Gun Makers Stepping Up

4/29/20 Fox News:

While it is something of a war without weapons, leading gun manufacturers across the country are stepping up to aid the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

Similarly to that of car manufacturers that have jumped to make medical equipment, and alcohol distilleries that have opted to make hand sanitizer, U.S. weapons plants have also turned their production plants to target areas in need of aid – namely personal protection equipment (PPE).
"SIG Sauer, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and KelTec are among the companies in the firearm industry who have made efforts to fight Covid-19 by making and/or supplying PPE. The donations have been made to first responders such as police, fire, and EMTs, but also to healthcare professionals in their local hospitals," Eric Poole, editor-in-chief of Guns & Ammo Magazine told Fox News. "The response has been growing among companies as they learn how they can shift their capabilities."...

"The protective equipment we typically used prior to this was for hearing and eye protection in our factories and due to the fact that we test-fire products in our test ranges or at our training," he explained. "But because our manufacturing processes utilize some of the most advanced technology in the world, including some of the latest robotics and computer-aided design and prototyping, most of the PPE we typically use is related to maintenance and hazardous material abatement."

Furthermore, SIG Sauer's Oregon-based Electro-Optics division has been 3D printing plastic face shields to donate to Medical Teams International. The non-governmental organization outfits doctors and nurses on mobile coronavirus testing vans in the greater metro area of Portland. The company also said that it would be giving away these face shields to local healthcare workers and hospitals spanning Oregon, Arkansas, and New Hampshire in the weeks to come.