February, 2001

The State of Some States

Another Soapbox, another month closer to delivery of the .380 Guardian! Our scheduled ship date of 03/15/01 still looks good (fingers crossed). Click here for photos, specs, and a press release describing this exciting product introduction. Click here to review the 'early bird special' we've made available to visitors to our site (limited to the first 100 orders).

Unfortunately, these hot new pistols, as well as the rest of the NAA product line, will not be available for sale in MA and CA - with doubtless more states to follow as time passes. Under the guise of enhancing public safety, state legislators have taken another tack in their race to outlaw firearms. It is very important to note that our 'disqualification' for sale in certain locations IN NO WAY reflects our firearms' inability to pass any of the tests identified to date, either through national standards groups such as ANSI (where such tests exist), or those newly created by the 'wise' legislators/AG's on the state level. The simple fact is that, wherever safety/drop and performance test standards have been introduced, we have submitted our guns (ex. minis in CA) and 'passed' with flying colors. We have been prohibited ­ or chosen not to ­ do business in certain states due to other issues, such as our guns' lacking a second serial number, a manual safety, the wrong color box, ad infinitum.

On another front, manufacturers are facing a variety of inconsistent/contradictory requirements relating to 'ballistic fingerprinting' (including spent shell casings for state 'registration') such as are currently in place in MD and NY. This trend shows signs of spreading across the country. There is evidence, albeit it painfully scant, that this is a useful crime fighting tool (though I can't remember a gun crime where revolver casings were left 'at the scene' for forensic examination). To the extent that states are willing/able to adopt a common standard, we will comply with it. While that trend seems to be spreading, it is now proposed (in RI and CT) that manufacturers also include recovered discharged bullets for further cataloging as well as the case. That is another example of such an onerous requirement as would cause us to abandon conducting business in any state where it was adopted.

We appreciate your confidence in our company, and offer you our assurance that our choosing not to do business in certain places is no reflection on the 'safety' or quality of our products.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) checks out the latest edition of the North American Arms catalog. He mentioned that he regularly carries two of the firm's firearm products after receiving death threats several years ago. ASSC's 1996 Congressional Leader of the Year Award was presented to Sen. Hatch "in appreciation of his leadership and commitment in defense of our heritage, our industry and our life"


Photo & caption by Robert M. Hausman - used with permission.