The consequences of the policy choices made by Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and the Virginia Assembly are starting to cost The Old Dominion in the form of lost jobs, lost wages, lost taxes and lost business. And Georgia is coming out as the winner.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Rideout Arsenal, a firearm designer and manufacturer that specializes in high-end, high-performance competition pistols, is relocating to Thomasville, Georgia. The company is bringing with them investment in a $22 million facility and 120 new jobs.
“Georgia attracts job creators from all over the country and world because we work with them, not against them,” said Gov. Brian Kemp in a press release. “Our state’s pro-business approach, skilled workforce, and enduring support for constitutional freedoms make us an ideal home for manufacturers like Rideout Arsenal, and we look forward to their success here in the No. 1 state for business.”
Rideout Arsenal owners, Travis and Kelsey Rideout, said they’re proud to manufacture in the United States and are excited to be relocating to a friendlier business climate in Georgia. But leaving their current location in Spotsylvania, Virginia, wasn’t the original plan.
“This relocation was not something we originally planned to pursue. The reality is that recent anti-gun legislation in Virginia created a significant uncertainty for our company and ultimately forced us to look for a state where we could continue operating, investing, and growing with confidence,” Travis and Kelsey explained in the press release. “We are excited to bring new jobs and manufacturing investment to Thomas County and are grateful for the warm welcome we have already received.”
Warmer Climates
The great gun company migration continues. States hostile to Second Amendment rights, firearm ownership and manufacturing continue to lose business to states that welcome them with open arms.
Georgia is no stranger to firearm manufacturing. GLOCK, Inc., Daniel Defense, Heckler & Koch USA and BPI Outdoors are among the dozens of firearm, ammunition, and suppressor makers that call Georgia home.
Gov. Kemp is also no stranger to the firearm industry. He’s been a guest at NSSF’s Governors’ Forum held at SHOT Show in Las Vegas on multiple occasions. He’s also been aggressive when it comes to attracting and growing firearm and ammunition businesses in The Peach State. That includes attracting Norma Precision Ammunition to build a new ammunition production and distribution facility in Bryan County, north of Savannah. Taurus moved production to Bainbridge, Georgia, from South Florida in 2019. Daniel Defense opened their new headquarters and manufacturing location in Black Creek, Ga., in 2018.
The exodus of firearm companies from states hostile to Second Amendment rights and firearm and ammunition manufacturers isn’t limited to Virginia. That migration has been happening for years. Sturm, Ruger & Co., quietly moved their headquarters from Southport, Connecticut to Mayodan, North Carolina where it has a manufacturing facility.
Smith & Wesson Brands moved their headquarters and established manufacturing in Maryville, Tennessee in 2021. That came after Massachusetts lawmakers considered legislation that would ban the manufacture of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) in The Bay State, even though those rifles are already barred from sale.
Gov. Kemp isn’t alone in his quest to attract firearm businesses to his state. Governors come to SHOT Show for more reasons than to talk to attendees at the Governors’ Forum. They’re also there to talk to business leaders about what their states have to offer if they’re considering moving operations. That includes a vibrant and skilled workforce, distribution infrastructure and even attractive tax incentives.
‘Come Back to America’
Montana’s Gov. Greg Gianforte has been particularly vocal. After Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed restrictive gun control in his state, Gov. Gianforte posted a video inviting gun companies to “come back to America.”
To all gun manufacturers in Colorado, my question for you is simple: do you want to move back to America? pic.twitter.com/JTiQdbmCGJ
— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) April 23, 2025
In a viral video message to Colorado firearm industry members, the governor said, “If you needed another sign Democrat governors are out of touch with reality, well here it is. Colorado is ranked in the top 10 states with the biggest gun industry,” Gov. Gianforte explained. “But the Democrat governor of Colorado signed into law one of the most restrictive gun bans ever adopted in the United States. The law bans the manufacturing and selling of semiautomatic firearms. This is on top of the liberal state’s existing ban on high-capacity magazines. That’s just crazy. So, to all gun manufacturers in Colorado, my question to you is simple. Do you want to move back to America?”
For Rideout Arsenal, the decision wasn’t planned, but Gov. Spanberger’s gun control agenda made it easy. Georgia promises a place for their business to thrive. Instead of a cloudy outlook, the firearm manufacturer’s future in Georgia is looking peachy.
Mark Oliva is Managing Director of Public Affairs for NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association.