Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 28, 1993 TAG: 9311280106
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They say that Winchester, one of the country's largest firearms manufacturers, is simply trying to be politically correct.
Winchester has its fair share of military contracts, which need the blessing of a Congress made gun-shy by street violence, critics say.
Gun enthusiasts in droves are running to stores in search of dwindling supplies of the Black Talon, one of the top-selling hollow-point bullets in the country.
Black Talon ammo, which got its name because it develops metal claws as it rips through flesh, became a symbolic target of gun-control advocates, said Mike Hickok, a salesman for Capital Guns and Ammo in Roanoke.
"It's got the baddest rep," he said. "It looks the baddest. It sounds the baddest."
The political game began early last week, when some members of Congress rapped the bullet, saying it was used on the street to "rip people's guts out."
Hickok said those pronouncements appeared to be trouble for Winchester.
Without the support of Congress, Winchester realized that some of its military contracts could go elsewhere, Hickok said. That possibility was enhanced by the gun-control stance of the Clinton administration, which has been winning the political shootout against the pro-gun lobby.
"It amazed most people that Winchester bellied up like that," Hickok said. "Actually, Black Talon is no different than about 10 other rounds on the market."
At least, there was no difference until Winchester made its decision.
Within 24 hours, the price of Black Talon ammo skyrocketed from about $9 to $25 a box.
Hickok, who collects ammo, bought all 1,000 rounds of Black Talon available at Capital Guns and Ammo.
"I'll just sit it on the shelf," he said. "The minute you tell people they can't have something, they'll want it. Nobody's got it, period."
That certainly was the situation at On Target. The Roanoke gun store and firing range ran out of Black Talon shortly after Winchester's announcement.
Since the public debate heated up, On Target sold several hundred boxes of the bullets.
Mark Brittain, assistant manager of On Target, said Congress may be off center in its belief that banning a bullet will slow street crime.
"The people involved in street shootings are not the average people who walk into this store," he said. "Most people involved in street crime already are involved in other criminal activity."
Brittain said his customers already have respect for the law and human life but are looking to protect themselves.
In self-defense, stopping an aggressor is the No. 1 concern.
"I think people are looking for ammo that is a one-shot stop," he said.
Winchester's announcement affects sales to civilian customers only. Black Talon is still available for police and military uses.
by CNB