New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-12
AMERICAN FIREARMS.
EFFECT OF THE M'KINLEY TARIFF.
LOWER PRICES IN ALL EXCEPT FEW GRADES
4 FLoURI:HING CONNECTICUT INDUSTRY.

rpoy SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE
Norwich. Conn., Sept. 1O.-This city has long been
known az one Of the principal manufacturing ceh'rcs
NJ firearms I'm America. Several years ago 'ere "o'e
ely or seven shops engaged here IT. mat ihaus'r''
and hundreds OF men were empoyeu. Ia '''e, ''"'.
mis- business decreased and while the nome "e'ah'
vas &c great n ever It supplied In certain grades
81, croorme entirely BY the foreign manurac ureis.
mo copr,shine INDUSTRY langushcd. and the SHOPS
one after the Other went out OF business VINE" INC
Mckinley bill was passed there WIS o'' 80 w.,
here and another OF smaller cap'cio' u'
these shops manufactured pistols ''N"os' .
-5rc 1890 both Of these shops have largely increased
,., ,ac,,,,ies and about doubled their force OF
mechanics Another shop has sprang INTO eAi'"Fnce'
ord the scope Of the industry has been e'aree"'
Ireteoa ~ combining the business 90 the mah"ae"hs
of pistols small rifles and slngle-Darrei s"o'S" "''
now being made in large numbers.
The demand for chcse particular xmas OF nr'@rn'S
has not of course, been created ehue. W ne
,cKin,ev act Other causes have co0pcrn'eo 10 0'or
American manufacture The pistols sod IN Us c"ui'y
,ovo o,,noe- wholly been made by American manu-
foctnrors and slnge-barreI breech-loadins shoHuhs
DC vol Dutics However, were increaseu oh ,"e'o
firearms TO such an extent mat there - NV nv
danger OF foreign competition, ana me 1n'e'''
market will probably remain In the hahus VI "o"e
manufacturers where II was to large cA'c" "''o''
the bill passed ,,..,rr.-
received no additional protccon but the s"pe'io'S
~ tho domestic arms has driven ont tbc Foreign I'M
nor,o,,on This IS particularly t7re OF the boys
cbeop target rife Before the passage OF tne 'nr'n
act larce numbers OF the Flobert rne' anu o'"er
rifles OF either German. Bcgan or Ehshsh "nahe "'rc
sold in This country prices not cxcceohs nVc "o
Iors and in some grades lower than three aoia''
They were crude In workmanship, INFERIOR III ""Nh
and old snd clumsy IN pattern. The cheap Amerl-
tbr trade
lars. and It almost entirely supplies the nome mar
lot II IS greatly superior TO the foreign goods
formerly imported The tanf has had the effect OF
roscrvinp the home market for the American manu-
focrcrs OF single barrel sho,guns pistols ana cheop
rifles. ,
Firearms OF these grades are made mere i"o
plonts OF the two established shops have been oooo'
and another shop Inns started hundreds Oh men arc
now EMPLOYED at wages double those paid In England
and trcble those paid in Belgium and Germany. The
industry is now nourlshlng and gunmskers who navo
ccn in other trades for years. have gone back 10 Their
old vacation. Notwithstanding the hirh duty, Ancri-
can manufacturers are now selling Their nrearHs ~
lower prices than before. For example, MAY
mention the Bull Dog" revolver, staple produc"ph
Before the Mckinley bill passed II was sod 10 INC
trade for II 90, In competition with the Bih'h bun
Dog, which was laid down hero ut 81 90. To-Day
Tho British "Eull DOE at the Same price, would
caly excludes It at that price. But the home com
ro,i,ion has become so active that the American
4. Euu Dog IS now sod the trade for about II 10
That is one OF the effects Of Increased Protection 1t
is sefevident that the consumer docs not suner IN
this respect
In another grade OF pistols OF better type the
reduction has been a. great. When inc shi'h
Wesson patents expired On their revolver n','
clan firm made an exact reproduction OF the pistol
tho .
country to the trade for - 4o-a price TINT was
considered "roclILottoin." Tho Mckinley bill pre-
vented the profitable importation of thai pistol NJ
that price. There are now several American firms
rcprOiucng the smith Wesson pistol, ana the com
pe,tion has become spirited that the prices U"
the trade have fallen TO a@ 75 each. and the arms
are retailing 10 The consumer for 81 and ~ - apiece
The foreign Importation, although II was not large
has ceased, and the increased demand has enaoiea
American manufacturers 10 make these pistols ~
lower prices Before the bill passed, the orders re
cevcd by domestic manufacturers from selling agents
averaged 500 p,stos now the orders run nom .'ooo
70 1900 a month: but manufacturers can MAKE
closer estimates on large orders than on small ones
increased demand al close prices Is Dcttcr uLi u
limited demand al high prices.
Yog quiet. peace owing nation It Is surprising
how many nrc1rms are sold in this country every
year. Careful estimates p ace the number OF ps"S
al 80 900; shot guns, double and single barrel at
400 OOO and rifles of all grades At 10oooo most
OF these firearms are made in Connecticut, Massi
chuscts and Ncw-lork and this State makes abon,
onr-third Of the entire home product. This pro
norton includes all grades OF firearms. and Is not
cxtrayagant Probably the largest part % the fire
arms made should be placed I'm the medium grade
and IL Is in that particular line that Norwich taxes
tho lead. The manufacturers IN this city DO not
attempt TO mako shOtsuns or niles that "onld com.
pete with the high price firearms manufactured az
Mcriden Ncw-Iaven or Hartford! Guns made IN
those places sell from so $500 each. ard spccihc
duty on a gun OF that class would not keep out
foreign made gun Therefore there Is practically no
protection on the high grade Of firearms, ehotsuns
IN piuicular.
1t is in its effects upon the importation Of medium
and low grades Of doubl>-barrel shotguns that the
Mckinley bill has been more directly iet Than on
any other class Of firearms. Before the bill passed
there was a domestic demand for a cheap double
barrel, brccch-loadng shotgun, which was nll'd by
foreign.made guns They were sold to the trade
for prices ranging from 80 TO sl5. The specific duty
added "a besides the advalOrcm duty, and the I'M
portailon has fallen of three fourhS. 10 far this
demand for "A cheap double barrel shotgun iNs mol
been met by American manufacturers; but IN uinc
1t will probably be supplied Competition VIII work
ont tbs problem ~ II has many oheiN under pro
lection. a better gun is made which sells ior about
s2O; but that gun docs not universally meet inc
Gonaid for cheap gun.
MANY importers, who also act the selling agents
OF American manufacturers In other grades OF firearms.
have tiicd to supply this demand by importing the
guns In parts. The stocks, barrels and brerclochs
have been from Europe In different ships. and Then
are assembled here. The increased duty the parts
amounts TO ahout ~ 80 OF each gun. ON finished
gun the specific duty would be about 81 By Import
Ing the guns In parts the lowest grade when assembled
can be- r.Ialt lor about 80. instead Of y 30. How
ever the Collector OF the Port Of New-lOrk has de-
oided that the importation OF these guns H. parts
am evasion Of the Inv and that the spccihc duty mist
he paid. This decision carried Into the courts,
where the case is now pending In the meantime the
imporfcis bringing their goods In under protest II
remains 10 bc determined whether American manu-
facturcrs afford 10 make these shoigns chcapiy
rs fulcgn rivals make them IN Europe. II Is qIes
ton "a wages. Great distress t. prevailing in the gun
Stop, abroad and II f. almost certain that prices viii
Ii. reduced This probable reduction Ia prices Inns
created an unsettled feeling among importers and they
are selling hcr i0rcis made firearms nj prices below
q IrdIcc their Stock III other grldcs the