Gun Industry

CHICAGO -- Jack Friese makes a variation of the M-14, the assault rifle developed by the military and used in Vietnam.Friese doesn't build these guns from scratch; he pieces them together using parts gathered from the unlikeliest of places. One of those places is a U.S. military scrap yard.Friese's Baltimore-based Armscorp USA is one of more than a dozen gunmakers that use U.S. military parts to rebuild battlefield firearms that they sell to the public.These rapid-fire weapons, some of which can shoot four or more rounds a second, are more powerful than those used today in combat.

A little-noticed provision tucked at the end of the sweeping gun legislation approved by the General Assembly last month would shield from view key state gun records that now are public — a change that was pushed by gun-rights advocates during the intense legislative debate and passed unknown to the most ardent gun-control supporters. Current laws allow the Maryland State Police to release the names of people who apply to buy guns, who hold collector's licenses and concealed-carry permits, as well as details about weapon sales.

This is an edited excerpt of an editorial from the San Francisco Examiner, which was published Friday.THE SPECTER of a federal lawsuit should help turn up the heat on the gun industry to adhere to responsible manufacturing and distribution practices.A growing group of cities has been building a good case for a lawsuit that alleges that elements within the gun industry are well aware that their business practices are encouraging the flow of guns to criminals.For example, gun manufacturers get around certain states' tough gun laws by saturating nearby markets with more permissive regulations or channeling weapons through the tough-to-track gun shows, telemarketers or so-called "kitchen-table dealers."

Over 2,000 people - 38 of them children - have been killed by guns in America since the massacre at Newtown, Conn., two months ago. The U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times greater than other high-income countries. We have brought down the death toll from cars, toys and medications through careful study and thoughtful legislation - why are we not able to enact legislation to protect ourselves from gun violence? Taking the needed steps to keep guns out of the wrong hands does not violate the Second Amendment.

NEW ORLEANS -- Other businesses may feel the gloom of recession. But at the Shooting, Hunting Outdoor Trade Show, the annual meeting of the firearms manufacturing industry, the glow of prosperity was in the air.The 1,200 companies that took part in this year's SHOT Show, as those in the gun industry call the four-day gathering, needed 15 percent more space than last year to show their wares, from high-tech rifles and pistols to scopes, decoys and "Bee-A-Tree" camouflage.Most...

Saying they want reform, not money, NAACP leaders filed a lawsuit yesterday demanding that nearly 100 gun manufacturers change the way they do business.The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., is hotly contested by America's powerful gun lobby because the changes would limit handgun sales and prohibit distributors from selling certain weapons to gun show dealers.Large firearms manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson, Remington and Glock Inc. are accused in the lawsuit of contributing, through negligence, to handgun-related deaths.

The NAACP's effort to curb gun-related homicides in black communities suffered a setback yesterday when a federal jury rejected its contention that the gun industry knowingly allowed its products to fall into the hands of criminals. U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein will make a final determination in the case, tried in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. After deliberating for five days, the jury cleared 45 gun makers and distributors but was unable to reach a verdict on 23 other defendants.

WASHINGTON - After years of battle, gun rights advocates are poised to win one of their biggest victories as the Senate moves toward shielding gun makers, dealers, distributors and importers from liability lawsuits. A result of increased Republican majorities in Congress, the passage of legal protection for the gun industry would mark an enormous setback for gun control advocates and for leaders of cities such as Chicago, which has filed suit against gun dealers and manufacturers. It would also be the second big win for the National Rifle Association and its supporters in two years.

EVEN before the school shootings in Littleton, Colo., the U.S. gun industry was in trouble. Recently, a Brooklyn, N.Y., jury handed down the first verdict in U.S. history holding gun makers collectively liable for deaths and injuries to private parties.The Brooklyn case bodes ill for a shaky industry, and the worst is yet to come. Five cities have already filed lawsuits based on a variety of legal and factual arguments. More cities, several states and groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, are considering similar lawsuits.

A little-noticed provision tucked at the end of the sweeping gun legislation approved by the General Assembly last month would shield from view key state gun records that now are public — a change that was pushed by gun-rights advocates during the intense legislative debate and passed unknown to the most ardent gun-control supporters. Current laws allow the Maryland State Police to release the names of people who apply to buy guns, who hold collector's licenses and concealed-carry permits, as well as details about weapon sales.

Over 2,000 people - 38 of them children - have been killed by guns in America since the massacre at Newtown two months ago. The U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times greater than other high-income countries. We have brought down the death toll from cars, toys and medications through careful study and thoughtful legislation - why can't we do this with guns? Taking steps to keep guns out of the wrong hands doesn't violate the second amendment any more than prohibitions against shouting "fire" in a crowded theater violate the first amendment.

The National Rifle Association and a trade organization representing the $13.6 billion gun industry began work in Annapolis this week as the General Assembly prepared to debate some of the nation's strictest gun laws. The NRA held a meeting for about 25 lawmakers Thursday to discuss strategy in a conversation expected to intensify as early as Friday morning, when Gov. Martin O'Malley releases details of his gun control plan. On Wednesday, the National Shooting Sports Foundation registered prominent Annapolis firm Alexander & Cleaver on its behalf.

WASHINGTON -- The House sent to President Bush yesterday a long-debated bill that would shield gun makers and sellers from lawsuits arising from the misuse of their weapons - the latest in a spate of bills aimed at limiting lawsuits that congressional leaders say are hurting business. The bill, which passed the Senate earlier this year, has been a top priority of the National Rifle Association, which accused gun control groups of attempting to use the courts to impose gun controls. Once Bush signs the bill, as expected, gun industry lawyers are expected to seek the dismissal of about a dozen cases filed by cities and crime victims.

WASHINGTON - After years of battle, gun rights advocates are poised to win one of their biggest victories as the Senate moves toward shielding gun makers, dealers, distributors and importers from liability lawsuits. A result of increased Republican majorities in Congress, the passage of legal protection for the gun industry would mark an enormous setback for gun control advocates and for leaders of cities such as Chicago, which has filed suit against gun dealers and manufacturers. It would also be the second big win for the National Rifle Association and its supporters in two years.

THEY CALL it a "straw" sale. A gun is bought by a criminal's accomplice, often with cash. Dealers may choose to look the other way. Manufacturers can ignore the practice, too. Under just these circumstances, a West Virginia pawnshop sold 12 semiautomatic handguns five years ago. One of those guns was used to wound two New Jersey police officers in 2001. Luckily for the officers, they had some legal recourse; they sued the pawnshop and recently won a $1 million settlement - and the action led to local reforms over how guns are sold.

The NAACP's effort to curb gun-related homicides in black communities suffered a setback yesterday when a federal jury rejected its contention that the gun industry knowingly allowed its products to fall into the hands of criminals. U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein will make a final determination in the case, tried in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. After deliberating for five days, the jury cleared 45 gun makers and distributors but was unable to reach a verdict on 23 other defendants.

In the 1971 movie "Dirty Harry," Clint Eastwood pointed a huge revolver at a scruffy hoodlum and uttered 12 words that would leave an indelible mark on the gun industry."

The National Rifle Association and a trade organization representing the $13.6 billion gun industry began work in Annapolis this week as the General Assembly prepared to debate some of the nation's strictest gun laws. The NRA held a meeting for about 25 lawmakers Thursday to discuss strategy in a conversation expected to intensify as early as Friday morning, when Gov. Martin O'Malley releases details of his gun control plan. On Wednesday, the National Shooting Sports Foundation registered prominent Annapolis firm Alexander & Cleaver on its behalf.

A federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Congress have become the latest battlegrounds in a war that could seal the fate of the beleaguered U.S. gun industry. Late last month, a trial opened over the lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People against more than 80 gun manufacturers and distributors. The suit accuses the gun industry of allowing its products to be diverted from the legal market into criminal hands. A resulting epidemic of gun-related violence has caused a disproportionate number of black victims, the NAACP maintains.

Gun control advocates criticized Rep. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. anew yesterday for his support of a bill that would give sweeping legal immunity to the gun industry. The bill, backed by the National Rifle Association, would bar certain kinds of lawsuits against gun dealers, manufacturers and trade associations. Ehrlich, a Republican running for governor, voted in favor of the measure yesterday as it passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill would not affect lawsuits claiming breach of contract or negligence on the part of the gun industry.