The city of Los Angeles and other governments throughout the nation wield enormous purchasing power, just the kind of clout that could influence the firearms industry to make weapons safer and more difficult to obtain by criminals and minors. Here's how it would work: Smith & Wesson, the nation's largest manufacturer of handguns, agreed recently to an impressive list of demands by governments (including Los Angeles) suing the firearm industry for irresponsible design... (GunPolicy.org)

He was on death row in the States for two years, convicted of a gruesome double murder. Described by a judge as violent and extremely dangerous, he served a nine-year prison term for gun crime. Robert Elmer Kleasen, a paranoid schizophrenic, escaped the electric chair on a legal technicality. Then he came to Britain and, without a single check being made, he was given a firearms certificate and a licence to deal in guns. Last month he pleaded guilty to a string of... (GunPolicy.org)

For those who favor robust federal regulation of tobacco and strict controls on handguns, as we do, it is tempting to cheer any use of the courts to circumvent Congress' unwillingness to implement common-sense policy. Litigation has caused tobacco companies to improve the way they operate. A recent deal with gun maker Smith & Wesson is, in substance, similarly in the public interest. But the process is worrisome-prone to abuse. Filing lawsuits is generally speaking a... (GunPolicy.org)