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Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America
A former firearms executive pulls back the curtain on America's multibillion-dollar gun industry, exposing how it fostered extremism and racism, radicalizing the nation and bringing cultural division to a boiling point. As an avid hunter, outdoorsman, and conservationist–all things that the firearms industry was built on–Ryan Busse chased a childhood dream and built a successful career selling millions of firearms for one of America’s most popular gun companies.But blinded by the promise of massive profits, the gun industry abandoned its self-imposed decency in favor of hardline conservatism and McCarthyesque internal policing, sowing irreparable division in our politics and society. That drove Busse to do something few other gun executives have he's ending his 30-year career in the industry to show us how and why we got here. Gunfight is an insider’s call-out of a wild, secretive, and critically important industry. It shows us how America's gun industry shifted from prioritizing safety and ethics to one that is addicted to fear, conspiracy, intolerance, and secrecy. It recounts Busse's personal transformation and shows how authoritarianism spreads in the guise of freedom, how voicing one's conscience becomes an act of treason in a culture that demands sameness and loyalty. Gunfight offers a valuable perspective as the nation struggles to choose between armed violence or healing.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2021
191 people are currently reading
2835 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Busse
1 book32 followersRyan Busse was raised near the Kansas homestead of his great-great-grandfather. He grew up using guns and working on the family ranch, where his father taught him how to hunt and shoot. In 1995 Busse began a career in the shooting sports industry and for most of the next twenty-five years served as vice president of sales at Kimber, one of the largest and most influential firearms companies in the country. Busse directed the annual sales of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of high-quality guns and was nominated several times by industry colleagues for the prestigious Shooting Industry Person of the Year Award—the same award presented to Charlton Heston, Bill Ruger, and NRA chief Wayne LaPierre. For much of his life, Busse has also been an outspoken advocate for the environment and has served in many leadership roles for conservation organizations. He remains a proud outdoorsman, gun owner, and amateur chef. Busse lives with his family in northwestern Montana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
October 20, 2021
Spoiler alert…I’m the author’s wife. I’m also a critical editor, avid reader and not the lovey dovey kind. That being said, this book is everything I wanted and needed it to be…and more. And I could not be more proud of Ryan and who he has become through the writing and release of this book.
While I have lived this story side by side with him, it wasn’t until I read the book in it’s entirety did I fully grasp who he was in this industry, what he risked by speaking up, and the leader we all need so desperately right now.
You will be surprised, angry, laughing, cheering, crying…and be moved to act. We must act. We must follow his brave lead…our democracy depends on it.
I hope you love it too. Writing a book is ridiculously hard and vulnerable. To all who have done it….well done. And to Ryan…I love you and I’m so proud of you. Xx
While I have lived this story side by side with him, it wasn’t until I read the book in it’s entirety did I fully grasp who he was in this industry, what he risked by speaking up, and the leader we all need so desperately right now.
You will be surprised, angry, laughing, cheering, crying…and be moved to act. We must act. We must follow his brave lead…our democracy depends on it.
I hope you love it too. Writing a book is ridiculously hard and vulnerable. To all who have done it….well done. And to Ryan…I love you and I’m so proud of you. Xx
January 10, 2022
I was having lunch with a relative when he opened his wallet and proudly showed me his latest achievement.
He’d obtained a concealed carry permit.
I knew he’d struggled with lifelong mental health problems and was currently on anti-psychotics, so I was stunned. This was a guy who regularly forgets or misplaces things, like keys, and phones, and therapist appointments. He’s not just an irresponsible gun owner, he’s an irresponsible car owner, plant owner, cat owner, anything owner.
“How did you get this?” I asked.
He said it was easy, “I just filled out a form and two weeks later it showed up in my mailbox.”
I tried to smile but it was more of a toothy cringe.
Which brings me to this book, about how a country of responsible gun owners and ethical hunters has turned into a place where the right to walk into a grocery store, decked out in tactical gear and strapped with an AR-15, is defended with an almost religious fervor.
It’s about the derangement of our country by the NRA, who will assassinate the character of anyone in the gun industry for advocating for such radical, communistic ideas as…trigger locks, closing the gun show loop hole, or making it harder for criminals (and those with severe mental health issues) to obtain guns.
And it’s told from inside the industry, through the eyes of someone who was named Industry Person of the Year.
He’d obtained a concealed carry permit.
I knew he’d struggled with lifelong mental health problems and was currently on anti-psychotics, so I was stunned. This was a guy who regularly forgets or misplaces things, like keys, and phones, and therapist appointments. He’s not just an irresponsible gun owner, he’s an irresponsible car owner, plant owner, cat owner, anything owner.
“How did you get this?” I asked.
He said it was easy, “I just filled out a form and two weeks later it showed up in my mailbox.”
I tried to smile but it was more of a toothy cringe.
Which brings me to this book, about how a country of responsible gun owners and ethical hunters has turned into a place where the right to walk into a grocery store, decked out in tactical gear and strapped with an AR-15, is defended with an almost religious fervor.
It’s about the derangement of our country by the NRA, who will assassinate the character of anyone in the gun industry for advocating for such radical, communistic ideas as…trigger locks, closing the gun show loop hole, or making it harder for criminals (and those with severe mental health issues) to obtain guns.
And it’s told from inside the industry, through the eyes of someone who was named Industry Person of the Year.
March 1, 2022
This book is part personal memoir written by a former executive of a gun manufacturer, and it is part history of the sociological and political transformation of the United States from bipartisan acceptance of the rules of democracy into a "radicalized nation of competing tribes" egged on in a "cauldron of fear and hate." The author recounts from his position within the firearms industry how his business once catered to customers who were mature responsible hunters and sportsmen, but that evolve over time into their use of race baiting advertisements designed to attract those whom insiders derogatorily referred to as "tacctards" and "couch commandos." Furthermore, the industry that once valued craftsmanship and quality changed to using cheap plastic stocks—referred to as Tupperware in one of the book chapters.
This change in the American psyche mirrored a corresponding change in politics—Trumpian style in particular. It's hard to say which caused or responded to the other. Was the firearms industry fomenting the radicalization or was it radical, right-wing forces outside the industry that prodded firearms manufacturers down the incendiary and deadly path they are still on? This book tends to give the gun industry and NRA much of the credit. In either case they have:
The author explains that he stayed within the gun industry for many years in the hope that he could exert some positive influence toward movement in a more wholesome direction. It is notable that his company, Kimber Manufacturing, never did market assault style rifles and continued to emphasize quality and workmanship. But the strain between the industry and his own values—and pressure from his wife and young children—finally convinced him to resign his position in 2020. The industry had moved away from him; he had not moved away from them.
This change in the American psyche mirrored a corresponding change in politics—Trumpian style in particular. It's hard to say which caused or responded to the other. Was the firearms industry fomenting the radicalization or was it radical, right-wing forces outside the industry that prodded firearms manufacturers down the incendiary and deadly path they are still on? This book tends to give the gun industry and NRA much of the credit. In either case they have:
... built a system that relies on a political police state to enforce 100 percent loyalty: no one can dare ask any questions without immediate repercussion. It is a culture that praises violence, one where 'getting your man card back' means that it's acceptable to do whatever it takes to establish your superiority.This book's story is told from the unique perspective of an insider. The author was actually in the room when many of the marketing decisions were made to take advantage of shifting cultural tides. The author's primary loyalty was to preservation of Public Lands and hunting and fishing, values that at one time were in sync with the interests of gun manufacturers. In clear and concise narrative the author tells of an increasing emphasis toward loyalty to the Republican Party, even when the Party's position did not value conservation issues.
The author explains that he stayed within the gun industry for many years in the hope that he could exert some positive influence toward movement in a more wholesome direction. It is notable that his company, Kimber Manufacturing, never did market assault style rifles and continued to emphasize quality and workmanship. But the strain between the industry and his own values—and pressure from his wife and young children—finally convinced him to resign his position in 2020. The industry had moved away from him; he had not moved away from them.
November 8, 2021
A Non-Review Review: I was asked to write a review of this book, so I bought a copy and dived into it.
In sum: A guy who had a very lucrative career in the gun industry recently quits his job and writes an expose of the industry, telling us what anyone paying attention knew 30 years ago — but he’s a courageous hero for now telling us. And if you doubt he’s a courageous hero, he’ll remind you that he is on pretty near every other page.
I was struggling along when I reached a part that includes me. I’m not mentioned by name, but I’m the “guy from TU.”
Some background: About 20 years ago I was the first person hired as part of a new Public Lands Initiative launched by Trout Unlimited (TU), a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring native trout and their watersheds. The initiative was the brainchild of my friend Chris Wood, who is now the executive director of TU.
President George W. Bush had just moved into the White House and was planning to expedite gas and oil development within some pretty special wild places in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The goal of the initiative was to organize and rally conservative folks to help stop it.
My first task on the job was to produce a detailed report of how Bush’s energy policies would negatively impact these wild places. I then recruited seven hunters, anglers, ranchers and outfitters and took them to Washington, D.C., to hold a press conference at the National Press Club and meet with congressional representatives. One of those people was Ryan Busse, who was then a Vice President at Kimber Firearms in Montana.
In Gunfight, Busse tells how “the guy from TU” (me) asked him to come along to D.C. Here’s how he describes it:
“Look, let’s be honest,” the TU guy said. “You’re from a very conservative industry. Are you willing to criticize President Bush?” The forwardness caught me off guard. “It’s an election year. The press hook is that you look like a typical Bush voter and yet you are not happy with his policies.”
“I get all that. What’s your point?”
“Our point is that you are going to get hammered on this. People are going to come after you.”
“I have a lot of street cred in this industry. They can’t come after me.”
“I don’t think they care who they kill.”
“Listen, all I’m doing is speaking out for wild places where gun owners hunt. For God’s sake, I cried when I found this place, and I hunt and shoot as much as anyone. How the hell can they criticize that?”
“OK, you’ve got balls of steel. We’ll send you a plane ticket.”
The entire conversation is fabricated. And I guarantee I have never uttered the phrase, “You’ve got balls of steel.” I certainly don’t consider it courageous to speak out for protection of the wild places we love. I had hundreds of volunteers eager to do just that. But Busse doesn’t mention any of the others, he continues to portray himself as a lone courageous hero — one who continued working for the lucrative gun industry for another 20 years, long after the rest of us recognized what he now courageously and heroically tells us about.
This guy’s dishonesty, ego and self-promotion might match that of Donald Trump’s.
I couldn’t read anymore. I tossed the book.
In sum: A guy who had a very lucrative career in the gun industry recently quits his job and writes an expose of the industry, telling us what anyone paying attention knew 30 years ago — but he’s a courageous hero for now telling us. And if you doubt he’s a courageous hero, he’ll remind you that he is on pretty near every other page.
I was struggling along when I reached a part that includes me. I’m not mentioned by name, but I’m the “guy from TU.”
Some background: About 20 years ago I was the first person hired as part of a new Public Lands Initiative launched by Trout Unlimited (TU), a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring native trout and their watersheds. The initiative was the brainchild of my friend Chris Wood, who is now the executive director of TU.
President George W. Bush had just moved into the White House and was planning to expedite gas and oil development within some pretty special wild places in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The goal of the initiative was to organize and rally conservative folks to help stop it.
My first task on the job was to produce a detailed report of how Bush’s energy policies would negatively impact these wild places. I then recruited seven hunters, anglers, ranchers and outfitters and took them to Washington, D.C., to hold a press conference at the National Press Club and meet with congressional representatives. One of those people was Ryan Busse, who was then a Vice President at Kimber Firearms in Montana.
In Gunfight, Busse tells how “the guy from TU” (me) asked him to come along to D.C. Here’s how he describes it:
“Look, let’s be honest,” the TU guy said. “You’re from a very conservative industry. Are you willing to criticize President Bush?” The forwardness caught me off guard. “It’s an election year. The press hook is that you look like a typical Bush voter and yet you are not happy with his policies.”
“I get all that. What’s your point?”
“Our point is that you are going to get hammered on this. People are going to come after you.”
“I have a lot of street cred in this industry. They can’t come after me.”
“I don’t think they care who they kill.”
“Listen, all I’m doing is speaking out for wild places where gun owners hunt. For God’s sake, I cried when I found this place, and I hunt and shoot as much as anyone. How the hell can they criticize that?”
“OK, you’ve got balls of steel. We’ll send you a plane ticket.”
The entire conversation is fabricated. And I guarantee I have never uttered the phrase, “You’ve got balls of steel.” I certainly don’t consider it courageous to speak out for protection of the wild places we love. I had hundreds of volunteers eager to do just that. But Busse doesn’t mention any of the others, he continues to portray himself as a lone courageous hero — one who continued working for the lucrative gun industry for another 20 years, long after the rest of us recognized what he now courageously and heroically tells us about.
This guy’s dishonesty, ego and self-promotion might match that of Donald Trump’s.
I couldn’t read anymore. I tossed the book.
July 11, 2023
Thank you Ryan Busse for coming to your senses (with some help from your wife). Thank you for recognizing a slippery slope nightmare and eventually trying to divert the slide in the ways you could. Thank you for offering information to those of us completely puzzled by, and held hostage to, a culture of gun worship we don't understand, want, or share.
Full disclosure: I am not against guns. They serve a purpose and many people own them for self-protection, to hunt, or to deal with an animal that might need to be put down. I can even get my mind around admiring guns, for those who do and want to collect them, like I collect figures of hummingbirds or music boxes. The old NRA existed to teach responsible gun ownership and use and served a valid and important purpose in the lives of young people. I'm not against the second amendment. I'm not against guns. I am against weapons of war in a civilized society. I am against guns in the hands of the morally bankrupt.
This book outlined the shift from this kind of gun ownership to what we now have in our country, where weapons of war (with the sole purpose of killing many people quickly) are readily available to almost anyone. It provides the history of congress previously passing bills to address gun use/misuse, and it offers a look at a gun culture that has drastically changed over the years, with observations on how and why that took place. It outlines the role the NRA has played in this changing culture, and how it influences both the gun industry and politics.
Some of the content seemed unnecessary and irritated me (misogyny and party-boy moments) , but the content that centered on the history of the NRA and gun industry and the effect they've had on our culture was enlightening. And to hear there are many gun owners who still subscribe to the old NRA focus and value system gave me hope. To hear a person like Busse, an insider and gun lover, can see the dangers and advocate for common sense gun control measures to stop this slippery slide into madness gives me hope.
Seeing spikes in gun sales after some of the most abhorrent mass shootings, seeing spikes in gun sales in response to who is elected president, and seeing spikes in gun sales when fear is deliberately stoked (with malice aforethought), tells me we have our work cut out for us. This book helps expose the manipulation causing us to lose our minds and point our guns. It was well worth listening to.
Full disclosure: I am not against guns. They serve a purpose and many people own them for self-protection, to hunt, or to deal with an animal that might need to be put down. I can even get my mind around admiring guns, for those who do and want to collect them, like I collect figures of hummingbirds or music boxes. The old NRA existed to teach responsible gun ownership and use and served a valid and important purpose in the lives of young people. I'm not against the second amendment. I'm not against guns. I am against weapons of war in a civilized society. I am against guns in the hands of the morally bankrupt.
This book outlined the shift from this kind of gun ownership to what we now have in our country, where weapons of war (with the sole purpose of killing many people quickly) are readily available to almost anyone. It provides the history of congress previously passing bills to address gun use/misuse, and it offers a look at a gun culture that has drastically changed over the years, with observations on how and why that took place. It outlines the role the NRA has played in this changing culture, and how it influences both the gun industry and politics.
Some of the content seemed unnecessary and irritated me (misogyny and party-boy moments) , but the content that centered on the history of the NRA and gun industry and the effect they've had on our culture was enlightening. And to hear there are many gun owners who still subscribe to the old NRA focus and value system gave me hope. To hear a person like Busse, an insider and gun lover, can see the dangers and advocate for common sense gun control measures to stop this slippery slide into madness gives me hope.
Seeing spikes in gun sales after some of the most abhorrent mass shootings, seeing spikes in gun sales in response to who is elected president, and seeing spikes in gun sales when fear is deliberately stoked (with malice aforethought), tells me we have our work cut out for us. This book helps expose the manipulation causing us to lose our minds and point our guns. It was well worth listening to.
January 4, 2022
This is an interesting perspective, not particularly well told. Liberals likely will be turned off by Busse's moments of self-aggrandizing and frank stories about misogynistic and racist behavior that, in the moment, he tolerated. Conservatives will be be put off by Busse's use of social justice buzzwords. And that's all unfortunate. Because I think Busse's perspective is important and shows clearly how NRA propaganda has co-opted traditional gun culture.
June 29, 2023
Gun Owning, Southern, Former Republican
Having been raised in a small town in the Southern Bible Belt, I grew up with God, guns, safety, and respect. Guns, safety, and respect were about hunting and on rare occasions, self defense. I have personally made almost every observation about the GOP, NRA (of which I am no longer a member - of either) that was covered in this book. Being a woman, I’ve made a few more. The individuals reviewing this book as “too political” have really missed the entire point. In the last 20 years, the NRA and then the GOP have completely stolen guns from the citizens of the US as they seek to maintain control over hard working blue collar and rural voters with fear and a common enemy. Democrats. Wayne LP and his rich buddies really have suckered rural and working class gun lovers and congressmen and this book tells it like it is. I bet they laugh themselves to sleep every night over their complete control of all those manly men - like a bunch of first graders.
I am updating this review to relay my enjoyment of learning about the origination of Kimber, although with that education came complete disgust. I can’t say I revere the original owner or the individual who replaced him. I find it refreshing that the author refers to an action he initiated in his early years, later maturing to regret what he had begun in his youth within the industry. I related to him professionally and ethically. Unfortunately, the individuals who would benefit the most from his book are the ones who utilize guns as an offensive measure, and who will never pick it up or who will refuse to read the entire book and post a negative review.
It’s important to have these conversations. It’s important that we understand that nothing is as important as a human life. Nothing.
Having been raised in a small town in the Southern Bible Belt, I grew up with God, guns, safety, and respect. Guns, safety, and respect were about hunting and on rare occasions, self defense. I have personally made almost every observation about the GOP, NRA (of which I am no longer a member - of either) that was covered in this book. Being a woman, I’ve made a few more. The individuals reviewing this book as “too political” have really missed the entire point. In the last 20 years, the NRA and then the GOP have completely stolen guns from the citizens of the US as they seek to maintain control over hard working blue collar and rural voters with fear and a common enemy. Democrats. Wayne LP and his rich buddies really have suckered rural and working class gun lovers and congressmen and this book tells it like it is. I bet they laugh themselves to sleep every night over their complete control of all those manly men - like a bunch of first graders.
I am updating this review to relay my enjoyment of learning about the origination of Kimber, although with that education came complete disgust. I can’t say I revere the original owner or the individual who replaced him. I find it refreshing that the author refers to an action he initiated in his early years, later maturing to regret what he had begun in his youth within the industry. I related to him professionally and ethically. Unfortunately, the individuals who would benefit the most from his book are the ones who utilize guns as an offensive measure, and who will never pick it up or who will refuse to read the entire book and post a negative review.
It’s important to have these conversations. It’s important that we understand that nothing is as important as a human life. Nothing.
June 3, 2022
Updated: June 1, 2022. Schools. https://abc13.com/texas-school-shooti..., and GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/mtdrdc-tex...
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Reviewed: May 11, 2022
"I am responsible for selling millions of guns".
Mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is always worthwhile to read of an industry insider speaking out on the record. Bravo to Busse for having courage, keeping accountable and taking corrective measures. Bravo to the Busse family for solidarity and risking public exposure from this book. As someone who's pro-gun control, my beliefs align with the messaging; so, yes, I would recommend Busse's Gunfight to anyone interested in how the NRA and polarized sentiments have evolved in dangerous, reckless ways.
"We must all be part of a new group of people who rise up and release our country from the grip of this un-American carnage. It is time that we commit to changing our country for the better."
On the other hand, I didn't learn anything new on a broad level, as interesting as it was to read of one person's intimate, revelatory experience with the firearm industry and the power of family to make the fight personal. The veneer of political aspirations isn't surprising - where else can anyone go from here? - but I am wary of reading politics in everything these days.
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Reviewed: May 11, 2022
"I am responsible for selling millions of guns".
Mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is always worthwhile to read of an industry insider speaking out on the record. Bravo to Busse for having courage, keeping accountable and taking corrective measures. Bravo to the Busse family for solidarity and risking public exposure from this book. As someone who's pro-gun control, my beliefs align with the messaging; so, yes, I would recommend Busse's Gunfight to anyone interested in how the NRA and polarized sentiments have evolved in dangerous, reckless ways.
"We must all be part of a new group of people who rise up and release our country from the grip of this un-American carnage. It is time that we commit to changing our country for the better."
On the other hand, I didn't learn anything new on a broad level, as interesting as it was to read of one person's intimate, revelatory experience with the firearm industry and the power of family to make the fight personal. The veneer of political aspirations isn't surprising - where else can anyone go from here? - but I am wary of reading politics in everything these days.
May 28, 2023
Like many growing up in the late 50's, early 60's I thought highly of the National Rifle Association. They stressed safety, training, helped me with earning a sharpshooter medal and merit badge and favored sensible gun control. I tend to think that guns should be regulated like cars - trained and licensed to use them after thorough background check and the guns themselves registered and trackable.
How did this organization turn into the horror it became with the emphasis on "black rifles" or American Sport rifles as they dubbed the assault weapons so common today? Weapons that only serve one purpose and that is to kill human beings in efficient fashion and as such should be restricted to military purposes.
This book, surprisingly well written, provides the answer from the point of view of an industry insider as he finds himself subjected to the pressure, lies and distortions that led us to the horrors of today. Interesting insight in the history, politics, the money flow, the economics and yes, the guns themselves as he weaves an absorbing tale of eventually realizing that he could not live as part of the problem rather than a solution, try though he might.
Ever had to make difficult decisions in a conflicted situation? You will identify with this absorbing work.
How did this organization turn into the horror it became with the emphasis on "black rifles" or American Sport rifles as they dubbed the assault weapons so common today? Weapons that only serve one purpose and that is to kill human beings in efficient fashion and as such should be restricted to military purposes.
This book, surprisingly well written, provides the answer from the point of view of an industry insider as he finds himself subjected to the pressure, lies and distortions that led us to the horrors of today. Interesting insight in the history, politics, the money flow, the economics and yes, the guns themselves as he weaves an absorbing tale of eventually realizing that he could not live as part of the problem rather than a solution, try though he might.
Ever had to make difficult decisions in a conflicted situation? You will identify with this absorbing work.
June 28, 2023
Busse, former Kimber executive, speaks of the bifurcation of an industry he used to love. Part memoir, part commentary on the business. He thoughtfully addresses the shift in the NRA / the industry / his company, including the extreme politicization and polarization. I appreciate his honesty and boldness. People can grow and change, and speak truth to bullshit. One of my top nonfiction reads of the year!
October 25, 2021
An important book in a time where extremism is at an all time high and nuance falls on deaf ears. A good read for gun lovers and haters alike.
November 11, 2021
Gunfight helped to answer two mysteries for me. The first is the evolution of gun culture in this country. I grew up shooting guns with my dad. My dad had a collection of guns that we would use for target shooting, but I was particularly good at shooting the classic lever action Winchester rifle and the Colt .45 pistol from the wild west era. In those days, if you wanted to play tough guy, you would shoot a .44 magnum pistol like “Dirty Harry” used in the movies. Military style rifles, the parading of them in public and the connection of guns to extreme right wing politics just wasn’t a thing for the average gun owner in the 80s and early 90s. I didn’t understand how all that changed until reading this book.
The second mystery this resolved for me is with regards to the author, Ryan Busse. I met Ryan several years ago in connection with his support for good political candidates in Montana. I attended a fundraiser at his house at about the time that I learned he was a senior executive for a gun company. It was somewhat confusing for me why such a smart, articulate and outspoken person with liberal sympathies was working in an industry that was so connected to extreme right wing politics and the violence associated with gun deaths. I understood the connection with hunting and the outdoors, but still…
Gunfight is Busse’s memoir and an insiders account of the radicalization of gun culture. He opens the book with a scene from the Kalispell BLM rally in 2020, an event I also attended. His protesting son was accosted by an armed older man who yelled and got in his face, aggressive behavior fueled by the radicalized gun culture that Busse was intimately involved in.
Busse describes his childhood growing up with guns on a farm in Kansas and how his father emphasized the importance of gun safety and respect. Even with this instruction, Busse and his brother had a near miss with a gun accident. And Busse’s own father had, as a kid, lost his best friend to a mentally unstable neighbor who shot him. But Busse grew to associate guns with the freedom of the outdoors, his love of hunting and his own idyllic rural childhood. So much so, that he dreamed of working in the gun industry.
His dream came true as a young man when he went to work for a small gun company called Kimber, which was based out of Portland but which allowed him to head up sales from Montana. His early years at Kimber, with an eccentric CEO and founder, is full of wild stories involving strippers, Costa Rican hookers, illegal gun confiscations, tax fraud and embezzlement. The book is worth reading for these crazy stories alone. But eventually, the wild CEO flees the country to avoid criminal prosecution and Busse winds up helping to build Kimber into a huge success.
Busse chronicles the evolving radicalization of the gun industry, his own part in it early on and then his growing disgust with it, fueled by his wife, Sara, who pushed him to view the industry more critically. President Clinton’s assault weapons ban in 1994 was treated as a lesson by the NRA that it needed to be more extreme and to engage in greater fearmongering in order to protect the gun industry and grow their political power and influence.
The Columbine school shooting in 1999 resulted in a short lived gun sales boom (the first of what would become a sad pattern following mass shootings). Busse wondered why the gun industry opposed closing the gun show loophole to background checks, which was a factor in the Columbine shooting. But then Smith & Wesson agreed to some gun control efforts with the Clinton administration and Busse became a star in the industry by leading a boycott of the company. The boycott devastated Smith & Wesson’s business, effectively scuttled the nascent gun control effort and served as an example to the NRA of how to use hard ball tactics to force industry players to toe the line. The government responded to the boycott by launching an unsuccessful anti-trust legal investigation of Busse’s activities.
It wasn’t long, however, before Busse began changing his perspective. After moving to Montana, Busse fell in love with public lands where he hunted, particularly the Badger – Two Medicine area near Glacier National Park, which he considered his church. When the Bush administration proposed drilling for oil and gas in the Badger – Two Medicine in 2003, Busse finally turned away from the Republican party and its politics. He spoke publicly against the administration on this issue and it nearly cost him his job, but he was too prominent and too successful in the gun industry to be fired.
With the expiration of the assault weapons ban in 2004 and with the cultural influence of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, sales of military style rifles, particularly the AR-15, took off. Ex-special forces members served as influencers, selling military style weapons by associating them with patriotism and portraying them as acceptable hunting rifles.
A few years later, with racism and conspiracy theories pushed by the NRA, Obama’s election in 2008 resulted in an unprecedented gun sales boom. Busse supported Obama and by the 2012 NRA annual convention he felt totally out of place and uncomfortable. He used the convention as an opportunity to lobby NRA leadership in support of Montana Senator Jon Tester’s tough re-election campaign. It was this ability to have influence inside the industry that kept Busse from leaving the gun industry despite its radicalization.
The Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 resulted in an even bigger gun sales boom and showed the power of the NRA when they blocked resulting bipartisan gun control measures in Congress, even though gun companies had initially supported it and only backtracked under NRA pressure.
Trump came to power embodying the same angry, conspiracy driven messaging pioneered by the NRA. The gun industry strongly backed Trump even though his election resulted in a gun sales slump and he attacked public lands important to hunters.
After years of making high quality guns, the “Trump Slump” finally forced Kimber to start making cheaper plastic, high capacity guns that were more likely to be used in crimes, something Busse had long opposed. This, together with the radicalization of the industry and Busse’s family being threatened after an online post by Sara about gun control went viral in the gun community, Busse finally decided in 2018 to get out of the industry. But he wanted to do it on his own terms and in the meantime he became bolder in his resistance within the industry. In 2020, after COVID and the Black Lives Matter protests resulted in a gun sales boom that dwarfed even the Obama years, Busse finally resigned from Kimber.
This is a must read book for anyone interested in the debate around guns and the radicalization of the gun industry. It raises the important question of where this gun radicalization is headed and what can we do to stop it before it is too late. I recommend pairing this book with The Second Amendment by Michael Waldman, which I have previously reviewed.
The second mystery this resolved for me is with regards to the author, Ryan Busse. I met Ryan several years ago in connection with his support for good political candidates in Montana. I attended a fundraiser at his house at about the time that I learned he was a senior executive for a gun company. It was somewhat confusing for me why such a smart, articulate and outspoken person with liberal sympathies was working in an industry that was so connected to extreme right wing politics and the violence associated with gun deaths. I understood the connection with hunting and the outdoors, but still…
Gunfight is Busse’s memoir and an insiders account of the radicalization of gun culture. He opens the book with a scene from the Kalispell BLM rally in 2020, an event I also attended. His protesting son was accosted by an armed older man who yelled and got in his face, aggressive behavior fueled by the radicalized gun culture that Busse was intimately involved in.
Busse describes his childhood growing up with guns on a farm in Kansas and how his father emphasized the importance of gun safety and respect. Even with this instruction, Busse and his brother had a near miss with a gun accident. And Busse’s own father had, as a kid, lost his best friend to a mentally unstable neighbor who shot him. But Busse grew to associate guns with the freedom of the outdoors, his love of hunting and his own idyllic rural childhood. So much so, that he dreamed of working in the gun industry.
His dream came true as a young man when he went to work for a small gun company called Kimber, which was based out of Portland but which allowed him to head up sales from Montana. His early years at Kimber, with an eccentric CEO and founder, is full of wild stories involving strippers, Costa Rican hookers, illegal gun confiscations, tax fraud and embezzlement. The book is worth reading for these crazy stories alone. But eventually, the wild CEO flees the country to avoid criminal prosecution and Busse winds up helping to build Kimber into a huge success.
Busse chronicles the evolving radicalization of the gun industry, his own part in it early on and then his growing disgust with it, fueled by his wife, Sara, who pushed him to view the industry more critically. President Clinton’s assault weapons ban in 1994 was treated as a lesson by the NRA that it needed to be more extreme and to engage in greater fearmongering in order to protect the gun industry and grow their political power and influence.
The Columbine school shooting in 1999 resulted in a short lived gun sales boom (the first of what would become a sad pattern following mass shootings). Busse wondered why the gun industry opposed closing the gun show loophole to background checks, which was a factor in the Columbine shooting. But then Smith & Wesson agreed to some gun control efforts with the Clinton administration and Busse became a star in the industry by leading a boycott of the company. The boycott devastated Smith & Wesson’s business, effectively scuttled the nascent gun control effort and served as an example to the NRA of how to use hard ball tactics to force industry players to toe the line. The government responded to the boycott by launching an unsuccessful anti-trust legal investigation of Busse’s activities.
It wasn’t long, however, before Busse began changing his perspective. After moving to Montana, Busse fell in love with public lands where he hunted, particularly the Badger – Two Medicine area near Glacier National Park, which he considered his church. When the Bush administration proposed drilling for oil and gas in the Badger – Two Medicine in 2003, Busse finally turned away from the Republican party and its politics. He spoke publicly against the administration on this issue and it nearly cost him his job, but he was too prominent and too successful in the gun industry to be fired.
With the expiration of the assault weapons ban in 2004 and with the cultural influence of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, sales of military style rifles, particularly the AR-15, took off. Ex-special forces members served as influencers, selling military style weapons by associating them with patriotism and portraying them as acceptable hunting rifles.
A few years later, with racism and conspiracy theories pushed by the NRA, Obama’s election in 2008 resulted in an unprecedented gun sales boom. Busse supported Obama and by the 2012 NRA annual convention he felt totally out of place and uncomfortable. He used the convention as an opportunity to lobby NRA leadership in support of Montana Senator Jon Tester’s tough re-election campaign. It was this ability to have influence inside the industry that kept Busse from leaving the gun industry despite its radicalization.
The Sandy Hook massacre in 2012 resulted in an even bigger gun sales boom and showed the power of the NRA when they blocked resulting bipartisan gun control measures in Congress, even though gun companies had initially supported it and only backtracked under NRA pressure.
Trump came to power embodying the same angry, conspiracy driven messaging pioneered by the NRA. The gun industry strongly backed Trump even though his election resulted in a gun sales slump and he attacked public lands important to hunters.
After years of making high quality guns, the “Trump Slump” finally forced Kimber to start making cheaper plastic, high capacity guns that were more likely to be used in crimes, something Busse had long opposed. This, together with the radicalization of the industry and Busse’s family being threatened after an online post by Sara about gun control went viral in the gun community, Busse finally decided in 2018 to get out of the industry. But he wanted to do it on his own terms and in the meantime he became bolder in his resistance within the industry. In 2020, after COVID and the Black Lives Matter protests resulted in a gun sales boom that dwarfed even the Obama years, Busse finally resigned from Kimber.
This is a must read book for anyone interested in the debate around guns and the radicalization of the gun industry. It raises the important question of where this gun radicalization is headed and what can we do to stop it before it is too late. I recommend pairing this book with The Second Amendment by Michael Waldman, which I have previously reviewed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2023
"Gunfight" is a great read. It's simple and straight forward, it's got crazy anecdotes/stories and a great narrative (or, really, two), and the overall message is fantastic.
In short, it's an argument for commonsense gun law reforms in the U.S.
I would not take too much of the personal bits the author writes to heart - it is very clear that one of his priorities in this telling of his story was to portray himself in as positive a light as possible - and some of his conclusions are very much colored by the very simple fact that gun control/laws started as, has been, and remains a single political issue (so, Busse, maybe don't draw societal conclusions based on this single issue?).
But these caveats are kinda obvious, so they don't detract from the book or its message. The message is simple, Busse likes guns, shooting them, and hunting - and he wants to continue to do so - but he's a rational human being and doesn't think the laws need to allow everyone access to private arsenals. In short, some basic laws seems like a good idea to him, and this book is his explanation of why.
It is also his telling of his own journey to this conclusion - from a "simple" farm boy, to gun executive, to gun law proponent and exposer of crazy gun-world shenanigans. And it's crazy.
Despite the above mentioned issues, this is a very readable book. It will convert exactly zero people, I imagine that it will only add to the divide between bona fide gun nuts, supporters of the fucked up gun industry and the NRA, and everyone else. It is a very partisan addition to the debate, but it really shouldn't be.
In short, it's an argument for commonsense gun law reforms in the U.S.
I would not take too much of the personal bits the author writes to heart - it is very clear that one of his priorities in this telling of his story was to portray himself in as positive a light as possible - and some of his conclusions are very much colored by the very simple fact that gun control/laws started as, has been, and remains a single political issue (so, Busse, maybe don't draw societal conclusions based on this single issue?).
But these caveats are kinda obvious, so they don't detract from the book or its message. The message is simple, Busse likes guns, shooting them, and hunting - and he wants to continue to do so - but he's a rational human being and doesn't think the laws need to allow everyone access to private arsenals. In short, some basic laws seems like a good idea to him, and this book is his explanation of why.
It is also his telling of his own journey to this conclusion - from a "simple" farm boy, to gun executive, to gun law proponent and exposer of crazy gun-world shenanigans. And it's crazy.
Despite the above mentioned issues, this is a very readable book. It will convert exactly zero people, I imagine that it will only add to the divide between bona fide gun nuts, supporters of the fucked up gun industry and the NRA, and everyone else. It is a very partisan addition to the debate, but it really shouldn't be.
June 7, 2024
Yeah, so I'm not going to rewrite the book jacket here. I will add that this is a very engaging book, and Ryan does a very good job of painting the line between responsible sportspersons and the looney NRA nutjobs, and he makes the sportsperson's positions very relatable.
However, I'm taking a star off because he glibly mentions differences between types of guns but doesn't give the non-gun enthusiast an explanation that could help them understand the technologies so they could in turn understand public policy.
I listened to the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.
However, I'm taking a star off because he glibly mentions differences between types of guns but doesn't give the non-gun enthusiast an explanation that could help them understand the technologies so they could in turn understand public policy.
I listened to the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.
February 2, 2022
This is a powerful book, and so much more than what I had expected. I am a lifelong owner of sporting guns -- shotguns and rifles for hunting and target shooting. When I was young, the NRA was an organization synonymous with gun safety. It was all about responsible ownership and the safe use of firearms. I have never been a member, but I have taken several NRA gun safety classes. When I took those classes, back in the early 1970s, the NRA was respected by most hunters as an organization that kept people safe. In the 2000s, I took my 10-year-old son to an NRA-sponsored shotgun safety course. He walked out of the class with an NRA application, and NRA tee shirt, a lecture on second amendment rights, a photo of the class participants brandishing their guns, and a permit to buy a handgun! Since then, I've kept the NRA at arm's length. What the hell happened to the NRA over the last four decades?
As an outsider, I had surmised that the NRA had become just a tool of the gun industry, beholding to the many gun manufacturers that were its sponsors. But Busse is an insider. As an executive in a major firearms manufacturer, he chronicles a different story about the NRA's transformation over the last 30 years. As it turns out, I had the tail wagging the dog. In Gunfight, Busse sets the record straight. It is the NRA that is wielding its great power to keep gun manufacturers, gun magazines, and gun writers, in line. It tolerates no dissent from any quarter. In fact, the NRA heads what has become a totalitarian gun community, and it promotes gun sales by fomenting fear and hate. And this is not just Busse's opinion, he reports facts, he quotes conversations with officials, and he names names. And not just the NRA officials, but also the gun company executives that when along to get along, and those that tried to resist. He also details the intimidation tactics that the NRA used to keep gun manufacturers and politicians in line, and how successful the organization was in doing it. An approach that was based on fear and hate of your neighbor ... all the while reminding people not to forget to buy a gun to protect themselves from their neighbors.
Busse tells a story of him trying to unsuccessfully change things from within, but he does not portray himself as a hero. In fact, he is quite contrite and remorseful for how long he went along to get along (and keep his job). So for much of his career, he could be categorized as a hypocrite. But at long last he couldn't take it anymore and quit. This book, it seems, is partly his cathartic exercise in self-repentance. Be that as it may, his tell-all book is a sobering read for anyone, no matter what side of second amendment rights you're on. Gunfight is more than just a book about guns; it is a book about the current state of America and how intolerance has become the mantra of the citizenry. As such, it is a book that insists that we change as a people and learn to put aside hatred. If we don't, the future we face is likely to be even uglier that what we've got now.
This is a milestone book of great social importance. Hopefully, it will have a big impact on all of its readers. It is an extremely well-written book that compels us to look in the mirror at what we have become, and it demands we make changes. Only the most callous of individuals could be unmoved by Busse's story. In fact, I think this story is worth the recognition of a Pulitzer Prize. And it deserves all of our attention, no matter what we think about guns.
As an outsider, I had surmised that the NRA had become just a tool of the gun industry, beholding to the many gun manufacturers that were its sponsors. But Busse is an insider. As an executive in a major firearms manufacturer, he chronicles a different story about the NRA's transformation over the last 30 years. As it turns out, I had the tail wagging the dog. In Gunfight, Busse sets the record straight. It is the NRA that is wielding its great power to keep gun manufacturers, gun magazines, and gun writers, in line. It tolerates no dissent from any quarter. In fact, the NRA heads what has become a totalitarian gun community, and it promotes gun sales by fomenting fear and hate. And this is not just Busse's opinion, he reports facts, he quotes conversations with officials, and he names names. And not just the NRA officials, but also the gun company executives that when along to get along, and those that tried to resist. He also details the intimidation tactics that the NRA used to keep gun manufacturers and politicians in line, and how successful the organization was in doing it. An approach that was based on fear and hate of your neighbor ... all the while reminding people not to forget to buy a gun to protect themselves from their neighbors.
Busse tells a story of him trying to unsuccessfully change things from within, but he does not portray himself as a hero. In fact, he is quite contrite and remorseful for how long he went along to get along (and keep his job). So for much of his career, he could be categorized as a hypocrite. But at long last he couldn't take it anymore and quit. This book, it seems, is partly his cathartic exercise in self-repentance. Be that as it may, his tell-all book is a sobering read for anyone, no matter what side of second amendment rights you're on. Gunfight is more than just a book about guns; it is a book about the current state of America and how intolerance has become the mantra of the citizenry. As such, it is a book that insists that we change as a people and learn to put aside hatred. If we don't, the future we face is likely to be even uglier that what we've got now.
This is a milestone book of great social importance. Hopefully, it will have a big impact on all of its readers. It is an extremely well-written book that compels us to look in the mirror at what we have become, and it demands we make changes. Only the most callous of individuals could be unmoved by Busse's story. In fact, I think this story is worth the recognition of a Pulitzer Prize. And it deserves all of our attention, no matter what we think about guns.
October 10, 2022
So, I am a gun novice. I have enjoyed shooting guns when I was younger. But I don’t own guns myself. So, I thought this book looked interesting and was about a subject matter that I thought might hold my attention. Man, it held my attention really well. With this review, I am not trying to make a statement either way regarding the subject matter of the book, but I want to comment on my experience with the book. I enjoyed the facts and how Ryan Busse was able to walk you through his career at Kimber. I found it fascinating that during that journey he was able to parallel what was going on in the gun industry.
Again, I am reminded of the power of good books. They can help you learn or take a new perspective on something that you may have had little exposure or experience with. As I mentioned, I am a gun novice. This book taught me about an industry that I actually know little. Through facts it presented a compelling case for me to make my own decision about how I feel about a complex issue. I don’t feel that I would fall in an extreme category either way. So, I would encourage you to read it if you just want to know more.
What I really related to was Mr. Busse’s journey in the industry over his 20+ year career. Through his experience it has me questioning what I believe and where I will stand on issues that are important to me. At a core level it has me asking myself what issues and causes do I actually care about? What will I condone or not let stand? Just a well written book that made me care about something I knew little about before picking the book up at a whim. Those are the best book experiences in my opinion.
Again, I am reminded of the power of good books. They can help you learn or take a new perspective on something that you may have had little exposure or experience with. As I mentioned, I am a gun novice. This book taught me about an industry that I actually know little. Through facts it presented a compelling case for me to make my own decision about how I feel about a complex issue. I don’t feel that I would fall in an extreme category either way. So, I would encourage you to read it if you just want to know more.
What I really related to was Mr. Busse’s journey in the industry over his 20+ year career. Through his experience it has me questioning what I believe and where I will stand on issues that are important to me. At a core level it has me asking myself what issues and causes do I actually care about? What will I condone or not let stand? Just a well written book that made me care about something I knew little about before picking the book up at a whim. Those are the best book experiences in my opinion.
October 16, 2023
This book was a real education for me. I have never shot, or even held a gun, I know nothing of the firearms culture, and I am dumbfounded by the religious fervor that extreme gun enthusiasts seem to have for these weapons. But even as a complete outsider to that world, I can plainly see how the politicization and proliferation of guns in the last 15-20 years has had a massive negative impact on our country.
As a Kimber gun company executive for over 25 years, Busse explains the shift as he saw it happening from within the industry. The book is partly a memoir of his journey from a farm boy, with a love of nature and a hunting and guns, to a man distressed at the ways the gun industry was encouraging lethal gun violence and fracturing our society.
He describes the normalization and acceptance of assault rifles, the control that the NRA has over politics and gun companies, the intentional choices made to disregard safety in exchange for power and profit. And as the industry grows increasingly callous and uncontrolled, Busse becomes more active in trying to change the system from the inside.
It is a must-read book for anyone interested in learning more about gun issues. This was incredibly compelling, and helpful in explaining how America got to the dangerous place we find ourselves.
As a Kimber gun company executive for over 25 years, Busse explains the shift as he saw it happening from within the industry. The book is partly a memoir of his journey from a farm boy, with a love of nature and a hunting and guns, to a man distressed at the ways the gun industry was encouraging lethal gun violence and fracturing our society.
He describes the normalization and acceptance of assault rifles, the control that the NRA has over politics and gun companies, the intentional choices made to disregard safety in exchange for power and profit. And as the industry grows increasingly callous and uncontrolled, Busse becomes more active in trying to change the system from the inside.
It is a must-read book for anyone interested in learning more about gun issues. This was incredibly compelling, and helpful in explaining how America got to the dangerous place we find ourselves.
August 2, 2022
This book was excellent for the author who is quickly becoming one of my favorite public figures. His Twitter is an educational follow in addition to this book. You’ll enjoy this read if you are looking for a reasoned insider’s perspective on how we’ve come to a place so absurd as to claim an AR-15 is America’s Rifle. The numbers on military grade weapons among your fellow citizens is mind-blowing and the alternate facts purported by an industry with policies crafted and funded by the NRA is so far gone from the hunting/gun culture I’ve grown up in and live in, it’s as if a desensitized comic book style tale of what is what leads the narrative and has transfixed a nation. This book is about greed and how a small group of influential people can dupe an entire nation and tear it apart to feed that insatiable beast.
June 6, 2022
I listened to this on audiobook.
This book had potential to be amazing, and I think there is a real need for people like Busse in the gun control discussion. Unfortunately, it fell short of actually amazing. I found it very interesting and listened to it all in less than 24 hours, but I had hoped for better. A collaboration with a gun policy expert or a cultural historian may have elevated it.
This book is more memoir than anything else, and it's important to remember that Busse was a salesman - and a very good one, if he is to be believed. I've worked with a lot of sales people and they usually think of themselves as very important. Busse shares this trait, and it's very obvious through the book that he has built up a personal narrative about his activism and courage. I absolutely agree that speaking out against the gun industry is courageous - I am just not sure Busse accomplished as much as he thinks he did. The repeated argument for staying in the industry was that he could accomplish more from the inside. I'm not sure he made a good case for his accomplishments.
This is also only a partial tell-all about the gun industry, and a good amount of it is unsurprising. When Busse was realizing that the NRA is racist and radicalized, he was decidedly behind the rest of us on noticing that. His obliviousness tracks with the way he describes what sounds like a truly terrifying workplace. I can't imagine why anyone would have wanted to stay in a company where armed employees made death threats against each other! Busse also has some of the attitudes of someone who made their job their life, which is a mindset that I do not particularly understand.
As I listened, I wanted more specific facts and details on the way the NRA and the industry changed. There was something missing from the overall theme of the book, maybe a backbone of supporting evidence outside of the personal memoir details. The content of this book combined with a well-researched analysis of gun culture would be excellent. I may have just had unrealistic expectations. Busse's voice is a useful addition to the discussion, but not as useful as he thinks it is.
This book had potential to be amazing, and I think there is a real need for people like Busse in the gun control discussion. Unfortunately, it fell short of actually amazing. I found it very interesting and listened to it all in less than 24 hours, but I had hoped for better. A collaboration with a gun policy expert or a cultural historian may have elevated it.
This book is more memoir than anything else, and it's important to remember that Busse was a salesman - and a very good one, if he is to be believed. I've worked with a lot of sales people and they usually think of themselves as very important. Busse shares this trait, and it's very obvious through the book that he has built up a personal narrative about his activism and courage. I absolutely agree that speaking out against the gun industry is courageous - I am just not sure Busse accomplished as much as he thinks he did. The repeated argument for staying in the industry was that he could accomplish more from the inside. I'm not sure he made a good case for his accomplishments.
This is also only a partial tell-all about the gun industry, and a good amount of it is unsurprising. When Busse was realizing that the NRA is racist and radicalized, he was decidedly behind the rest of us on noticing that. His obliviousness tracks with the way he describes what sounds like a truly terrifying workplace. I can't imagine why anyone would have wanted to stay in a company where armed employees made death threats against each other! Busse also has some of the attitudes of someone who made their job their life, which is a mindset that I do not particularly understand.
As I listened, I wanted more specific facts and details on the way the NRA and the industry changed. There was something missing from the overall theme of the book, maybe a backbone of supporting evidence outside of the personal memoir details. The content of this book combined with a well-researched analysis of gun culture would be excellent. I may have just had unrealistic expectations. Busse's voice is a useful addition to the discussion, but not as useful as he thinks it is.
December 23, 2021
This book is just ok when it could have been so much more. If you can get past the identity politics and buzzwords in the prologue, you can find some interesting tidbits in the author's descriptions of the behind the scenes goings on in the firearm industry.
Otherwise, the writing was choppy and there seems to be unnecessary paragraph breaks everywhere. It reads more like a distracted stream of consciousness than your typical memoir. Unfortunately, this book has something to say but has trouble saying it.
This book is intended for a specific audience, which I feel I am a part of. However, the fact that the book is so very clearly not intended for the other half of the country makes me question the point of the book. Rather than attempting to change minds, this book seeks only to deepen the divide between two groups that will never be in agreeance. If anything, it feels more like an attempt of the author to wash his hands of any implications to the recent decades of gun violence in America rather than create any sort of concrete change.
Otherwise, the writing was choppy and there seems to be unnecessary paragraph breaks everywhere. It reads more like a distracted stream of consciousness than your typical memoir. Unfortunately, this book has something to say but has trouble saying it.
This book is intended for a specific audience, which I feel I am a part of. However, the fact that the book is so very clearly not intended for the other half of the country makes me question the point of the book. Rather than attempting to change minds, this book seeks only to deepen the divide between two groups that will never be in agreeance. If anything, it feels more like an attempt of the author to wash his hands of any implications to the recent decades of gun violence in America rather than create any sort of concrete change.
June 30, 2023
Full disclosure: I probably hold views/opinions which are similar to most of Ryan Busse's beliefs as expressed in this autobiography.
Mr. Busse seems to be a likeable guy and his walk through his life as a gun industry salesman & executive has some interesting aspects.
My main issue with the book is that he can't seem to stop himself from making a continual sales pitch about how he wants the reader to perceive his life and the industry in which he worked. I felt like I was spending time on a used car lot and the hard sell was relentless. I found this a bit tiresome and I would have preferred to just hear his story in more detail so that I could reach my own conclusions.
Mr Busse spends a lot of time pumping his own tires and this also detracted from the insider's account of the industry which was my primary interest. I don't regret reading this book, but it didn't deliver on the hype and publicity that got me to purchase it in the first place.
Mr. Busse seems to be a likeable guy and his walk through his life as a gun industry salesman & executive has some interesting aspects.
My main issue with the book is that he can't seem to stop himself from making a continual sales pitch about how he wants the reader to perceive his life and the industry in which he worked. I felt like I was spending time on a used car lot and the hard sell was relentless. I found this a bit tiresome and I would have preferred to just hear his story in more detail so that I could reach my own conclusions.
Mr Busse spends a lot of time pumping his own tires and this also detracted from the insider's account of the industry which was my primary interest. I don't regret reading this book, but it didn't deliver on the hype and publicity that got me to purchase it in the first place.
June 13, 2022
This book was so insightful, and started listening to it before recent mass shooting in NY and Texas. I’m going to be recommending to everyone I know. Growing up in Alaska, this author holds the values of guns in the same way as my family and neighbors. And I can now see how we all used to align with NRA, but not even close any longer. This book is full of information, insight and clarity into something I haven’t been able to get to the level of understanding I wanted. This information closed the gaps, and fits within of the context of what I already understood.
April 10, 2023
While it’s good and necessary to have insider perspectives into the most evil industry on earth, Busse’s work reeks of self interested image rehab. You don’t get to profit off the gun industry for over twenty years, enact a “I was different from the rest of the execs” mentality, and then cast yourself as a martyr. While the stories shared were as fury inducing as they were unsurprising, the ethos the author brought left me with the feeling that I was enduring yet another pitch by a gifted sales manager trying to duck any personal ownership or blame.
March 13, 2022
This is an important book to understand the damage the NRA--and a few vile individuals--have done to our country. It's also very readable. The gun industry has been lying to the American people. How to wake up? This is a guy who has great credibility on the subject of guns. If we won't listen to him, who will we listen to?
August 15, 2022
Wow. Eye-opening. Highly recommend.
September 10, 2022
From imside the gun industry looking outm
From inside the gun industry looking out. Good to understand how we got to where we are in our divided politics today
From inside the gun industry looking out. Good to understand how we got to where we are in our divided politics today
June 14, 2022
This was an interesting insider take on gun rights and responsibility from a former gun industry executive (though be warned, it has a lot of profanity).
Conservative leaders like Ronald Reagan and even a younger Donald Trump once expressed support for assault weapon bans and waiting periods. But the climate is far from that today.
The basic argument is that the gun industry and the NRA successfully silenced insider voices that called for ethical and legal responsibility from gun owners and industry. By enforcing loyalty and becoming increasingly politicized and powerful, they supported and encouraged a militarized, radicalized gun culture of “couch commandos” that flaunted violence and assault-style weapons. (Their silencing of opponents is an ironic example of “cancel culture.”)
Gun sales are bolstered by fear of gun rights disappearing. So the industry demonizes the other side, stoking fear and anger, while valorizing its own side by tightly linking its own interests to the 2nd Amendment and draping its cause in American flags. Marketing its “patriotic,” inexpensively-produced, assault-style weapons, the gun industry has created huge growth and profits for itself while enjoying unparalleled political support despite the fact that many individual gun owners see the wisdom in reasonable reforms for gun ownership and responsible marketing practices.
I’m coming to believe more and more that these kinds of dangerous partnerships between powerful industry and government is at the root of many of society’s problems. I’m encouraged by Ryan Busse’s willingness to speak out.
Conservative leaders like Ronald Reagan and even a younger Donald Trump once expressed support for assault weapon bans and waiting periods. But the climate is far from that today.
The basic argument is that the gun industry and the NRA successfully silenced insider voices that called for ethical and legal responsibility from gun owners and industry. By enforcing loyalty and becoming increasingly politicized and powerful, they supported and encouraged a militarized, radicalized gun culture of “couch commandos” that flaunted violence and assault-style weapons. (Their silencing of opponents is an ironic example of “cancel culture.”)
Gun sales are bolstered by fear of gun rights disappearing. So the industry demonizes the other side, stoking fear and anger, while valorizing its own side by tightly linking its own interests to the 2nd Amendment and draping its cause in American flags. Marketing its “patriotic,” inexpensively-produced, assault-style weapons, the gun industry has created huge growth and profits for itself while enjoying unparalleled political support despite the fact that many individual gun owners see the wisdom in reasonable reforms for gun ownership and responsible marketing practices.
I’m coming to believe more and more that these kinds of dangerous partnerships between powerful industry and government is at the root of many of society’s problems. I’m encouraged by Ryan Busse’s willingness to speak out.
December 8, 2023
Just.wow.
What courage Ryan Busse has to share his insights into how guns have shaped America over the last 30ish years. This novel literally got my blood boiling (and not just because I read parts of this while attempting to relax in a hottub). The hurt, anger, frustration that was evoked. Gah. I don't have the right words or English skills to coherently and eloquently say what I feel.
What courage Ryan Busse has to share his insights into how guns have shaped America over the last 30ish years. This novel literally got my blood boiling (and not just because I read parts of this while attempting to relax in a hottub). The hurt, anger, frustration that was evoked. Gah. I don't have the right words or English skills to coherently and eloquently say what I feel.
June 18, 2022
Wow. Never thought I would enjoy a book written by a gun exec, but I learned a lot reading this book. This is the type of gun person I am totally behind-- that hunts for sport, supports conservation efforts to keep the environment a great place for hunting, has a deep appreciation for workmanship and quality in a gun, and believes there are cultural norms around guns that are worth upholding (like that assault riffles are weapons of war and people who glorify and worship them are legitimately weird).. He finally said what I have been thinking that people that are super into tactical culture, but never served, are just wannabes!! Total cosplay bullshit.
He understands that when people do bad things with guns it makes all gunowners look bad and that common sense gun legislation actually helps gun owners. He understands that Democrats don't want to take guns away from people who aren't looking to shoot up a school. I'm thrilled when a parent wants to take their kid hunting, or wants to teach them how to maintain a family heirloom. I'd argue most Democrats are exactly the same! (Although the NRA pays a lot of money to keep conservatives thinking the opposite 🤦)
His commentary on the NRA is really striking. He was an insider and he saw the change in their political rhetoric and it's turn to authoritarianism (and how it controls the Republican party now). It was amazing how people inside the NRA and gun industry talked SO openly about how to leverage school shootings and racism to sell more guns. And how to sow seeds of division in our country, to make us hate one another, to sell more guns. And people just keep falling for it. 🤦
The book is sort of a call to action- he offers some policy solutions (universal background checks, not selling AR style rifles to kids, etc.). The book is also a wake up call. It's good to know there's people like this guy out there that are proud gun owners, but also believe gun ownership comes with responsibility and limits and that it should not be someone's sole identity.
He understands that when people do bad things with guns it makes all gunowners look bad and that common sense gun legislation actually helps gun owners. He understands that Democrats don't want to take guns away from people who aren't looking to shoot up a school. I'm thrilled when a parent wants to take their kid hunting, or wants to teach them how to maintain a family heirloom. I'd argue most Democrats are exactly the same! (Although the NRA pays a lot of money to keep conservatives thinking the opposite 🤦)
His commentary on the NRA is really striking. He was an insider and he saw the change in their political rhetoric and it's turn to authoritarianism (and how it controls the Republican party now). It was amazing how people inside the NRA and gun industry talked SO openly about how to leverage school shootings and racism to sell more guns. And how to sow seeds of division in our country, to make us hate one another, to sell more guns. And people just keep falling for it. 🤦
The book is sort of a call to action- he offers some policy solutions (universal background checks, not selling AR style rifles to kids, etc.). The book is also a wake up call. It's good to know there's people like this guy out there that are proud gun owners, but also believe gun ownership comes with responsibility and limits and that it should not be someone's sole identity.
December 28, 2021
Decent book, especially giving an inside view into the hunter/conservationist side of the NRA base. The history of the NRA's shift from safety advocacy to a political lobbying behemoth has been well documented, but it's easy to forget these days just how long that transition has been happening (and how the group's rhetoric has changed even in one generation). The proliferation of "modern sporting rifles" and their accompanying accessories is mind boggling, and it underscores how the modern NRA uses their power primarily to sell guns and increase their own influence, not to protect gun owners. Also worth noting is the increased alignment of scorched earth politics between the NRA and the GOP.
It's kind of like reading an insider's book on the tobacco industry in the 1970s. We know there's a problem, but there's too much money and power at stake for the industry to admit it. While it's encouraging to see someone calling out the gun lobby, the added populism/disinformation structure of social media these days makes it even harder to imagine how that lone voice isn't going to get drowned out by the flood of astroturf trolls.
It's kind of like reading an insider's book on the tobacco industry in the 1970s. We know there's a problem, but there's too much money and power at stake for the industry to admit it. While it's encouraging to see someone calling out the gun lobby, the added populism/disinformation structure of social media these days makes it even harder to imagine how that lone voice isn't going to get drowned out by the flood of astroturf trolls.
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