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Glock: Austrian Company Profits from Tucson Shooting

Question: if a gunman gets out his Glock pistol, goes on a shooting spree in a shopping center in Tucson, Arizona, kills six people, injures 13 others - who profits? Answer: a company in Austria. I find this ironic but first some data.

According to a Bloomberg news article published last Tuesday "one-day sales of handguns in Arizona jumped 60 percent to 263 on Jan. 10 compared with 164 the corresponding Monday a year ago". This was the second-biggest increase of any state in the country. On the same day sales rose by 65 percent in Ohio, by 16 percent in California, and by 33 percent in New York. The nationwide increase was five percent. The reason for the rise in sales? Incidents such as last weekend's spark anxiety that gun laws could become more restrictive which in turn makes people want to stock up.

Arizona gun dealers noted last week that semiautomatic fire weapons of the type gunman Jared Loughner used in Tucson - it was a Glock 19 - were among the biggest sellers in the days after the shooting. (The same thing happened after the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech where 32 people were killed and in which the same gun was used.)

Glock is an Austrian company. Its profits increase every time someone in the US uses one of its products to kill half a dozen people or more. The irony is that Austrian law is fairly strict when it comes to semiautomatic weapons. Separate permits are required for the purchase and the carrying of such guns. Loughner needed neither.
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Comments

debi said…
Ironic statistics, for sure, but not surprising. Fear is a great motivator.

My parents spend three months in southern Arizona enjoying the beautiful desert weather, riding ATVs and visiting other snowbirds. I'm thankful my dad is able to carry a gun with him at all times.

As always, great post!

debi
January 18, 2011 at 6:39 AM
Christina Schweighofer said…
As always, Debi, thanks for your comment.

I would not want to take the gun away from your parents. Obviously it makes them - and you - feel safer. I do, however, see the point of those who argue that fire arms may be giving people a false sense of security.

The New York Times website just published an informative, fact based opinion article on the topic: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/myth-of-the-hero-gunslinger/?hp
January 21, 2011 at 12:27 PM
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