Navajo Woman Learns to Shoot M16A4 (image from http://www.navajotimes.com/entertainment/people/2011/0511/051211marines.php)
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According to the New York Times, the Navajo Nation has made an offer to purchase the Remington Outdoor Company, which recently emerged from bankruptcy. The offer was for approximately half a billion dollars in cash.

The offer was rejected by the owners of Remington, Franklin Templeton and JPMorgan Chase. We can’t be sure of the reasons for the rejection, but the Navajo nation’s plans for what they wanted to do with the company certainly couldn’t have helped.

In short, they sought a strategy that has already proven near-fatal to other firearms manufacturers.

According to Andrew Ross Sorkin, the NYT’s article author, the Navajo nation’s proven to fail plan:

It intended to shift the company away from its consumer business, including curtailing the sale of the AR-15-style weapons frequently used in mass shootings, to focus on police and defense contracts.

The tribe planned to use profits from those businesses to invest in research and development of advanced “smart guns” — those with fingerprint or other technology intended to prevent anyone but the gun’s owner from using the weapon.

The Navajo Nation had apparently read Sorkin’s own brilliant idea for turning Remington into “The Most Advanced And Responsible Gun Manufacturer in the Country.”

The only problem with that plan is that there would have been no profits to invest in “smart guns” or anything else. Shifting away from producing products aimed at the massive purchasing power of the American consumer and toward government contracts is a proven strategy for failure.

Don’t believe me? Ask Colt, which went bankrupt specifically because they shifted away from focusing on the American consumer to primarily military and police contracts. That recent failure highlights that a single, fickle, expensive customer is never the right answer. It’s too hard to get in the door, and way too easy for that door to slam shut.

Remington Versa Max and Remington 870 (image courtesy JWT for thetruthaboutguns.com)

It might have been a great investment for the Navajo Nation to purchase Remington if they wanted to generate profits with a a company that makes guns. But that’s not, apparently, what this offer was all about.

A plan like this, something designed to appeal to the woke crowd, and not intended to boost the bottom line, is destined to fail in short order. That kind of thinking would only leave the already struggling people of the Navajo Nation with nothing to show for their cash but a half a billion of their dollars thrown into the wind.

I’d like to see Remington out of the hands of the bankers as soon as possible. Hopefully someone will come through soon and make an offer that focuses on the product lines consumers want, and continue the company’s increased focus on quality control that consumers demand.

This offer clearly wasn’t that.

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95 COMMENTS

    • This is the same monopoly socialist nightmare cabal tribal council setup that suppresses free enterprise on any of the reservations. Think about that for a second. Can you imagine if your land wasn’t your land, that it was only assigned to you and the government can take it and anything you’ve built on it away any time for any reason? Collectivism.
      Go into business in competition with the tribal gov’t, even in an area that no one provides? Look out.

  1. I don’t recall any time in Colt’s history when they paid a great deal of attention to the civilian side of the market – consistently banking on one government contract after another to stay in the black.
    One must wonder what variety of bigots currently call the shots of the Navajo Nation, clearly they have already forgotten the lessons of government “encouraged” disarmament.
    🤠

      • Follows link to New York Times… “comments section is closed”… and after only 13 or so – guess they weren’t getting the resounding approval of their bigotry they were hoping for.
        🤠

        • Hah. Went to take a look and the hazing of the Times definitely has the most weight in those comments by far (with the exception of a few special snowflakes that are math challenged)

      • There is a lot of government friendlies put in positions to keep the people from thriving.

        High unemployment and drug use. Forgetting their culture exacerbates things. They’re lost and stuck in the desert. People move off the reservation and integrate into American society, which leads to their children not knowing their ancestors’ culture, clans and language. The younger generation may even become Californian SJWs types thinking that helps their people; similar to black people who call for gun bans.

        It’s very depressing. It makes people drink a lot and they can’t handle liquor. I didn’t want to turn out like some of my family members, so I never touched any drugs.

    • I find it hilarious that a Native American tribe would sell the instruments of force ONLY to the entity that hunted them down until the few Navajo who remained agreed to live how that entity wanted them to. What next, IWI selling only to the Germans?

    • I am disappointed with the people running the reservation. Many other tribes are not happy with the people who control “their” so-called reservation. There is corruption and the controllers work against the people. Things are designed to keep the people down.

      Also, the people are not walking the correct path. I am somewhat guilty of that, but at least I don’t do drugs nor worship bad European ideas. I grew up off the reservation, I can’t really be blamed…

      • I find their plans especially disturbing! I have repeatedly donated to many Native American charities from the Lakota to the Navajo. And always there is the continual requests for donations for clothes, water, school supplies, food and fuel. It never ends. The Navajo Nations have multiple casinos and outlets for selling their products across the South West as I have seen. The disturbing question is, What is really behind their offer to buy Remington. I DO NOT believe their statement. Indeed, as Sovereign Nations, they control who they sell to and do not sell to, including foreign markets. And if they have that kind of financial clout to spend, Why do their people continue to suffer on the reservations for lack of those things I mentioned? Where is their SELF
        DEVELOPMENT for the People FIRST? The Federal government should ensure that in this case, the Remington Company is not sold to them as the Sovereign Nations they proclaim to be. Let them instead hire companies to drill the water wells they need, install solar and wind for energy, feed and house their elders, rebuild and insulate homes, clothe and feed their children and fight the drug and alcohol abuse on their reservations.

    • The Navajos Councils are controlled by Socialist Leftist as are most of the Native American councils. They do the same as the Liberals do to inner city blacks, focus all their efforts into keeping people poor and dependent on the government. People that aren’t victims are no use to the Left.

  2. It’s a big gamble for the Navajo Nation to roll the dice and double down with all their chips on Green. In fact, it’s very chancy. If I was a high roller from that tribe, I’d have serious reservations about taking a hit.

    • /facepalm
      I see what you did there.
      They’re Navajo, not Coushatta, do their tribe run casinos too? Seriously, I don’t know that.
      🤠

      • I assume the tribe has a casino. How else do folks come up with five hundred million in cash? Sadly, their plan seemed destined to run the company into the ground, and waste the tribe’s money. It is sadly ironic to see native Americans supporting gun control.

        Few people learn from history.

        • Does the Navajo Nation still receive Government subsidies? After all they only have $500,000,000 in cash.

        • Let’s see, JP Morgan Chase or the Navajos? JP Anti gun to the max. Although I’m a little surprised about the Navajos.

        • I think the Navajo also own the largest coal-fired power plant in the US. Strangely Obama didn’t try to shut it down.

        • People who have control of the tribal money steal it and misuse it. It’s not different than American government. Bad people get into positions of power and they take advantage.

          I am not for “gun control.” Heck, I am way more “American” about the 2nd Amendment than most Americans and the NRA.

        • Do the Navajo run casinos?
          I am truly saddened by people who will ask that question in a public forum, while sitting in front of a keyboard that will allow said people to access information on the internet.
          How lazy can you get?
          How willing to display your ignorance can you be?
          It makes you look like liberals.
          Edit: that last line will probably be edited out by TTAG as a flame.

  3. Well maybe they should of just to prove a point ether fail or see the flaws of their intents and make a better business decision.

    • Can I get about $500k? That’ll get me a nice new house and 40 acres (or more), and some toys and a bunch of ammo to enjoy my land. And a new truck. Then I won’t have to work and I can go lobby gun rights for everyone, and push out NFA. That’s my ultimate life goal.

      Let me know!

  4. “It intended to shift the company away from its consumer business, including curtailing the sale of the AR-15-style weapons INfrequently used in mass shootings, to focus on police and defense contracts.”

    Fact checked. Fixed it.

    🙂

  5. They have no handguns suitable for sale to M&P do they? They’d have a few shotguns sold, some “sniper rifles” and that’d be about it wouldn’t it? I mean the Civillian market is huge in comparison and the reason to court the M&P market is that you can use it to sell to people like Glock has.

    • After the Colt 2000, I believe they (wisely) gave up. Chalk it up to the nature of business. Colt and Winchester might have Won the West but couldn’t keep it up.

  6. Hey, do federal gun laws apply to Indian Reservations or can they make and sell anything there they want?

    If they want to make mostly M4s and M1921 Thompsons, maybe some Colt Monitors, I bet they could make a fortune.

    But that purchase proposal, jeez. I didn’t know any of the Nations had gone full progtard.

      • Half the States in the Union have demonstrated that Federal law doesn’t apply when it comes to Pot. The Federal government has no Constitutional authority to regulate intrastate commerce. Maybe States and Tribes should nullify the NFA.😊

        • It’s an interesting thought but until we get an honest to GOD libertarian government in place, I don’t see it happening.

      • And even if they didn’t, there’s still the problem that Federal laws (at least for the most part) still apply OFF the reservations.

    • Anything gov’t applies only when suits their objectives of the moment.

      Build road to our casinos (no toll)
      Give us welfare, all sorts, not jobs.
      But let us vote.

      .

  7. Let Remington pass into history. One less Fudd company to worry about. They should have ramped up ACR production focused on QC and moved out of NY.

    • The brand new Alabama factory might have been aimed at the eventual closing of the old Ilion plant, like they already closed the H&R plant in MA and the Para USA plant in NC.

  8. Colt would have made bank if they had just sold good guns to the public. But no, they have to chase defense contracts and sell crap to us. Remington needs to use that lesson.

    • It wasn’t just that. Colt also went overboard to be a “good corporate citizen”. Remember the Colt Block? In order to make nice with the gun banners, Colt made their civilian AR15’s with a big block of metal inside the receiver so it “couldn’t be converted to full auto” (and had to use Colt replacement parts and ONLY Colt parts, just coincidentally). One of the reasons Bushmaster and DPMS took off was that AR buyers were sick of Colt’s BS.
      Honestly, if Colt had had the kind of police market share that Smith had, they would probably have signed on to the same consent decree Smith did. Maybe even sooner.

  9. after reading this post…all I can think of is

    I want to meet the ‘white man devil’ that sold them this blanket and ‘fire’ water!….lol

    because who ever did is a SALESMAN of the year…like selling ice to Eskimos!

  10. How the heck do these Indians have 500000000 bucks to blow on a SJW project? No offense ’cause I myself am 1/64th Indian(I think!?!). Mebbe more than Pocahontas😄😎😏Oh I see Dan…3 billion(!)

  11. I honestly don’t see how this idea, had it gone through, would have been the best use of the Navajo Nation’s money. Let’s put aside the politics off the reservation for a moment.

    Most people here probably haven’t been on the Navajo reservation, nor seen the lack of power and transportation infrastructure there. Then there’s the water issue, which is a big conundrum in that area. There’s a little bit of surface water, but reliable water would have to be pumped from deep wells.

    Putting a large, modern manufacturing plant on the reservation would incur a huge sunk cost compared to putting it in a region where there’s better infrastructure to support manufacturing. I just can’t see this idea being the best possible investment for the Navajo people – politics completely aside from the issue.

    Now, when you add in the politics, technological challenges of any “smart gun” pipe dream, coupled with the fanciful daydreams of LEO’s actually signing on to a “smart gun” contract… now a company even ideally situated for infrastructure and transportation could go bankrupt quickly.

  12. Instead of spending all that money on worthless finger print technology, they should spend that money on providing better methods of educating the youth and adults proper fundamentals of gun safety and handling. In addition, provide a lower cost method to store firearms for lower income families.
    The technology ideas they are suggesting will drive Remington further into debt.

    • Please stop giving sensible advise. Remember they still need Government assistance because the White Man stole our land and we live in Poverty,
      $3.3 Billion invest fund you say.

  13. I would have loved to see this deal go through and have the “Navajo Nation’s” lose all their money. It would have been too rich to see history’s most hilariously failed culture do another face-plant.

    • “Like the country’s other reservations, the Navajo Nation is managed by a tribal government in cooperation with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. And like most other reservations, the Navajo Nation is plagued by, among other problems, crushing poverty, substance abuse, low education levels, low employment, inferior health care services, substandard housing and corruption in high places…”

      but apparently they have 500 million dollars to piss away on boondogles?

      • I was gonna say…if the tribal council there is anything like the tribal councils in WNY, 3.295B of the 3.3B is controlled by about 10 guys who live ridiculously well, the rest of the nation lives off the other .005B. Its horrible the conditions that those people let their “family” live in. They also were able to annex the land my Grandfather’s house was on. Didn’t have to pay him a dime, he owned the house still, just not the land it was on anymore. I guess he was lucky they didnt charge him rent…

      • The tribal, state and federal government makes sure the people as a whole don’t thrive. There’s sellouts who get rich off the people. I guess you could go as far as calling them traitors.

      • “Like the country’s other reservations, the Navajo Nation is managed by a tribal government in cooperation with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. And like most other reservations, the Navajo Nation is plagued by, among other problems, crushing poverty, substance abuse, low education levels, low employment, inferior health care services, substandard housing and corruption in high places…”

        That seems to be the result in almost all groups the government “helps.”
        Like most other minorities int he US, government help to the Native Americans has resulted in far lower standards of living than the majority of the unhelped people enjoy.
        Not to say the councils aren’t corrupt, too. Free money has a habit of doing that to people.

  14. Shifting away from producing products aimed at the massive purchasing power of the American consumer and toward government contracts is a proven strategy for failure.

    Don’t believe me? Ask Colt

    But just think of all the Democrat legislators that would insist on shoveling gov contract money to them to show some kind of Lefty point. It might work with that gravy train.

  15. So tax payer money to support their nation, who builds casinos, whose profits go to buy remington, to retool it for law enforcement contracts and dead end gun tech nobody wants.

    Srsly convoluted.

    • Reservations are designed to fail. That’s the whole reason they were created, otherwise they would have just killed everyone. Hence the councils and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

  16. This smells of a fraud committed against the Navajo. Get them to foot your project and like a mass-casualty-victim’s family drop them like a hot potato with all the costs as soon as you’re done using them to grand-stand. Navajo’s bankrupted, white gentry librals ego-stroked; win-win like it was 1880 all over again!

  17. Rather than buying a gun manufacture… natives should build some roads and clean up the trash in their reservations.

  18. 2018… still keeping firearms out of the hands of Indians. If they want to compound the bankruptcy, let them. Other manufacturers will pick up the slack when the brand completely disappears.

  19. For smart gun adoption, laws mandating only smart guns be sold are required. Everyone in that area of research has said so.

  20. So…. Take the cash. Wait for the the Navajo Nation and Navajo tribal politics to run it into the ground like they do everything else, and then buy it back for a tiny fraction of the amount they paid for it.

  21. Maybe it’s time to give up on the Remington name, if they can’t secure a meaningful market share of new purchases from their hunting rifles, shotguns, modern sporting rifles, or even their striker-fired pistols.

    Colt was a different story, people still want to buy quality 1911s and some of their modern sporting rifles have historically been very highly regarded. Not to mention the zillions of dollars they could make by rereleasing the Python (I don’t know what their sales are like on the new line of Series 70 1911s, but I suspect they’re pretty good).

    What role does Remington serve in today’s market?

  22. How stupid do Native Americans have to be to do ANYTHING that takes away individual gun rights and increases the firepower of the Federal govt.

    They learned nothing.

  23. It’s almost like the American gun mfr’s are all but dead. They have no ingenuity left & unions have killed them. That’s why the likes of Glock & Sig have taken over. They will cut their own throats to make a minor deal with the anti’s than wonder why the pro 2A crowd drops them & their sales are faltering, take dicks sporting goods for instance…..I hope those M/Fer’s go chapter 7.

  24. So let me get this straight. The Navajo are now wanting to purchase and run a firearm company with the sole purpose of ARMING the American government? I can’t tell if this is an Onion article or if this is real life. I mean, would you ever imagine that happening in a billion years? Do they teach history at all on the Reservations? Asking for a friend…

  25. Thank GOD the offer got rejected! What about the THOUSAND employees working and living in the Mohawk Valley? This area would turn into a ghost town if the plan to shut Remington down went through. Over 1,000 jobs lost in an area built by and supported by Remington…… The financial loss of hundreds of families and businesses that depend on it. Good job turning that offer down, I LIKE my job!!

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