How important is 'Made in USA' to you?

[sonrider657]

I am curious to learn how many people value American-made guns and accessories over imported products. Please vote below. Thanks!

[Ned Christiansen]

My number one thing: that it not be made in China. That's my long standing policy and I constantly do pay a premium to buy things made ANYwhere but China. Just about anywhere else, OK. Taiwan is especially OK in most cases since Taiwan is a big ol' middle finger in the Chinese gov's face. Of course, my first choice is made in USA..... as one who is diligent about checking "made in" labels, it always is a pleasant surprise finding things made in the USA that are good quality and reasonably priced.

[mark5pt56]

Although important to support US business, I won't simply buy an inferior made product to satisfy that point.

[TheGhostRider]

I'm with Ned on this one.
BUT, there are some exceptions...
Some damn fine guns are made in foreign countries.
Aks, Sig, Beretta, Glock and the list goes on.:D

But when it comes to everyday purchases I do my best to buy American.
Especially when it involves gun accessories for the AR. Theres a very short list of foreign parts and accessories that I would put in or on my ARs.

As for Taiwan...
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.;)

[Submariner]

Used to have a Saab; now have Chevy trucks. Had Elcans; sold to buy Trijicon. Aimpoint isn't made here. Bought them (used) anyway as I much prefer them to Eothingies. LT mounts for all. Texas is in the USA, right?:D

No Made-in-Viet Nam Blackchicken either. :mad: DuPont Cordura (TM), sewn in the US, or nuthun'.

ETA: No foreign ammo.

[signal4l]

I will not purchase a Chinese made firearm.

I do my best to avoid Chinese made products whenever possible. I didnt enjoy taking away my sons toys because they cant figure out that lead paint is a bad thing. The toxic dog food didnt inspire confidence, either. Their record of human rights abuses, lack of respect for another person's intellectual property and frequent cyber attacks on DOD computers dont make me want to hand them my paycheck.

The problem is I often dont have much of a choice. I recently bought a new dining room set. The Chinese made set was about $800. The American made set was $3000 +. This isnt much of choice. We bought the Chinese made table and chairs.

The Danner boots on my feet and the flashlight on my belt are Chinese made.

My firearms are heirlooms for my children. They are weapons to use against enemies (hopefully never). They are examples of inventiveness and excellence in engineering. I couldnt bring myself to put a Chinese weapon in my safe.

[uranus]

I assume that the poll was primarily related to firearms and firearm accessories, and I answered accordingly.

My firearms were manufactured in the U.S., except for a Glock 23 (might have been produced in GA).

I prefer Swiss watches, British cars, and British audio speakers, however. My computer was designed in CA but built in Taiwan.

[hags]

Although important to support US business, I won't simply buy an inferior made product to satisfy that point.

I go out of my way to NOT buy Made in China, it's tough. Add to that, I will not buy a firearm made in China.

[KintlaLake]

Made-in-USA matters to me (thinking globally), but I also consider who actually hands me the product or provides the service (acting locally).

As much as possible, I patronize independent businesses, ideally in my township and town. My next preference is a 25-mile radius, followed by a 100-mile range.

Example: If I have the choice of buying ammo from the big-chain sporting-goods superstore five miles up the road or the independent gun shop 22 miles away, I'll generally choose the latter if the prices are within 10% or so. (I'm not inclined to drop the proverbial soap, however. :rolleyes: I do shop on the WWWeb.)

In a global-competitiveness sense, yes, it makes sense for me to buy US-made products. But IMO, there may come a time when my neighbors (so defined) and I absolutely will have to rely on each other for products and services. So for now, I do my best to apply this imperfect principle.

[The_Katar]

I don't believe I own anything firearms-related that is Chinese made. China excels at making low-cost stuff like all the junk at Wal-Mart. I don't really have a problem with that stuff.

When I look at my firearms, most are U.S. made, with the exception of my Glock and some AK's; however Glock has a plant in Georgia and my AK's have had so much work here they are considered American-made. I have some other Russian and Eastern European gear as well. FWIW, Aimpoints are made in Sweden I believe.

I used to have a Chinese AK, and this weekend picked up 1,000 rounds of Chinese 7.62x39mm off of a guy I know. I guess it's just a matter of personal political protest.

[Marc]

+ 1 with Ned.

My exeptions will be for Glock pistols and as I am from Belgium the FN MAG, Minimi and .50mg. All of these last 3 are also manufactured in U.S.

[Sry0fcr]

I buy quality but err to the side of US made products.

[DialTone301]

My wife was made in China and has turned out well:) ...first two were American made and ended up being of low quality.

[BushmasterFanBoy]

I wonder why "I will buy the best product available, regardless of origin" isn't an option?

[docsherm]

LT mounts for all. Texas is in the USA, right?:D


I thought we were own own country? ;) Close enough.


I buy quality products. If it is not made in the US then so be it. i figure that is the epitome of a free market economy in action. And most of all I don't like to wast my money on junk.

[rayray]

I prefer American Made, in fact I only own one fire arm that is not American made. Thats My Walther P99 .40s&w.

[ar15nova]

I try and avoid chinese products, but as many others have said, sometimes the choice is limited. I think overall American products are excellent quality, but I refuse to pay a premium when that premium is going into the pockets of corporate managment and directors. In many consumer categories American products are grossly overpriced for the quality they represent. It is up to the manufacturers and distributors to get a quality product to market at a price point the consumers can pay, and so far almost across the board, they have failed. Don't get fooled by the "get what you pay for" mentality. Be grounded in supporting companies that offer solid values.

[Bison]

Although important to support US business, I won't simply buy an inferior made product to satisfy that point.

I have to agree. Rewarding lesser workmanship at a premium cost does not do me any good and certainly doesn't do the US any good. I learned that lesson the hard way when I traded my Honda in for a Chrysler.

Re: guns, as others have said, there are a number of European makers who put out very nice products: H&K, Sig-Sauer, Glock, Holland & Holland, Beretta, Perazzi, etc. I wouldn't think twice about purchasing those makers' weapons. Indeed, my first handgun purchase was an H&K. I WOULD think twice about purchasing a weapon from a less developed country. Over all though, I'd say the vast majority of my gun purchases are American-made.

So, my vote falls in the I-support-American-business-but-will-not-pay-a-premium-for-a-lessor-quality-product-no-matter-where-it-is-made category.

[Bison]

My wife was made in China and has turned out well:) ...first two were American made and ended up being of low quality.

Ha! ;)

[120mm]

I'm a big fan of products, especially guns, made in the Eastern European countries. I think it's time that some of these good folks had some breaks go their way, and they are pretty competent at producing firearms.

[CarlosDJackal]

"I prefer USA-Made but will not pay extra for it."

This is my choice because in my experiences with "Made in the USA" products of all shapes and sizes; this stamp usually means something that is: over-priced, sub-standard in quality, and comes with bad or non-existent "Customer Service".

Case in point:

Back in the early 90s, I was touring the Harley-Davidson plant at Harrisburg, PA. A couple that was in the same group I was in (walk-in tours) had ridden their brand new HD full-dresser all the way from Milwauke. Despite the fact that their bike was at the top-end of the HD product line, it broke an exhaust bracket during their trip.

During the tour, the we came across the very production station in which the bracket is made. So at the end of the tour, he asked the tour giude if he could talk to a "manager". The tour guide tracked down someone and he came to talk to the HD owner/rider. The guy explained what the situation was with his (expensive) bike and asked if HD could help him out. He emphasized that he had just purchased his bike about a month before and that he had the paperwork to prove it. he also stated that he saw which station the bracket was made and that he could install the piece himself if need be.

Bascially, all this so-called "Cstomer Service Mangaer" had to do was walk into the factory, grab that particular bracket out of the pile that was in that workstation, and hand it to the customer and that was it!! But sinc ethey were Harley-Davidson; they "could not do that." The man went on to tell the rider that his bike was still under warranty and that any HD Dealer would be able to help him out - on Monday (this was a Saturday afternoon). The bike owner/rider continued to plead his case but was eventually asked to leave (along with the rest of the group).

Right there and then I vowed that Harley-Davidson will not get a penny of my hard-earned money. I have also given up on Dodge (I was a longt-ime Dodge fan) and I'm willing to bet that this type of "service" can be repeated with a lot of American manufacturers/companies.

However, I am willing to mention the exceptions to this rule. I have had nothing but excellent service from Ruger, S&W, and Glock. Any issues I had with any of their products, they took care of without question.

Sig Sauer, on the other hand, did not fare too well. When I bought my first (and only) Sig (P228), it came with a blemish (teh "k-kote" flaked off at a corner of the slide). I contacted the factory in NH and informed them about it. The lady who answered took my name down and said that someone would get in touch with me. Than was in the Summer of 1998 and I have yet to hear back from them.

But to their credit, I did talk to one of their reps at an NRA Conference and he gave me a name and number to call. I did and was given an RMA to have my gun sent back. I never did use that RMAA because the indication I had gotten from the man on the phone is that they would only work on my gun under warranty if it was still in like-new condition. But when I looked my the pistol (a safe queen) the corners were well-worn and I was afraid that they would charge me for the service!! JM2CW.

[BT2012]

I would purchase a product if it is quality made regardless of where it is made. Certain countries have very good quality control, for example H&K from Germany. When you spend a lot of money on any product, you should get what you pay for. I agree with Ned with about products made in China, there are very little quality control and it's all about maximizing profits with the cheap labor.

[Submariner]

I prefer Swiss watches, British cars, and British audio speakers, however. My computer was designed in CA but built in Taiwan.

British cars => Lucas Electronics. The horror!:eek:

[koalorka]

I avoid anything from the People Republic Of China. I have a preference for high quality European and North American made products. I try to support manufacturing, it's the most important wealth-generating sector in the economy. I don't want my kids working in mediocre service related jobs due to industry being outsourced to Third World cesspits.

[uranus]

British cars => Lucas Electronics. The horror!:eek:

My Jag is an '06. So far, no ignition or injection problems. My '69 MGC was another story.

[Joseywales]

My number one thing: that it not be made in China. That's my long standing policy and I constantly do pay a premium to buy things made ANYwhere but China. Just about anywhere else, OK. Taiwan is especially OK in most cases since Taiwan is a big ol' middle finger in the Chinese gov's face. Of course, my first choice is made in USA..... as one who is diligent about checking "made in" labels, it always is a pleasant surprise finding things made in the USA that are good quality and reasonably priced.


Ditto. As far as guns go, I own a Chinese AK and a Russian SKS. But other than those, I would never buy anything made by the communists if I don't have to. Some of my handguns are HK. They were made in Germany. Ubertie SAA made in Italy. My Beretta is made in USA. My Springfield is made in Brazil. My CZ shotgun was made in Turkey. The only guns I have that are 100% USA are M1A, M1 Garand, & ARs. I own Browning shotguns, Mossbergs, EAA SAA, a black powder pistol, and fake M203. Don't know where they were made.

Most products sold in the USA were made in China. They control our economy and the corporations seldom pass the cost savings on to the consumers.

I work in the Semiconductor industry and I have no doubt that in 10 years China's capabilities will surpass our own. TI, IBM, Intel, Freescale, Wafertech, ect are all moving their manufacturing to 90% China made. This includes their research facilities and next nodes.

So long America.........hello Amerikka


My dress shoes are made by Allen Edmonds. They are 100% made in the USA and 1200x better quality than any shoe I have ever owned. I buy my holsters from Galco. I bought one from Blackwater, but they were made in China. Will not buy any more Blackwater gear.

[Gramps]

When I was in high school, we were taught that for a country to prosper, they needed more export than import. Judging from how AMERICA is now, no one paid attention in school. "Wall Mart", has put quite a few US corp. out of business. Who is to really blame for this? The FOOL who goes to "WALL MART" and supports little CHINA! Or ANY ONE who buys import. Yes it all comes down to our wallets, but when you lose your job to "import" and did not buy American, who's to blame? Maybe if we did not buy so much import, our own country could afford to put out more, good products for a better price. I LIVE HERE, AND SUPPORT HERE!

[_Reign_]

its important to support US made products but not if they are off less quality. sort of like choosing between a RRA and say LMT, if both are the same price, of course the LMT seems like the better choice so in essence you are paying more for the RRA (yes i know both are USA manufactures). but for other stuff, its hard to steer clear of China.

[GNXII]

I go out of my way to buy USA made items but it is getting harder and harder to do so. Example: My Danner GTX's were made in China, which of course, I found out after I purchased them, cash, in another state during a business trip! :mad: It is very hard to find items made in the US., belive me I try. I also realize that China copies everything that the US makes and counterfeits too boot so buyer be ware. I wish there was a website which lists made in USA items... :confused:

[sonrider657]

There are some websites which list products that are Made in USA, although, they are not exhaustive and some of the information may be obsolete (as jobs continue to go overseas and across the border by the day).

Try www.USstuff.com, and www.MadeInUSA.org

[Sonny]

My wife was made in China and has turned out well:) ...first two were American made and ended up being of low quality.

I got a kick out of this one. Good show, ole chap! LOL
Sonny:p

[=ZoomZ=]

USA all the way for me .

I own a small design/engineering and cnc manufacturing company in Orlando and have watched my designs as well as others go oversea's to China and its really heart breaking sometimes .

Ive learned there is no way possable for me to manufacture a product as cheap as China can , so i do everything in my power to make the best quality products possable (by using top quality materials which China has to buy from the US) in a timely manor .

I spend my money on state of the art tooling and machines so i can knock out 500 of something in a couple days for my customers and even run 2nd and 3rd shifts when its crunch time .

Every day i gain more and more customers because of the quality and workmanship of my designs and products and thats the best i can hope for .

Where I do stand a chance is in small production runs of say 100-500 parts/units because its not worth it for a small company that has a new product to go oversea's for 500 pieces of something or 100 complete units of something .

Its all in the attitude imo .

I can make it better and faster but i cant make it as cheap and i can also give you my phone number if you have any question or problems .

Try getting Hop Sing on the phone so you can talk to him about the finish or workmanship of your products ,,, not gona happen ,, hehe

I too had to choose between the $800.00 dinning roon set (made in China) and the hand crafted $3600.00 set (made in Virginia) and after looking at the quality of the woods and materials i chose to spend the big bucks and got the US made furniture .
It will be handed down in my family for generations to come and that was how i justifyed spending the money .

It hurt , but it was well worth it for hand picked Colorado red oak imo.

Like Gramps said , Someone missed the school bus one day and missed out on some important lessons .

[Combat_Medic]

USA.....USA.....USA

[Mojo58]

I prefer to buy products that are made in the USA. My H&K USP ain't but them Germans sure make some very fine products too. I won't buy a foreign made 1911 because that just doesn't sit well with me. It depends on what the product is that I'm buying. But I must admit, when a product is made in Texas, it's go to go in my books:D . God bless Texas;) .

[gaterloco]

My first choice is always American made, but not always possible. All firearms I own are made in USA. Sometimes it costs more but that is a price I'm willing to pay.

[MerQ]

I buy the best quality I can afford and if it's made in USA than so be it. In general I find European craftsmanship to be of equal to or to a higher standard than US ones but that's not to say it's the case all the time. I try not to buy Asian... ever if possible unless it's electronics. Admittedly though I don't pay attention to the label that often though.

[Alpha Sierra]

In the case of some items (shoes come to mind) it is almost impossible to not buy Chink (my derogatory slur reserved for the Reds) unless one pays stupid money.

But in almost everything else, there is a choice. Even if the choice is not American, it is a palatable one (Germany, Japan, Sweden, Czech Republic, etc.)

My cars are American and Canadian-made. I have one German handgun, two Czech rifles, and everything else is American made. All my optical sights except my Aimpoint are American made. Most of my match rifle aperture sight accessories (irises and such) are German because no one in the USA makes anything even remotely suitable.

My furniture is American, Canadian, Italian, and Danish. No Chink crap here.

[III]

As far as buying a gun made in another country I would like to buy every gun made in every country especially to study. With current importation laws this is impossible. There is a lot of technology that is not made available to US gun makers. We should be able to import these weapons.
Not to change the subject but I feel more importantly should US dollars be spent to fund weapon development for non-US companies? I say no ; with the continual dwindling of the US manufacturing base( in all areas) one day we will find ourselves without the capability to make our own anything. In a serious war time on the scale of WWI,WWII not having this capability in the US could be very detrimental. So saying that I say invest in US companies before they are all gone.

[Shihan]

As far as buying a gun made in another country I would like to buy every gun made in every country especially to study. With current importation laws this is impossible. There is a lot of technology that is not made available to US gun makers. We should be able to import these weapons.
.


For some reason im sure you and your dad know somebody that could make it happen for you for the greater good.:p

[Lumpy196]

My number one thing: that it not be made in China.



Amen brother Ned.

[Canonshooter]

With all of the globalization of commerce, it's really difficult to deteremine who is actually making what;

Toyotas are made in the USA
Jaguars are Ford
Saabs are GM
Chryslers are Mercedes
And the Chinese are making something for everyone, including Sears.

It's easier for AR stuff as we have some great domestic makers of the guns and accessories, so at least we can still "buy American" and be buying the best.

[variablebinary]

I'm more concerned with buying the best/cost effective product, but generally speaking, I like giving money to companies based in the USA.

[Failure2Stop]

Given the choice between two identical products I will choose the USA made.
Given the same choice, but the USA made is slightly more expensive, I will choose the USA made product.

What I will not do is give up on quality or performance, especially when it comes to gear that I intend to use to defend the lives of myself and others. I have an expectation of quality that does not diminish simply because of the stars and bars tacked to the item.

I bought a Glock, after much emotional anguish (dishwasher-safe just seems wrong), simply beacuse at the time I could not find another pistol that would perform as I wanted. Now with the S&W M&Ps availability, I have found my next handgun purchase.

American workers have hurt their own cause. We pay a ridiculous amount to unskilled labor (esp auto industry) in this country. As noted above, that Toyota you turn your nose up at probably has more Americans employed than the Escalade rollin' spinners past you.

ETA-Just realised this is my first post, wow. Thought I had posted before. Wrong.

[BravoCompanyUSA]

99% of all serious products made for the AR15 platform are made in the USA. You really only find imported stuff when are looking at the gun show trinket accessories.

[acegoesbang]

I buy guns that do what I want them to no matter the maker .. but I have found superb quality in british made guns and sweadish ones as well ... and some china are good as well depending on what your looking for if you just want something to bust shells the china ak's are just as good as the russians as far as accuracy and reliabilty but the russian it made more solid and components and moveing parts are smoother....

[Canonshooter]

To add to my previous response, I refuse to buy any product that is marked "Restricted Law Enforcement and Government Use Only" that is actually legal for civilians to buy. Colt ARs come to mind.

[f.2]

My number one thing: that it not be made in China. That's my long standing policy and I constantly do pay a premium to buy things made ANYwhere but China. Just about anywhere else, OK. Taiwan is especially OK in most cases since Taiwan is a big ol' middle finger in the Chinese gov's face. Of course, my first choice is made in USA..... as one who is diligent about checking "made in" labels, it always is a pleasant surprise finding things made in the USA that are good quality and reasonably priced.

Ditto.

I am willing to pay a small premium for USA-Made.

Mose of my recent made in the USA purchases are firearm related: LRB receiver, LaRue mount, Federal GMM, CCI ammo, etc.

I try to do my research, but I'm sure there are parts or components that sneak in there that are made in mainland china.

[Yurahip]

 ïîìîùü ïî ðàñêðóòêå ñàéòîâ (http://www.spamer.in/), ïðåäëàãàåì îñóùåñòâèòü ðàññûëêó âàøåé ðåêëàìû íà ôîðóìû (http://www.spamer.in/).
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Ìû ðàäû âàì ïîìî÷ü.


edited to add via gotm4.....looks a awful lot like spam to me....this is what is says converted to english:

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[Shihan]

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Ìû ðàäû âàì ïîìî÷ü.

Nice first post!

[texasyid]

I never thought about it too much until I lost my job because the plant I was working at was shut down because of overseas competition. The guy who has my job is probably squatting over a rice bowl having lunch right now.
I will not buy anything made in china. I will and have paid a premium to buy USA made.
Those chicom MF's are building nuclear attack submarines with the money they get from selling all that crap at walmart. walmart is another place I will not shop at.

[Gramps]

I never thought about it too much until I lost my job because the plant I was working at was shut down because of overseas competition. The guy who has my job is probably squatting over a rice bowl having lunch right now.
I will not buy anything made in china. I will and have paid a premium to buy USA made.
Those chicom MF's are building nuclear attack submarines with the money they get from selling all that crap at walmart. walmart is another place I will not shop at.

AHMEN! Amercans wake up and smell the NUKE RICE!

[texasyid]

Joke if you like but you can bet your ass they want to be the leading world superpower.

[Nathan_Bell]

Here is my fix to the Chinese import problem.

US corporate tax is 30%, give or take, so we are in effect automatically paying 30% more for US made products. Put that amount of an import tariff on the Chicom items we import and see what items make more sense to purchase.