The Future of Firearms | VICE on HBO

[Music] during the eight years of the Obama presidency more guns were sold in this country than ever before today we've come here to the largest independently owned gun store in America to learn about the future of the gun industry [Music] there if you can just tell me a little bit about this shop sure my father started back in the mid 50's as a coin shop bought a coin collection that had some guns with it and that got him started in the gun business it was the gun industry strong in North Carolina back then nothing like today most gun companies went bankrupt between wars the history of gun business has been one of boom and bust so looking around it feels like we're in a boom right now probably what the biggest moves ever how many different gun models and you guys have your thousands now is in competition hunting collecting doomsday doomsday yes preference people that think that you have a nuclear attack or a young type of pandemic they're getting ready yes what are the most popular guns so the most popular gun is been the ar-15 type the military looking good bring it inside your shoulder just a little bit why do you low in guns it's just like one of the golf boards some people go for beers some people do they are in the past decade the gun industry has grown by an unprecedented amount there are now over a hundred and thirty thousand federal licenses issued to sell firearms in America compare that to the estimated 14,000 McDonald's nationwide you have almost ten times as many potential places to buy a gun as you do a Big Mac to accommodate this growth gun manufacturing has expanded massively so we're at Caltech this is the largest gun manufacturer in Florida and one of the largest in the country they're also the only gun manufacturer we contacted he was willing to let us film inside hey hey good nice to meet you this challenge step on out here this is our warehouse this is the front half of our CNC shop we have three shifts and we run them pretty much 24/7 really what's your favorite part of your job you can do this with his eyes closed at this point right we do about a hundred and fifty thousand guns a year every year that that border seems to get bigger while manufacturing work nationwide has declined drastically since the eighties the gun industry has actually created more jobs during eighty-one percent since 2008 what do you attribute this growth in Celtx to I think with the political landscape being what it was over the last eight years people really needed stuff you know they felt like their rights were gonna be taken away so they needed to get this that and the other before they couldn't get him anymore the way the gun industry is portrayed by the media how does the gun industry feel about that we feel attacked you know anytime you've got a political landscape that wants to put 260 people out of work no matter what we're making that's an attack a lot of that is perpetuated by the media and a way to cover these you know these mass shootings and these terrible things that happen so why do gun sales go up after mass shootings then every time that happens the public that owns firearms they want to get those things before they get banned the phenomenon and Chad describes actually defined the Obama era it's a country we have been through this too many times and we're gonna have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this regardless of the politics while Obama was pushing for tougher gun control laws after Sandy Hook the three largest gun makers earned a record-breaking 247 million dollars in profits the following year the years 2009 to 2016 have been referred to as the Barak boom when five of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in recent American history occurred and gun sales nearly doubled it's not even the fact that a particular firearm was used in a shooting it's the fact that everyone's scared that the government's gonna ban that particular gun now circumstances have fundamentally changed [Music] Donald Trump's win ensured that no gun control laws would be forthcoming would send gun stocks into a downward spiral without the fear of gun control the firearms industry is missing its greatest marketing tool ever so they're having to innovate there's no better way to ensure the future security of an industry than appealing to the next generation whose eyes she competes against retired military active duty law enforcement Border Patrol I get asked all the time oh my gosh are you worried when she starts dating and I go not at all shooter ready stand by [Music] last year at the Smith & Wesson nationals she placed fourth in the country and free team rifle that's excellent that last year's in a rate convention one of her sponsors advertised appearances at their booth for her and I was stunned I turned around and there was a line of 40 adults that were lined up to get her autograph two hours I'm just signing industry sponsored organizations donate tens of millions of dollars to use shooting programs every year and just like the X Games did for skateboarders these shooting leagues that transform their young participants into branding gold for gun businesses alamo tactical have sponsored two pistols for her milan live a custom-built her ar-15s blade tech provide all of the magazine holders the gun belts the different holsters gun for hire for the last three years running has given her a check for $5,000 a year to help cover expenses in a lot of ways it's like NASCAR the more you contribute the bigger you get advertised on the Jersey Cheyenne and Vanessa don't just shoot competitively they're also part of an organization co-founded by Cheyenne's father that advocates for gun rights known as you shooters of America so Cheyenne you spoke to the New Jersey Senate when you were 10 years old about what at the time they were trying to lower the magazine limits 10 rounds and I was saying how that could potentially hurt my career and I'm no longer would be able to do it in that state if they had passed that long and what happened and they didn't pass it they vetoed it in their fight for broader gun laws these kids have become America's youngest gun lobbyists [Music] are we gonna see the normalization of guns in this country on some level I believe that the movement of gun control is almost on life support I think we have a four year window that if we do it right we could actually put a serious serious setback the next phase and the gun rights movement has already begun this year two separate bills were introduced before Congress which would greatly expand the rights of concealed carrier's effectively erasing many gun-free zones within public schools and government lands and the firearms industry has already at lockstep with this legislation as they accessorize to meet the needs of the concealed carry consumer it's a breakaway opening everything is I created concealed carry line of holsters that were practical for women you wouldn't know it but I'm actually carrying three firearms of the knife the name of the jacket is executive I'm ready to roll pepper spray fully weighted 9-millimeter shield here's a nine and in here magazine concealed carry is growing in popularity as more people feel the need to protect themselves everywhere they go but they're protecting themselves from can vary greatly Mohammed Schwab is a dentist who recently decided to conceal carry even at work about a year and a half ago I got my concealed weapons permit it's a 357 and it'll do its job it doesn't even have a safety on it it's all you have to do is pull the trigger that's it I will dr.xu Abe got his concealed carry permit because as a Syrian Muslim he felt increasingly targeted and in danger because of it when you walk with your wife in the mall you can see how people look at her like they just want to come and tear her scarf off like it's bothering them or something is the Muslim community here feeling more targeted very it's not like all of a sudden you have an influx of white supremacy it's like this cost negative rhetoric is infusing them with something and you never know who's gonna switch up on you that's why I carry it doesn't make you feel safer no the gun no having it on you makes you think of the worst case scenario more it's become an environment where nobody is comfortable we're standing outside of the Islamic Society of New Tampa this mosque was attacked by an arsonist last week and hate crimes like this have been on the rise since Trump started campaigning two years ago yeah I'll call with respect to the event on the 23rd and 24th of October I just wanted to let you know what reply to your and I'm gonna personally have a militia it's going to come down here Islamic society a firebombing issue who ever been on fight in the end I'll get a computer bowl hungry talk you hot dog your stand major cut net out of my country you're gonna die this is the kind of stuff the community owes with its it's it's you know our works been growing more important by the day unfortunately I mean we've had a huge influx of calls for help especially since Donald Trump started his campaign targeting the American Muslim community if you take him back to November of 2015 since then unfortunately we've documented a 500% increase in anti-muslim hate crimes mosques being tortured and burned down our own mosque and mosque I go to I do sermons at some times was arson over this past weekend how has the Muslim community in Florida responded to that and unfortunately many of us were pushed to start considering taking serious measures to arm and protect ourselves if somebody's going to come at you or your family or your house of worship with violent intentions you need to be ready so sure I'm giving the sermon you see somebody walking in opening fire what are you gonna do you know are you gonna have to duck for cover and watch your members getting slaughtered or can you whip out your handgun and do what you have to do to keep your community safe can you yes you should with so many millions of guns being produced and purchased every year in only 10 states requiring owners to report when they get lost or stolen the illegal market for guns in America is an upcoming Harvard and Northeastern University study estimates that 400,000 guns are stolen every year many of which are sold on the black market researchers estimate that these illegal guns get used in as many as 8 out of every 10 gun crimes by merrily in poor urban centers like Chicago Baltimore in Detroit [Music] so where these guns actually come from you got this breaking it card breaking the house is still in them and get them from crack is niggas breaking in the gun stores my momentum bitches with cars what niggas might have bought illegally and download it no ma you feel yeah why don't you guys buy guns legally why do you have to come here get easier on the streets man when I lost them couple on another I know they're a lot of people like you for years the Obama administration pushed for stricter gun control laws under the belief that they would curtail crime but that era has given way to a different belief the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is it good it's a belief backed by an industry that values itself at over fifty billion dollars and a president that broke spending records campaigning [Music] you know when people can defend themselves and their families we're all safer everyone should have a gun that's sane trained and have be able to use it for protection I will defend my right to own a gun until they take it from my hands forcibly I have a thousand rounds in my closet I hold a thousand lives in my closet you came through for me and I am going to come through for you [Applause] [Music]

Channel: VICE News

Views: 1,026,431

Rating: 4.0462632 out of 5

Keywords: Future of Firearms, future of firearms vice, Gun industry, Suroosh Alvi, VICE, VICE News, job growth, NRA, rifles, rifle, gun control, gun lobbying, National Rifle Association, mass shootings, firearms, firearm, Sandy Hook Shooting, Shootings, gun sales, newtown shooting, gun profits, deadly mass shootings, hbo, news, vice news tonight, VICE Suroosh Alvi, VICE on HBO, Newtown, gun control debate, Parkland mass shooting, suroosh alvi, suroosh alvi vice, vice on hbo full episode

Id: OPx4nTUfmW4

Length: 14min 25sec (865 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 04 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/razor_beast]

While this is more neutral than their previous work I dislike the spooky tone or the insinuation that people are being brainwashed into wanting to protect themselves.

[u/maxwalktheplanck]

That shooting stance, hahaha.

[u/sgtsnyder88]

Suroosh Alvi Investigates The Future of Firearms narrates Vice's latest firearms hit piece

FTFY

[u/StaplerLivesMatter]

Oh, hey, Kel Tec factory. Are these the people I talk to about how their products can't get through a magazine without jamming? lol