Sturm, Ruger — one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of assault weapons — is headquartered less than a mile from Westport.
Their Southport office is almost in our backyard.
Which is why the rally Greg Kraut is helping organize is called “Not In Our Backyard!”
This Saturday at 11 a.m. — while many Westporters march against gun violence in New York, Washington and Hartford — Ruger will be the site of a special protest.
Kraut — a Westport RTM member — calls it “a peaceful, educational, family-friendly stand.” Information on ARs will be provided, along with solutions moving forward.
Protestors will stand for 17 minutes — one for every student and teacher murdered last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
They’ll also sign a letter urging Ruger’s investors and vendors to enforce socially responsible investing — and to divest.
Kraut notes that assault weapons account for a small percentage of all gun deaths yearly in the U.S.. But, he says, “they can kill dozens of people in seconds. If a business can’t survive not selling assault weapons with adequate restrictions, then maybe they should have a better business strategy.”
According to Kraut, company co-founder William Ruger Sr. told Tom Brokaw in 1992, “No honest man needs more than 10 rounds in any gun. I never meant for simple civilians to have my 20- or 30-round mags or my folding stock.”
(The event is organized in conjunction with the Fairfield and Westport police departments. Ruger will let protestors use their private property off the Post Road — just past I-95 — to gather. For more information, email greg@gregkraut.com.)
Pretty amazing that ruger offering protesters to use their private property to keep the issues on assault weapons in discussion within peaceful protest. Lets make sure it remains peaceful and educational and positive, and respect rugers willingness to invite to their property.
Big OUCh! Everyone needs to look up the meaning of the word Karma. Do the right thing! When your spirit feels down… you are wrong!
Sent from my iPhone Bobbi
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There are three different concepts that need to be kept straight:
1. Automatic rifle — pull the trigger and it keeps firing. This is a true assault rifle. It is not for sale to individuals in the US.
2. Semi-automatic rifle — pull the trigger and it shoots once; pull the trigger again and it shoots once, etc.
3. Assault style rifle — a semi-automatic decked out to look like an automatic. There are gun owners who fantasize playing Rambo in the woods. But it’s still pull the trigger and it shoots once.
There are also repeating rifles. Bolt action; pump; lever action (old cowboy movies). A well trained rifleman can shoot a repeater almost as fast as a semi-automatic.
A hunter rarely gets more than one shot at a target; the first shot, if it misses, scares it off. A serious target shooter will use a very fancy bold action. An amateur target shooter certainly doesn’t need more than 5 – 7 shots in a clip.
Given the realities of gun regulation in the US, the most sensible thing we could do is ban large capacity “banana” style magazines. Sure we can ban assault style rifles, but that is just a cosmetic fix.
Let’s try to stick to facts. Clips are not the “the thingies that bullets go in”, those are magazines. Bananas, grow on trees. The shape of what is described belongs to the AK platform weapon, no one is worried about them, yet.
The parkland shooter walked into a retail store and bought his weapon. If that weapon had been banned, he wouldn’t have been able to shoot anyone with it. Yes, he might have sought other ways to obtain a weapon, but he might not have and thus, lives would have been saved.
If you’re one of the folks who didn’t get shot because a potential shooter was thwarted, then this fix is hardly “cosmetic”.
Suicide doesn’t count? It sure counts to them and their families. The correct figure is 30,000 killed via guns in the USA every year.
Listen, suicide is going to happen regardless if they have a gun, knife, or a bridge. This about murder not self inflicted destruction. Guess we should get rid of tailpipes because people use that for carbon monoxide poisoning.
I correctly attributed the blame to congress for their making it possible for such an individual to buy such a weapon and extended magazines.
Seventeen is a mere fraction of the whole of daily deaths by guns in America.
People seem to think the gun killed 17 people, wrong answer.The FBI,the sheriff’s department,they let Cruz slip through the cracks, their incompetence, helped destroy many peoples lives. I think the whole system needs to change and,21 years of age to buy a rifle, shotgun or pistol only after a deep background check. I have guns but, I don’t think about taking 17 people’s lives.The media just wants everyone to be punished over a bunch of missed messages,and reports on this guy.
Did guns not kill 58 people in the Las Vegas massacre?
A person did. An evil, deranged person.
A deranged person that congress allowed to purchase a war weapon with high capacity magazines.
Until we realize that Congress has NO authority to allow, dispense, or determine our God-given, natural right to self defense -from lunatics and, most importantly, government.
Congress most certainly has such authority. This is still a nation operating under the constitution and it is still a nation of laws, not men. Especially “men” who think they know what god is up to.
First I would like to say that my heart goes out to any and all victims of gun violence. Second , people kill people not guns kill people. I am a veteran and can tell you first hand that a weapon is a weapon. A lot of the fault falls on the bleeding hearts of this country” closing of mental health facilities” not wanting to put labels on people. Now look at the sadness it has caused. Unfortunately some people need to be secured before they cause harm , not after.
Will it make people feel better when a shooter kills with a different type of weapon, 30-06,30-30,22.
People Kill People
You must also then consider Ronald Reagan a “bleeding heart” as it was his decision to discard a law proposed by his predecessor that would have continued funding federal community mental health centers. This basically eliminated services for people struggling with mental illness and threw thousands of suffering individuals onto the streets.
It will make most Americans feel better when it is no longer possible to buy military grade war weapons at retail.
Exactly. Reagan began the decline of this country.
When rifles are baned, and another Massacre happens, what will be your answer then?
Ruger doesn’t manufacture assault weapons, period.
Nonsense. https://www.ruger.com/products/ar556/overview.html
Nowhere did they call it an assault rifle, because it doesn’t have select-fire capability, which is a required feature of a modern assault rifle.
It’s time for gun owners to jold counter protests and insist our schools divest themselve’s of liberal, agenda driven trachers and administraions. Our children are not being educated. They are being indoctronated.
jold away
I think you need to return to school, maybe brush up on spelling and grammar.
Does anyone else find it interesting that these people move to CT and then claim slogans like “not in my back yard”? Technically its us who are in their back yard. Rifles, hand guns, ammunition, military subs, helicopters, missiles, etc have been manufactured in this state since the 1700’s. Maybe they should have looked into that before moving here?
Today it’s ‘common sense’ gun restrictions, and tomorrow it will be ‘common sense’ confiscation. When the enemies of America can succeed in distorting and outright lying about the text and meaning of the Constitution, we are on the road to tyranny. Example: “A well regulated militia…..” – means a well drilled and rehearsed militia. It does NOT mean government control. We are losing the war of words.
Fascinating how you decided to insert an extra word into that clause, “drilled”. Only problem is that the real amendment doesn’t say that. What part of “well regulated” do you not understand. And of course it most certainly DOES mean regulated by government control.
First off, anything can be an assault weapon, as an assault is an action, not a weapon type.
Secondly, since when is it legal for any political figure to use their position to promote going after a business for political purposes? Questionable, legally.
Lastly, can anybody on here point out the difference between what happened in Florida and what just happened in Maryland? Oh yeah, in Maryland a good guy with a gun was able to stop the bad guy with a gun before he could go on a spree. Perhaps there’s something to more guns in the hands of law abiding citizens, because criminals couldn’t care less what laws are passed, hence they’re criminals. Leftist policies will only end in innocent people being disarmed and only dirtbags having access to weapons.
How’ve those gun free zones been working out?
Ronald Regan was surrounded by heavily armed secret service when he was shot. How did that work out for those good guys?
And Parkland wasn’t…how’d that work out?
Where are the protests for the inadequate police department in Parklin Fl. How about the knifing that killed more than parkland. These people need to get their heads out of the sand and wake up!!!
Outstanding work Ruger keep it up.
These people need to police there children more and protest less.
I think the word you’re looking for is “their”.
No assault rifle has ever been used in a school shooting on US soil. As far as ARs, they are no more dangerous than any other auto rifle. You people have your bad information, and your priorities aimed in the wrong direction. If someone wants to kill another person, do you honestly believe the lack of an ar-15 is going to stop them? There are hundreds of other rifles, hand guns, and other weapons that could easily be used to gain the same results. The problem is a human being problem, not a gun problem. These people are delusional if they think banning a rifle will stop any of this .
So why does banning rifles work in every other developed country on earth?
It doesn’t work you still have ppl killing ppl now they do it with whatever they can get just like they always have you wanna ban someone’s hands when some crazy ass chokes out his wife or girlfriend and kills them?
So unless a solution is 100% effective, it should be discarded? Are you ripping the seatbelts and airbags out of your buggy this afternoon? After all, they don’t work 100% of the time.
“With AR-15s, Mass Shooters Attack With the Rifle Firepower Typically Used by Infantry Troops”
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/28/us/ar-15-rifle-mass-shootings.html
You do the math.
One thing about the Florida shooting, those bitch ass cops did nothing to help those kids I’m all for the police but when they get cold feet and can’t do the job that they trained to do that’s fucked
This is unreal wanting to ban guns and should we ban everything else that people use as weapons? Maybe we should ban flue shots or maybe knifes I know more friends and family that have been killed by the blade of a knife than a bullet from a gun taking good honest hard working LEGAL citizens rights away is not the answer the people that say we should ban guns, of any kind has never been in a situation where their life was in danger and another thing a so called assault rifle or AR15 shoots the same diameter round as a .22 rifle which I use to hunt squirrel and other small game so “get your facts right before you try to take right’s”.
So sorry to hear you have a range of friends and family who have been killed by more knives than from bullets. Sounds like you live in a bad neighborhood.
By the way, nobody is taking away your rights. You have the right to free speech, but you do not have the right to libel/defame and you do not have the right to yell “fire” in crowded room unless there is fire. In other words, you rights are not unlimited. You have the right to buy an assault weapon, but you do not have the right to buy a machine gun or a surface to air missile launcher. You got a problem with that?
No actually I don’t live in the best area but my friend lived in a great area and got stabbed to death by some kid and when you talk about lets ban semi auto guns hand gun shoot guns or rifles your stepping on my rights and another thing when you have social media stopping ppl from saying the truth then I think that’s stepping on your right’s as well
When 10 or 12 coyotes jump your fencing to eat your livestock . You will need 30 rounds with 2 more mags as back up at the min.. City people have no clue what Americas need.
Put up a higher fence. Or maybe Trump will build a wall for you and have Mexico pay for it. Not!
Hey Russell how bout you and all the other left dumb asses go move to another country if you don’t like guns or if you want to stay in our beautiful country where your free to be yourself then don’t buy a gun if you dont like them but don’t step on our right’s
I see. I’m free to be myself, except when you don’t like it. Then it’s love it or leave it. Are you trying out for a position as dictator?
No you can say and speak your mind but ppl have the right to defend themselves and property how they see fit and I just said go live in another country if you don’t like it in America
Lliberals are all the same some one gets killed with a gun and you want to ban the gun.
Of sone one gets killed in a car accident you dont ban cars some one drinks and drives and kills someone you don’t ban alcohol
The BS gun laws you want are a joke because only gun laws hurt innocent people who don’t commit crime.
Do drug laws hurt innocent people NO they don’t do murder laws or breaking and entering laws affecting innocent people NO because they don’t commit crimes and drugs are totally ban and does the stop the criminals from selling drugs NO.
Liberals want there side heard and only there side heard as soon as some one disagrees with them they yell at that person they argue they say that were are racist we don’t care.
If a conservative says they want to ban abortions them all of a sudden you can’t do that because its unconstitutional but it not in the constitution but you want to ban guns which is in the constitution.
There is only one reason for a government to ban guns so they can control the people and there is no way to fight back just look at every country that guns are ban and see if the people of that country are really a free society no its a dictatorship.
Guns are totally ban in China and China has more guns murders than the US
And every city that has gun bans has more crime and shootings than city’s that allow citizens to carry to protect them selves.
Semantics semantics let’s get the definition Strait please these rifles are assault styled rifles in appearance only. They do not have selector switch for Full Auto firing, they just have the overall appearance. Army 1966 – 72 Navy 1972 – 78 hm1 retired
Fuck all you left fucks
ARs are based on the M16, the military grade standard weapon issued to our troops. They are designed to shred human flesh as quickly as possible. Why you need such a weapon to hunt squirrels remains unexplained.
This thread is now closed to those who have already commented more than 3 times. Only new commenters will be allowed. All others will be deleted. Thank you.
I see that the three comment limit has flown out the window, as has common decency.
Please read the comment directly above yours.
The anti-gun crowd needs to grow up and quit using children as tokens of protest. A gun is a tool, no better or worse the the person using it.
The Second Amendment is not about hunting rather the God give right to protect one’s self, either from criminals or in an extreme case, heaven forbid, their own government.
Anti-gunners are likely those who rally against law enforcement, are intent on protecting illegal aliens and embrace sanctuary cities, and now sanctuary states courtesy of California.
The entertainment industry will brag about the impacts they have on society while claiming violent broadcasts, music and/or video games having no negative impact. What?
You want to solve gun violence? How about toning down violent media, encouraging family units, gun education and enforcement of existing laws including immigration laws. What say we build that border fence. No, attacking an inanimate object is do much easier for the small of mind.
Let’s not forget the flintlock American longrifle and muskets we’re the so called “assault” guns of the day. The flintlock American longrifle was far more technologically advanced than the British Brown Bess. Imagine the outcome had the longrifle been banned.
Police are a busy lot, how many times have you heard someone claim “you can order home delivery pizza faster than a police response”? Is it not better to have a gun and not need it than to need it and not have it”?
Grow up America and address the real issues surrounding violence.
Guns are not the problem any individual who makes the decision to harm others whether it be with a firearm, a knife, or explosive device, or a vehicle, or their bare hands. The problem lies within the individual. Not saying gun laws don’t need to be tweaked a little bit but guns are not the problem. What will we do when teenagers start driving cars through the schools or blowing things up while using the bow and arrow but we take all of those items away also or try to ban them, that’s absurd the problem lies within the individual. Schools are obviously a Target the metal detectors should be installed in every school and at least one police officer or an armed guard should be at the School. I don’t think arming School teachers with Firearms is a good idea let a trained expert in that field handle that position as in a police officer or a trained guard teachers have their hands full with the students they don’t need to be worrying about firearms.
You cant blame a manufacturer for a gunmans acts or misuse of a firearm. Guns dont kill people, people kill people with guns or knives or bombs. I have a variety of firearms. None of which suddenly grew arms or legs and climbed out of my secured gun safe to kill anyone. Laws must be changed to ensure these firearms do not fall into the wrong hands. There were signs that were seeming ignored which allowed this individual to obtain this firearm legally. There was also a School Resourse Officer (SRO) assigned to that school in Florida and his primary responsibilty is to ensure the safety of the students and faculty at these schools by engaging the active shooter as with what recently occurred in the Maryland school shooting. As a former police officer i know because we were trained and equipted to do this. These are sad times and my heart goes out to the families of the victims of these senseless acts of violence.
When will the ignorant people in this country realize that GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE. Maybe we should demand that all Fed X packages be banned too…….seems as though those packages have hurt and killed a few people in the Austin, Texas area in the last few days.
I love Ruger Firearms.
NRA shills can’t spell, would be my big takeaway from these comments….
Moron, did I spell it correctly?
Some confuse precise spelling with precise thinking.
I’m a “gun guy” but I have a feeling many of the people commenting above have never stepped foot in Westport.
Agreed. I’ve verified email addresses, and all the comments come from different IPs. I’m guessing the NRA or a similar group or organization posted this, and it went viral. “06880” has gotten MANY more hits today than on a typical Wednesday. Plus, I’ve spent my entire day deleting comments from people who did not use full names, and asking them to repost using their names. Most have not.
Well, I suppose that is in some way reassuring. I would hate to believe Westport had became a haven for some of the people on this thread In any case, I can’t help but notice that gun lust seems to go hand in hand with low levels of literacy.
I was in aware that ruger made a assault weapon? For the vauge or lack of a universally agreed definition of the work assault weapon. I’ll use the educated, firearm literate definition. Ruger does not make a automatic rifle for the civilian market. Protests are good, brings change and attention to issues concerning the population. Let’s just make sure it’s done with fact and respect.
Why dont you march in front of the killers house. The gun and its maker isnt at fault. Its jackasses like you who don’t understand that the problem isnt the gun but its the person behind it. I would LOVE to meet you face to face you coward. Stand up and march on the shooters front yard.
I’m seeing a handful of left-wingers who are heavily against guns and, for some odd reason, grammar and spelling mistakes. Yeah there are several, but how petty. Tissue anyone?
Yes, a handful, because we understand that this “debate” is a waste of valuable time.
You can easily imagine the foam forming on their mouths as these guys type out their hate-filled and poorly spelled diatribes….
That’s alrite ruger, just love it all to Prescott, AZ, we like our guns and freedom to purchase what ever we want.
Its the “BRAIN” behind the trigger, what about the knockout game- kids throwing bowling balls off overpasses on innocent motorist,- students who physically fight their teachers in a classroom- road rage- TWO, airline pots who deliberately flew a commercial jet into the ground killing all on board because they were mentally deficient, the list goes on & on. We as humans have changed into the ” me mine, vet it of my way ,self centered society. “Going Postal” occurred many years ago, where was the rage then against firearms?? No I’m scared cause it was adult’s that were victims. I’m a responsible 63 year old gun owner who takes that responsibility very seriously. As should every firearms owner. Violent video games, which some adolescents play every day around the world must- have a numbing effect on kids today. They don’t realize their consequence after taking a life. Its Fact!!! Thank you, sincerely.
Recent local news, teacher pushes student, parents want teacher arrested for assault.
My parents would have dragged me by my ears back to school, found out why I instigated the teacher, made my apologize and then punished me.
I’ve owned and been shooting all types of guns for almost 50 years, never had to shoot anyone, came close once about 25 miles back in the hills when accosted by a hype with a rather large belt knife who’d cornered me standing outside the cab of my truck. No cell phone to call the law, plus they’d have never gotten there. Fortunately the knife stayed cased while his partner talk him down.
Don’t think I want to give up my rights to protect myself.
Seriously, Bill? The Ruger family made millions arming civilians since the post WW2 era. And now you have some reservations about magazine capacity?
The title assault rifle originated in a story by a reporter during the Vietnam war and through media misinformation has been attached to a model of gun. The designation AR ( Armalite Rifle) is the original manufacture of this type of rifle. Just as Colt, Smith&Wesson, Reminton are some of the better known manufactures of this type of rifle, which our younger vet’s are most familure with. Fact all auto-feed (Simi-automatic) rifles, shotguns, pistols, fire only one time for each pull on the trigger. The full-automatic ( machine- gun) and the accessories to convert Simi-automatic guns has been illegal by federal law seance the 1930’s. If the judicial system would enforce the laws we have and not allow a weapon charge to be plebarged off then possibly the violace in all sectors would reduce.
Assault rifle comes from the German term Sturmgewehr, the first successful one being the StG44 developed during WWII. StG is the acronym for SturmGewehr, which literally translates to Storm- or AssaultRifle. And, yes, the StG44 was select fire, which the AR-15 is not. After the StG44(1944) came the Soviet AK-47(1947).
If you don’t like the second amendment leave America you libtard faggots
My, what a highly evolved subhuman you are.
Lyra,
I’ve read almost all of the comments, but I don’t care to address what your opinion is if you insist on using such outdated and offensive language. Past commenters have a variety of political views; however, I think -most- of them managed to express their opinions like adults using appropriate language. It is obvious that you are not a naive kid- hence the past generational language and opinion. If you are incapable of acting or speaking like an adult, perhaps you shouldn’t involve yourself in conflicts that are too mature for you.
Time for Ruger to move all of their manufacturing facilities to Arizona, just like they did with their handgun line years ago. Same with Smith&Wesson and Colt. Time to move out of Connecticut and Massachusetts because they haven’t needed waterwheel-powered factories for at least 170 years.
Thanks Ruger, my wife & I were gonna buy two Ruger American pistols that hold 17+1 rounds in a magazine but, you change our minds, we’re gonna go with the Smith & Wesson m&p 2.0. So your gonna be another one of those asshole companies that shit on your loyal customers just to please people that have no intention of buying your products. How can you be a manufacturer of AR-15s & hi capacity magazines but at the same time be against them🤔. You just lost at least 2 loyal customers. I’ve also been looking at the New Blackhawks & New Vaqueros, I’ll look at other options now..
We would love to have Ruger move to Oklahoma. Come on down!
To give a Westport connection the Sturm in Sturm Ruger was a Westport guy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_McCormick_Sturm
He and Bill Ruger were friends with my great uncle.
Wow – who knew?!