Lake County Gazette

State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) said HB5855, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, will have an immediate economic impact on Illinois’ arms manufacturers and hunting stores. If he's right, the bill could affect Krebs Custom in Wauconda.

“Springfield Armory and Rock River Arms are manufacturers of guns. L.W. Schneider is a manufacturer of parts for guns. They manufacture parts of Springfield Armory or Rock River arms, or other arms dealers would use in their manufacturing of their guns,” Swanson said. “So we're talking north of 1,000 employees between those three businesses that would be affected and then take it that second and third order effect. If there's no guns in Illinois, what's going to happen to those mom and pop sports stores there on the street corner?”

Opponents to the bill say arms manufacturers like Krebs Custom could be in jeopardy of going out of business should the General Assembly pass the legislation.

HB5855 would outlaw several types of common guns and magazines and create a registry whereby gun owners must inventory their guns. The bill would also disallow those under 21 from purchasing weapons and from hunting alone. 

“Located in northern Illinois, Krebs Custom is known internationally as the high end of the AK spectrum – for both the quality of our rifles and accessories, and our emphasis on customer service," Krebs Custom notes on its website. "We’re constantly working on developing new rifle models and accessories that bring the venerable design of Mikhail Kalashnikov into the 21st Century. Everyone at Krebs Custom puts an emphasis on quality, and we strive to provide the best rifles, accessories, and customer service that we can.” 

The arms manufacturer employs over 25 workers and has an estimated revenue of less than $5 million per year, according to Kona Equity. 

According to The Center Square, the bill passed the House on Friday morning.

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) is questioning the motives of the bill's supporters.

“You could get polls to say anything you want. This governor’s got an agenda. He wants to run for president,” Caulkins told The Center Square. “He needs to have another plank in his platform.”