for gun control.
• Ending the sale of modern sporting rifles.
• Destroying the remainder of their modern sporting rifle inventory.
• Requiring rifle purchasers to be 21 years of age, although they only have to be 18 to legally buy.

The business war between gun manufacturers and retailers will be sure to continue as long as companies are caving to the anti-gun crowd. Gun manufacturers and gun owners aren’t going to stand for it.