Allhands: Don't blame Donald Trump for Remington's bankruptcy

Remington, one of America's oldest and most storied firearms manufacturers, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

And not surprisingly, lots of stories are blaming Sandy Hook or Donald Trump for it.

It's true. Some investors fled after Remington was sued – and subsequently cleared of wrongdoing – because one of the rifles it manufactures was used in the despicable Newtown, Conn., school shooting.

And, yes, despite some initial indications that demand for firearms would remain strong, it has plummeted since Trump took office. It's such a strange phenomena: People hoard guns when Democrats are in office. They don't when Republicans are there.

But saying that's why Remington hit the financial rocks overlooks the elephant in the room: Years of poor quality and management.

There was a revolving door of CEOs, many of which clearly had no idea how to run a firearms company. Even worse, Remington had a slew of production problems. There were costly recalls and firearms, like the R-51, that simply didn't work. 

It's hard to get people to buy your product if you develop a reputation for making junk. Granted, Remington is beginning to turn around its production problems and improve the quality of its firearms.

And, yes, slow demand certainly doesn't help when you're trying to rebuild your reputation. 

But I wouldn't read too much into the bankruptcy filing, as if this is the beginning of the end for the firearms industry. The companies that are making great products will survive. 

That's how it should be.

Reach Allhands at joanna.allhands@arizonarepublic.com.

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