[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        A RECKLESS GUN INDUSTRY

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, a recent report published by the Brady 
Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence cites numerous examples of reckless 
sales and distribution practices by gun manufacturers, distributors and 
dealers. The report, entitled ``Smoking Guns: Exposing the Gun 
Industry's Complicity in the Illegal Gun Market,'' reveals a disturbing 
pattern of negligence by some in the gun industry.
  In one example, in 1996, according to the report, the owner and six 
employees of a California gun store were arrested for numerous Federal 
firearms offenses. The violations included selling illegally converted, 
fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles and having employees encourage 
customers to obtain false identification in order to skirt legal 
requirements for gun ownership. Even after the owner of the store was 
sent to prison, Heckler & Koch and other gun manufacturers, according 
to the report, continued to supply the store. In a letter explaining 
their ongoing business with the gun store, Heckler & Koch wrote that it 
``is not our intention to turn away business.''
  More recently, the sniper shootings that paralyzed the Washington, 
DC, area last year were committed with a rifle traced to a gun store in 
Tacoma, WA. According to the report, the Bushmaster semi-automatic 
assault rifle possessed by the sniper suspects was only one of 238 guns 
missing from the store's inventory. Despite previous ATF audits which 
revealed dozens of missing weapons and evidence linking a Bushmaster 
rifle from the store to the sniper killings, according to the report, a 
Bushmaster executive announced that his company still considered the 
same store a ``good customer'' and would continue to sell to it.
  These examples of gun industry negligence are by no means isolated. 
The Brady Campaign report contains numerous other examples of careless 
behavior on the part of gun manufacturers and dealers, many of which 
surfaced only after civil liability suits were filed. The Brady report 
reveals the disregard of some in the gun industry for even basic self-
regulation. The Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that recently passed the 
House and that has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee 
would shield the gun industry from many legitimate civil lawsuits. 
Certainly, those in the industry who conduct their business negligently 
or recklessly should not be shielded from the civil consequences of 
their actions.

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