Full Episode
You ever think about the proliferation of weapons? Well, shoot, let's get into it. I want you to think about this guy, Sam Cummings. Here, I found an old vintage documentary made by CNN.
This is Sam Cummings, and this 57-year-old is the biggest private military weapons dealer in the world.
The business as a business is fascinating.
Cummings has sold tens of millions of guns to armies and sportsmen.
Okay, so how did he become the biggest private military weapons dealer in the world? Well, the U.S. Department of Defense taught him. That's how. When he was 18, in 1945, he was recruited into the U.S. Army, which, at the time, they were just wrapping up World War II. There was a big ramp-up to provide all these weapons for armies around the world to use in wars.
And then suddenly the war was over. So where's all the weapons going to go?
As a young arms buff, Cummings got his start at the CIA. His assignment was to buy surplus weapons in Europe. At the age of 23, he left the spy agency and started his own business.
Buying surplus weapons in the CIA gave him a crazy idea. How about buy a whole bunch of cheap weapons now that the war is over, and then slowly sell them over time? He had all the contacts. He needed to go buy them, and so he did. And he was selling them to the public, like to hunters or sportsmen, and was becoming known for having a big supply of weapons.
But he wanted bigger deals, and so he started talking to governments around the world. He brought a bunch of AR-10 rifles down to Nicaragua and demonstrated that to them there. Well, the Nicaraguan military was like, ah, that's cool, send us some of those. and then the Dominican Republic wanted some, and then Cuba wanted some.
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