July 27, 2005


Dear Senator Frist:

As you know, my company is a small business in Tennessee that makes firearms and ammunition. One of my products is the leading .50 caliber rifle on the market today, which has been adopted by several branches of the U.S. Military and our allies’ armed forces. Last year, the National Defense Industrial Association presented me with the George H. Chinn Award for significant contributions in the field of small arms systems. This year our rifle was honored at the Soldiers Choice Awards by the Vice Chief of Staff, General Richard Cody as being named one of the Top Ten Inventions of the U.S. Army.

I have also gotten some recognition from Tom Diaz of the extremely anti-gun group, the Violence Policy Center, who told “60 Minutes” he was “glad Ronnie Barrett makes his rifle for our military forces.” Naturally Diaz doesn’t think my company should be able to sell to anyone else. Diaz is solely responsible for disseminating a huge misinformation campaign exaggerating the dangers of rifles. The campaign segregates large caliber rifles, in this case .50 calibers, in the attempt to convince people that the mere size of a cartridge is somehow more prone to criminal misuse or more dangerous than another. Much like the ill conceived thought that a rifle with a pistol grip was somehow more dangerous than another. In addition Diaz has repeatedly exaggerated and fabricated reports of criminal misuses to the extent that they are accepted as fact.

I understand that anti-gun senators may try to attach an amendment to S. 397 that would prohibit or severely restrict .50 caliber firearms. This kind of restriction will end the delicate balance that is maintained in the small arms industry. More specifically I will be out of business. Furthermore, it creates unnecessary and harassing red tape for law-abiding people with absolutely no impact on any criminal element.

These anti-gun senators and the Violence Policy Center just do not understand, or they do not care about the connection between military, police and civilian sales. United States Small Arms Defense contractors such as my company rely on orders from the U.S. military as only one source of income. In the small arms industry, sporadic government sales is only part of the formula for long-term survival. Commercial or civilian product sales are a main source of income that makes payroll and allows good working conditions for our employees and sustains us for when we are called upon for the defense of the country.

* W. Hays Parks, Special Assistant to the Judge Advocate of the US Army wrote:
“The M82A1 Barrett… are manifestations of the important historic cooperation played by private citizens and small business in the United States in the development of weapons and munitions necessary for the US Armed Forces to perform their mission to protect the national security interests of the United States by fighting and winning, with as few friendly casualties as possible.” This statement sums up the vital role both government and commercial business play in the sound business practices of various defense contractors of which Barrett is one.

It is necessary that all law-abiding businesses should be able to operate and sell their products under the rules, regulations and law of the Federal Government. Every law that is needed to regulate firearms misuse is currently in place. There is no problem with civilian ownership of these types of rifles, therefore nothing to fix.

The attempt to ban or severely restrict this legal firearm not only violates the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution but also sets a precedent that endangers the vital defense our nation. I hope your fellow senators will defeat this amendment and pass S. 397.


Sincerely,

Barrett Firearms Mfg., Inc
Endorses NRA Boycott of ConocoPhillips

Tennessee is not Oklahoma and Barrett is not an oil company… Barrett employees always have and always will come to work armed if they so wish as long as they have the Tennessee state-mandated carry permit.
Ronnie Barrett, President of Barrett Firearms, neither encourages nor discourages the practice but recognizes it as a right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution for all citizens. The fact that many employees do keep a handgun on their person at work naturally plays a part of the physical security for the facility.

Like most states, the tradition of hunting runs strong in Tennessee and during those seasons many of the employees legally keep their hunting rifles and shotguns in their cars and trucks at work.

In over 22 years of employees exercising this constitutional right there has never been an incident involving the discharge of a personal owned firearm.

Ronnie Barrett encourages all citizens to follow the NRA position and boycott any company that violates the law, and particularly this, the sinister attempt of citizen control though violations of our basic freedoms.

God Bless our country and the U.S. Constitution.


Course Topics:
Detailed assembly/disassembly instruction

Proper cleaning and lubrication

Rifle function and Troubleshooting

Field maintenance

Gauging Techniques

The course is limited to six students to optimize learning experience. Class time and hands-on experience are well balanced. Trainees may use rifles supplied by Barrett or they may bring their own. The classes generally last eight hours per day, beginning at 9:00 a.m., and cash or credit card is accepted at time of arrival or pre-paid. If students are paying for the course with a Government credit card please make sure that the Unit contacts the credit card services ahead of time to authorize charges.