Corporate Resistance to Gun Reform At A Glance

The response to attempts to reform gun laws by manufacturers has been mixed. Proponents of gun control claim that any gun law which attempts to restrict the sale of guns will be opposed by gun manufacturers. The Brady Campaign, who conducted advocacy largely responsible for the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, commonly referred to as the Brady Bill, is highly suspect of gun manufacturers' motives in opposing gun law reforms.

The Brady Campaign that there is widespread opposition to every new gun law because it would cut into the profits which the gun industry can make from each sale. They make the claim that the gun industry's "desire for profits outweighs any concern for public safety" which would be increased by the passage of additional gun laws.

However the opposition to gun laws are not as widespread as commonly believed. The only recent gun law that has not been supported by the gun industry is known as a "One Handgun a Month" law. Only three of these gun laws have been passed. California, Maryland, and Virginia are the only states to pass these kinds of gun laws.

This gun law resulted in a reduction in volume of hand gun sales in Maryland by twenty percent. Some gun lobbyists raise the false objection that these gun laws affect the sale of rifles and shotguns, but no state gun law limiting the sale of handguns affects how many long rifles may be sold at once.

The gun industry itself rarely becomes directly involved in advocacy is support of or against any specific gun law. Much of the advocacy is handled by other organizations, such as the NRA or the Gun Owners of America. Most gun manufacturers supported a gun law mandating the inclusion of child safety locks on new guns.

Cynics claim that industry support for this new gun law is because it would allow higher prices to be charged for each individual gun. Critics also claim that industry support for the expansion of gun laws serves merely as an attempt at public relations, and is not motivated by support for the actual laws.