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Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

reuters.com

161–170 of 344 posts

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#161

I'd say $220 mil is a pretty good price for a company that hasn't introduced an innovative product in 50 years. Colt's main products are the AR-15 (introduced ~1963), the various 1911 models (introduced in—duh—1911), and the single action army revolvers (introduced in 1873). It must be a hell of a marketing effort to keep flogging 50–150 year old products.

Can you name any small arms manufacturer who has introduced a successful, innovative design in the past 50 years? The design space seems pretty well explored at this point.

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#162
post #102

Honest question: How is this relevant to Hacker News? As a non-American i was rather bewildered to find this here. Is there a serious overlap between gun enthusiasts and the IT community in the US?

There is a large overlap between any serious engineering discipline and firearms enthusiasts.

The engineering and physics involved in building/tuning guns and shooting accurately is very interesting.

Furthermore, the "renegade" spirit required to reject the status-quo and push the envelope in science and engineering attracts quite a few of the same types of people.

Finally, the idea of "banning" guns -- which every basically qualified engineer or physicist should be capable to building from readily available materials and tools -- makes them even more interesting. If for no other reason than to illuminate preposterous and insulting nature of the idea.

IMHO. ;)

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#163
post #102

Honest question: How is this relevant to Hacker News? As a non-American i was rather bewildered to find this here. Is there a serious overlap between gun enthusiasts and the IT community in the US?

take a look at https://animagraffs.com/how-a-handgun-works-1911-45/ and tell me this ain't ENGINEERING

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#164
post #74
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.” With 3d printed guns already a reality (I have seen designs for completely printed models, including the bolt carrier), the cat is out of the bag.

> I have seen designs for completely printed models, including the bolt carrier Are these parts functional? I would be literally stunned if you could 3D print a bolt carrier group that lasts more than a clip. The last I looked (and it's been a couple years), the designs exist, but are largely non-functional and/or still require several parts to be made of steel. The barrel is another problematic piece. I get that wit…

Current 3D printed guns like the FGC-9[1] make use of standard metal parts that can be bought at a hardware store. The bolt requires a single weld, though people have made weldless bolts[2]. The barrel is a metal tube that you can buy at a hardware store and rifle with ECM. Ammunition can be manufactured from blanks or deactivated ammo (both of which are legal in many parts of the EU).

The end result is a firearm built entirely with parts that are legal to purchase in the EU.[3] This will only get easier as 3D printers improve and weapon designs are refined.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FGC-9

2. https://imgur.com/gallery/xZqXXuE

3. The FGC-9's designer lives in the EU. He manufactured the gun & ammo himself and shot it in his basement: https://twitter.com/freegunzone/status/1309896256760709128

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#165
This is likely a move so they can continue to either a) import firearms from outside of the US for sale or b) to gain traction and tooling to produce CZ products domestically in the case that the Biden Admin actually gets some form of "assault weapon" ban passed. It's important to note, they'll include pistols that hold more than 15 rounds as "assault weapons".

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Western democracy wouldn't exist without citizens who were armed to the teeth. Do you think the monarchys would have happily and peacefully turned over their power because of the power of love? Because someone said please sir?

In the UK the Monarchy was stripped of powers by other nobles, not regular citizens. I'm not sure about other places, but I wouldn't assume it was always a popular revolution of some sort. I would guess in many cases it was slowly ceded to other parts of the government.

I am guessing if the nobles did not have weapons and troops the monarch would not have given up some power.

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that it is possible to make a gun using 3D-printed parts does not make it a significant contributing factor to the prevalence of guns (for non-recreational use) in the US.

I think the point was to note that shutting down manufacturing us no longer a useful way to prevent firearms from being made. They don't need to be 3D printed right now because there are factories. If all the factories shut down tomorrow, that wouldn't stop new guns from being produced.

Might as well not have any laws or regulations ever, then.

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#168
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think there is a large overlap with American IT workers and gun enthusiasts. I happen to be one of them. But I do agree with your comment. As much as I may find the topic "Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt" interesting, I believe it does not belong on Hacker News. Little by little Hacker News is turning into reddit. There is a reason why I come here and not reddit. The mods should take this post down to ensure the in…

When you say IT workers, do you mean mostly the people we used to call sysadmins? (The term "IT worker" doesn't translate well globally.)

"IT" is an overloaded term, so I don't blame the confusion. When I say IT, I am referring to jobs like Software Development, sysadmins, technicians, data scientists, etc.

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#169
post #102

Honest question: How is this relevant to Hacker News? As a non-American i was rather bewildered to find this here. Is there a serious overlap between gun enthusiasts and the IT community in the US?

In my opinion Hacker News isn’t strictly an IT community but a platform that focuses on technology, startup culture and entrepreneurship that allows followers with a mix of technical obsession, business ambition, and aspirational curiosity to discuss among themselves to have some sort of intellectual reasoning.I may be wrong.

I think the link is startups and the closely related libertarianism which then spills into gun ownership

Re: Czech gunmaker CZG buys Colt in cash and stock deal

#170
post #102

Honest question: How is this relevant to Hacker News? As a non-American i was rather bewildered to find this here. Is there a serious overlap between gun enthusiasts and the IT community in the US?

> Is there a serious overlap between gun enthusiasts and the IT community in the US?

Anecdotally, but yes. Same with cars, AV & musical gear, other technical-ish stuff.

I chalk it up to technical / engineering mentalities, disposable income, and US culture. Give nerds money and the ability to blow stuff up... and they'll blow stuff up.

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