Rumors

I want to stray from the usual areas of discussion to talk about a rumor that has been going around the Internet for some time. I'm talking about the rumor that Freedom Group is owned and controlled by George Soros. According to the rumor, Soros is buying up the various firearms companies with the idea of destroying the American firearms industry. The latest iteration of this rumor is that Freedom Group has done away with the Marlin Firearms Company.

Freedom Group is a private company, owned by a group of investors. Currently, it lists among its holdings such companies as Remington, Marlin, DPMS, Bushmaster, Dakota Arms and Harrington & Richardson, among others.

The claim that Marlin Firearms is being phased out is utterly ridiculous. During the acquisition of Marlin, Freedom Group realized that many Marlin firearms were being built on equipment that belonged in a museum, not in a modern manufacturing facility. The decision was made to move the company to Ilion, NY, and furnish it with modern machinery. That is in the process of being done. Marlin is currently building the Model 336 and Model 1895 rifles and will soon be marketing the full line of Marlin products. The addition of the modern equipment will insure better quality control and will go a long way toward keeping its customers happy.

So, let's get this straight. George Soros does not own, nor control, Freedom Group. And Freedom group does not have some dark plan to sabotage the American firearms industry. Its intentions are to continue to build the kind of guns, ammo and gear their customers want and, thereby, make a profit for investors.

There may well be some sabotage going on, but it is being done by those who have started this baseless rumor and those who are continuing to spread it.