Gun Company (H-S Precision) hires thug/murderer LON HORIUCHI as spokeperson

[vaskidmark]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138289/posts

Get out the popcorn and pull up a chair.  We're going to have a chance to see a company "Zumbo-ed" - but I doubt there will be any chance of them redeeming themselves.

The comments are pretty much what one would expect.  I wish more folks had indicated they emailed the company and expressed how they felt about the decision to hire Horiuchi.

stay safe.

skidmark

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

did they hire him?

[Matthew Carberry]

I understood they simply printed a glowing testimonial from him on the back of their catalog.

I cannot conceive of who in marketing thought that would be a good idea.

In some cases, in some communities, there is such a thing as bad press.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

sadly not everyone remembers   

[roo_ster]

Body of email sent to H-S Precision (info@hsprecision.com):

"The Federal agent who shot Vicki Weaver in the face, deliberately, while she was unarmed and holding her child is named Lon Horiuchi. Remember that name. He is still walking around loose. That man must eventually pay for his crime, here or hereafter. Lon Horiuchi."
----Jeff Cooper

I included the words of Jeff Cooper because it seems you have forgotten what Mr. Horiuchi did, as is evidenced by your employment of the man (or merely his endorsement) as "FBI Program Manager & COTR."

A scan of your catalog can be found here, with Mr. Horiuchi's name and his title at your company toward the bottom.
http://www.angelqueen.org/images/misc/hs_precision.jpg

Since you do not hold the killing of innocent women against prospective employees, perhaps I can be of use to H-S Precision's HR department.  I would require only the standard headhunter fee to provide more like Mr. Horiuchi from such exotic locales such as the former Yugslavia, Darfur, various South American countries, and other far-flung places.  Just think of the diversity claims you can make once you have a certified mother-killer on your payroll from every continent!  Just think of the colorful endorsements they can make as to the efficacy of H-S Precision's products at killing mothers from inconvenient and despised groups.

I eagerly await your response to my recruiting proposal.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

did they hire him? 

[Manedwolf]

Did anyone even bother to verify this as real and not a photochop before beating on the company?

Because Free Republic has never, ever had fake stuff put up...

[Boomhauer]

It's been verified by bloggers who have called the company and asked them...

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

would it be more accurate/truthful to say they printed and endorsement letter as part of their catalog?

[Gewehr98]

C&SD, why are you being so damned obtuse (again)?

H-S Precision used Lon Horiuchi's endorsement on the back cover of their catalogue.

It didn't matter whether he's on their payroll or not.

They used an endorsement from the Lon Horiuchi, which is in no uncertain terms a huge marketing blunder, even if that catalogue is for law enforcement use vs. their normal commercial venue.

It's similar to using O.J. Simpson to endorse cutlery, or Jeffrey Dahmer to endorse cookware.

I'm somewhat saddened that my Remington 700PSS has an H-S Precision stock, honestly.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i suspect either they decided with their market horiuchi's fbi creds and endorsement were more asset than liability (unlikely but possible) or that someone whose raison d'etre is not guns was hired to produce a catalog and handed a folder full of material to work with. sadly very few folks know or care about horiuchi  or more importantly the folks who wrote, signed off on and then tried to cover up the rules of engagement at ruby ridge

[Werewolf]

sadly not everyone remembers   

Remember HELL!

Ask a 1000 people on the street who Lon Horiuchi is and what he did and you'll be lucky if even 1 can answer.

Its not that everyone doesn't remember its that most never even knew.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

too true   most don't know what ruby ridge was  much less the players. nor do they care

[Boomhauer]

I'm somewhat sadened that my Remington 700PSS has an H-S Precision stock, honestly.

Well, I was considering HS Precision for a stock for when I build my precision rifle...

Needless to say, I'm not anymore.

[txgho1911]

Revisiting the story of RR and actors involved has ruined my Thanksgiving. I needed to reflect on our recent history. All of us should teach the kids those facts the gov will leave out of the written history they do not teach in schools.
This subject makes me physically ill.

[MikePGS]

So when Horiuchi boasts of the accuracy of the rifle, does that mean that every shot he took with said rifles hit exactly what he was aiming for?

[Balog]

Good Lord, at least all HK did was put the rounds in backwards. This is just about the worst thing I've ever seen a gun company do. Idiots 

[Perd Hapley]

Is this really all that hard to believe?  I don't expect a gun company marketing dept. (or whatever contractor they might hire) to know anything about Lon Horiuchi, except for the law enforcement credentials he gave them. 

Or is it customary to google these people, or do a background check, before you put their endorsement ALL OVER the back of your catalog?  Which, now that I think about it, makes perfect sense. 

The first hit I got when I googled him was the Wiki entry, which basically says, "He's an FBI sniper who got in hot water for killin' a chick at Ruby Ridge, and may have shot some people at Waco."  I wouldn't be accepting any endorsements from him, after reading that. 

[ArfinGreebly]

Gotta go with Fistful.

Even if you're just a marketing droid, isn't the finished artwork for the company's biggest promo piece something you'd at least run by the execs?  Especially if it has a cool endorsement?

And, if you're a company exec, what are the odds you don't know the names of all the famous (and notorious) long range precision shooters out there?

Someone screwed the pooch on this.

That's gonna leave a mark.

[Waitone]

Any statement out of the company?

[nico]

In the thread on arfcom (HERE) one of the guys who called them was told that the owner is a personal friend of Horiuchi. 

[BridgeRunner]

In the thread on arfcom (HERE) one of the guys who called them was told that the owner is a personal friend of Horiuchi. 

Well, isn't that just awesome.   

[freakazoid]

So when Horiuchi boasts of the accuracy of the rifle, does that mean that every shot he took with said rifles hit exactly what he was aiming for?

  pwnd!

In the thread on arfcom (HERE) one of the guys who called them was told that the owner is a personal friend of Horiuchi.

If this is true then this would shoot down Mr. Tactical pants otherwise excellent post.

[tokugawa]

Why the hell would you care what the commoners think when you are selling to the Kings Men?
 I would refer all of you to Gerry Spence's Book on Ruby Ridge, an excellent account. 

[Gewehr98]

Supposedly, that back cover catalogue endorsement was for an LE-only catalogue.

Regardless, the LE I worked with and know still consider Horiuchi a base criminal, at best.

This will not bode well for H-S Precision.