Could Somebody PLEASE Explain this to Me?

Our good, caring, well-intentioned friends over at Jointogether.org parrot a Violence Policy Center report that Illinois has More Assault Weapon Manufacturers than Any Other State:

Although the federal assault weapons ban was passed in 1994, the gun industry has willfully circumvented federal law and created through a process dubbed “sporterization” a new generation of assault weapons and re-named them “post-ban” or “after-ban” assault weapons. The gun industry has evaded the intent of Congress to get military style semi- automatic assault weapons off the streets by making minor cosmetic changes and producing “clones” and “knock-off” versions to continue to sell for profit at the expense of public safety.

Or, by following the letter of the law, the gun manufacturers are making “safe” semi-auto weapons without the “dangerous features” that make “assault weapons” so deadly. Now all they make are soft, warm, and fuzzy “sport utility rifles.” Continuing:

Since 1994, six Illinois gunmakers — ArmaLite, Inc., D.S. Arms, Inc., Eagle Arms, Les Baer Custom, Inc., Rock River Arms, Inc., and Springfield Armory, Inc. — have manufactured post-ban assault weapons. Today, all, except apparently for Springfield Armory, Inc., manufacture post-ban semi-automatic assault weapons.

Only because they couldn’t figure out how to make the pretty wood-stocked M1A out to be an evil “black rifle.” It doesn’t have a pistol grip.

Ok, somebody please explain to me how and why there are six firearms manufacturers in a state as blatantly anti-gun as Illinois? Especially when there are so many gun-friendly states (with better weather)? Illinois certainly isn’t a tax haven.

The rest of the blurb is the typical VPC garbage, especially the part trying to make the AWB extension defeat out as some sort of a victory for gun control.