March 22, 2000

GUN GROUP URGES BOYCOTT OF SMITH & WESSON                                                                      
RECOMMENDS GUN BUYS OF GLOCK AND TAURUS INSTEAD                                                                
                                                                                                               
MISSOULA, MT -- The Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) recommended                                     
to concerned gun owners today that former customers of Smith & Wesson                                          
should purchase Glock autopistols or Taurus revolvers.  This recommendation                                    
comes in the wake of announcements that Smith & Wesson will comply with                                        
Clinton administration demands for administrative gun control, and                                             
announcements that Glock and Taurus will not comply.        

Various governmental agencies have combined forces to pressure Smith &                                         
Wesson to accept ^Óvoluntary^Ô gun controls, by first filing multiple                                          
lawsuits against S&W, and then promising to drop those lawsuits if S&W                                         
would submit to government plans for administrative gun control, and to a                                      
virtual takeover of the manufacturer^Òs sales policies by a ^Ócommission^Ô of                                  
anti-gun appointees.                                                                                           
                                                                                                               
Gunmakers Glock and Taurus both announced today that they will not submit                                      
to government demands for their acceptance of administratively-imposed gun                                     
control and sales policy takeover.                                                                             
                                                                                                               
MSSA president Gary Marbut commented, ^ÓNow that Glock and Taurus have been                                    
the first to declare that they will not cave in to Clinton's extortion,                                        
they should be the beneficiaries of the customers leaving Smith & Wesson by                                    
droves.  Glock makes great autopistols, a super alternative for anyone who                                     
had previously thought of buying an autopistol from S&W.  Taurus makes fine                                    
revolvers that are virtually indistinguishable from S&Ws.  Since Glock and                                     
Taurus have come out so quickly as rejecting the Clinton ^Ñdeal^Ò, I believe                                   
they should be rewarded with the sales traffic formerly going to the                                           
British-owned S&W.  To paraphrase NRA^Òs Charlton Heston, I believe we                                         
showed the British in 1776 that we rejected their disdain for our God-given                                    
and constitutionally-protected rights.^Ô                                                                       
                                                                                                               
Marbut says that MSSA is urging gun buyers nationwide to purchase from                                         
Glock and Taurus, especially those buyers who had planned to purchase S&W                                      
products.  Marbut continued, ^ÓWe really admire that Glock and Taurus have                                     
the guts to stand up to the administration, do what^Òs right, and reject the                                   
attempt to extort gun control.  We think that they should get all of the                                       
gun business that S&W used to get.  They^Òll certainly get mine.^Ô  

MSSA is the primary political action organization for gun owners and                                           
hunters in Montana.  MSSA is affiliated with the NRA and the Citizens                                          
Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.                                                                 
                                                                                                               
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Information:  Gary Marbut, mssa@mtssa.org