Since Baretta acquired SAKO have they made them only available through BarrettaUSA

I know BarettaUSA only sells to "Master Stocking Dealers". That means a large initial purchase and several hundred thousand of dollars purchase per year. I talked with BarettaUSA this morning and they lady confirmed they only sell direct and to become a SAKO dealer one has to make an initial purchase of over $14,000.00. They also want a store front retail store or they don't want to talk with you in the small shop. I have been told that BarrettaUSA has in their Master dealer contract a prohibition for the master dealers making dealer to dealer sales of their products. This corporate policy really leaves a bad tast in my mouth for BarettaUSA products.

The last time I went to the "Dicks Sporting Goods Store" (master stocking dealer),they did not service what they sell and had a very limited inventory of BarettaUSA product lines.

To me that is very poor marketing on BarettaUSA's part. I would love to hear BarettaUSA's logic on their policies other than corporate market control, price fixing. It appears to me that BarettaUSA controls more than 50% of the import market of firearms. I think that was called something else in the 1920's and 30's and the U. S. Government stepped in and broke up those business practices. Formerly the government prevented contract purchases from companies that did not compete freely in the market place. If my memory serves me correctly the U.S. Government stepped in an forced the Auto makers to share their technology and accept service by independent shops, aftermarket supplies and to be used without voiding manufactures warranties. Of course the U.S. Government is not going to step in and help free up any firearms sales to the little dealers.

Please tell me if there is not something wrong here.

Until BarettaUSA changes their policies I will tell their product owner with problems to send their guns back to BarettaUSA in Maryland. I also explain to them if BarettaUSA want sell to me as a small dealer, their customers will be asked to keep their broken guns out of my shop and off my premises. It looks like I am going to extend that policy to all the BarettaUSA products family including SAKO. I service what I sell.

Longshot