Guns and Gear

Wisconsin Company Gives All Its Employees Handguns For Christmas

Shutterstock/Aleksey Kuzmenko

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A Hortonville, Wisconsin business chose to give each and every one of its 16 employees a unique gift for Christmas this year — a handgun.

To Ben Wolfgram, co-owner of BenShot — a manufacturer of bullet embedded glassware — the decision was made to promote team building and safety, according to the Hortonville Post Crescent.

The business, which employs a mix of military veterans as well as several who have never fired a weapon, was started in 2015 in a garage workshop. Wolfgram told the Post Crescent that this is the first time his company has ever given such a gift, and that most employees were excited.

Employee Chelsea Priest said she felt empowered by the gift, which she believes will help keep her safe.

“I’ve never been a part of anything like this,” said employee Chelsea Priest, who, according to the Post Crescent, “felt empowered by the gift.” (RELATED: One Of Georgia’s Safest Cities REQUIRES Its Citizens To Own A Gun)

Two employees who previously turned down the gift may accept it after they take a gun safety course, Wolfgram told the Post Crescent.

The owner added that he isn’t worried about violence taking place at his workplace because of his small, close-knit staff.

“For us, now, we have an entire armed staff,” said Wolfgram. “I think that’s pretty good.”

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