Nick Pathiakis News Today

Between 2007 and 2021, commercial gun manufacturing in Maine plummeted 77% while national production shot up 250%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The number of guns produced annually by Maine manufacturers...

Commercial gun manufacturing in Maine dropped 77% in recent years, a decrease that reflects weapons companies' move from the Northeast to the South. The dramatic decrease is part of a broader trend that has seen gunmakers move from the Northeast to the South, where states offer tax breaks and a more welcoming political climate amid an outcry over increasing mass shootings.

Tax breaks and a sunny political climate have convinced gun manufacturers to find welcoming homes in the South.

The number of guns produced annually by Maine manufacturers dropped from 104,552 to 23,226 between 2007 and 2021.

Gun manufacturing in Maine has dropped 77% while national production rose 250%, part of a trend of gunmakers moving from the Northeast to the South.