Closing: Country’s Oldest Gun Maker, Based In Upstate New York

Oldest Gun Manufacturer in the Nation

RemArms, recognized as the oldest gun manufacturer in the nation, has been based primarily in Upstate NY for over 200 years.  But the makers of Eliphalet Remington's first hand-built rifle in 1816, announced in a letter that they'll be closing their factory in Ilion, New York sometime in March.

According to union officials, the decision "didn't come lightly", but facing bankruptcy and a myriad of scrutiny and legal troubles, the plant which currently employs about 270 workers, shared the news.

"RemArms, the current version of Remington Arms, will close its facility in the Mohawk Valley village of Ilion around March 4, according to the letter sent Thursday. The letter said the company "did not arrive at this decision lightly,” according to the Observer-Dispatch of Utica

According to the Observer-Dispatch of Utica, Remington, the country’s oldest gun maker, began making flintlock rifles at the factory site some 200 years ago. While many of the buildings in the village - located about 80 miles northwest of Albany -  were constructed early in the 20th century.

Legal Issues and Bankruptcy

Recently, according to sources, the company has been fighting just to keep its doors open. Temporary closures, bankruptcy, and legal pressure stemming from the 2012 Sandy Hook tragedy have weighed on Remington,

According to reports, the current company stopped making the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle.  That was the weapon used in the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy that took the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators in Connecticut 11 years ago.

What's Next for Workers?

While It's not clear what's next for the union employees who are soon to be out of work, Vincent Bono, the chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature said, "The impact of the livelihoods of over 250 employees is a serious concern to our community."

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican is among a group of angry RemArms supporters, lashing out at Democrats and blaming this on their unconstitutional gun policies.

“It is because of New York Democrats’ unconstitutional gun grab policies that the oldest gun manufacturer in the country has been run out of the state,” she said according to the Observer-Dispatch of Utica.