October 11, 2011
By Robert W. Hunnicutt
New Jersey, where Samuel Colt first made revolvers and home to more than a few makers and importers over the years, is losing its most prominent, and one of its last, gun companies. Hounded for the last several years by state regulators after a rogue employee stole guns, Sarco is moving its operations entirely to its new location just across the border in Easton, Pa.
The 50-year-old family company founded by "Cholly" and Marie Steen (see 9/20/02) is one of the nation's largest importers and parts suppliers, and will continue to warehouse stock in New Jersey, but all orders will now be filled from the new location at 50 Hilton St., Easton, Pa. 18042. Purchasers should call 610-250-3960 and press 1 for gun orders and 2 for parts orders.
Sarco is SGN's biggest and one of its oldest advertisers, so you can imagine I was very glad to hear that it "will still be running all our ads with our loyal partners at the Shotgun News."
New Jersey's loss is Pennsylvania's gain, and my guess is that most SGN readers will say that Sarco should just say good riddance to a state whose name is synonymous with corruption and crippling taxation. That said, Steen is a Jersey boy born and bred, and no one wants to be run out of his own home state. And dozens of New Jersey jobs will be migrating to Pennsylvania at a time when every job counts.
Gov. Chris Christie has gotten a lot of political points for facing down state employee unions, but I would have been more impressed if he'd have faced down his own regulators and kept a good company in New Jersey.
