The Business of Guns

The Business of Guns

QUIZ: Is This Gun Real or Fake?

Some replica firearms are virtually indistinguishable from deadly weapons, adding peril to encounters with police. Can you tell the difference?

The Business of Guns

Gunmakers Are Profiting From Toy Replicas That Can Get Kids Killed

Manufacturers cut lucrative licensing deals that allow toy companies to make replicas of their products. Since 2015, police have killed more than 150 people who were holding look-alike weapons.

The Business of Guns

Major Bump Stock Retailer Sues Feds Over Destroyed Devices

RW Arms, a Texas-based gun accessory company, is suing the government for $20 million in compensation after surrendering its inventory of bump stocks for destruction in compliance with federal regulations. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. Court of Federal Claims…

Law

What the Sandy Hook Lawsuit Could Mean for the Gun Industry

The latest chapter in the extended legal battle could — emphasis on could — puncture the gun industry's immunity from lawsuits.

The Business of Guns

U.S. Gun Makers Send Weapons South As Migrants Flee North

Experts say the Trump administration's push to weaken oversight of gun exports could worsen the Central American refugee crisis

The Business of Guns

Oversight of International Gun Sales Is in Shambles

According to two government reports, officials are approving sales without adequate information about how the guns may be used, and are failing to notify Congress of large-scale deals.

The Business of Guns

Two Big Gun Companies Really, Really Don’t Want to Make Smart Guns

Forced by investors to consider the prospect of developing smart guns, two of the oldest gun companies in America have released reports rejecting the idea. Sturm, Ruger & Co. and American Outdoor Brands (AOBC), the parent company of Smith…

The Business of Guns

Gun Sales Fell in 2018, Despite Parkland-Inspired Activism

Americans usually stock up on firearms when new restrictions are in the air. But not last year.

The Business of Guns

A New Generation of Entrepreneurs Thinks It Can Revive the Smart Gun

The first smart guns were unreliable, hackable, and a bad fit for their intended customers. Now several upstart companies think they can learn from the mistakes of the past.

Gun Policy

Records Show Few Unlicensed Private Gun Sellers Face Federal Penalties

President Obama sought to stiffen enforcement of a federal rule that says frequent gun dealers need government authorization. Data show the crackdown never materialized.

The Business of Guns

Dick’s Settles Court Fight Over Age Limits for Guns

A 20-year-old man named Tyler Watson, who alleged age discrimination after he was denied a gun sale by Dick’s Sporting Goods, has settled his case against the retailer in Oregon’s Jackson County Circuit Court. According to state court…

The Business of Guns

One Year After Las Vegas, a New Texas Company Is Selling Bump Stocks

When the top manufacturer of the rapid-fire devices closed, RW Arms stepped in to sell its remaining inventory. The Fort Worth-based company also offers several rifles — without the required license.

The Business of Guns

Smith & Wesson Touts Pseudoscience to Counter Shareholder Demands

Firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson’s parent company American Outdoor Brands Company (AOBC) is citing the debunked economist John Lott, Jr. in its fight against an activist-led shareholder campaign for transparency. In a Monday filing to the Securities and Exchange…

The Business of Guns

The Nuns Pressing Gunmakers to Report on Safety Risks Are Back for Their Next Fight

A group of nuns and other Catholic activists who want gunmakers to actively monitor violence committed with their products have met stiff resistance from the industry. In a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing, they have a message for…

Community Violence

These Economists Think Guns, Not the Crack Epidemic, Drove the ’90s Murder Boom

New research contends that a surge in handgun production and possession propelled murder rates in American cites — until new restrictions on firearms reversed the trendlines.