Tennessee Dreaming: Marking Achievement
Firearms have become a polarizing subject. They are no longer tools or a hobby, they have become a toxic and heavily politicized issue. Many freedom-loving citizens have become fatigued with the subject, especially those who don’t live in free states—which is a sad statement to write. This is a country of 50 states that are protected by the same Constitution, every citizen, no matter the state, should be afforded the same rights. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Manufacturers are feeling the fatigue, too. The heartland of firearm manufacturing has been in the Northeast in places like Connecticut, New York, or Massachusetts, or on the other coast in California. But draconian measures have limited the 2nd Amendment to a shell of what it represents. With this, firearm manufacturers (and ammo and accessory makers) are leaving their historic homes. In recent years, Weatherby, Beretta USA, Mossberg, Magpul, Stag Arms, Kimber, Remington, Olin Corp, PTR Industries, Colt Competition, Heckler & Koch, Troy Industries, FN, and Armalite, have moved the entirety of their operations, or are building additional manufacturing capabilities in free states, going South and West. Smith & Wesson is another to add to that list after officially opening their Maryville Tennessee HQ and factory.
Commemoration
To mark their historic move, Smith & Wesson has released a few special edition pistols. These pistols include the M&P Shield Plus (OR with or without thumb safety), M&P 9 M2.0, and the M&P 9 M2.0 Compact. All are stock offerings but come with the Tennessee logo engraved on the barrel. While I wouldn’t call these guns new, it is still cool to see Smith & Wesson commemorate a special occasion. Pricing for the Shield Plus models is $549.00 and the larger M&Ps will be set at $669.00.
While the desire for these pistols will be more to the collector, their significance is broader. The moves of the companies listed above, and presumably more as time goes on, show the circling of the wagons that our Country is going through. The division of people is rampant. And in an election year, it will only get worse.
