When Bret D. Schundler, who wants to be New Jersey's next governor, said last week that his position on gun control had been misunderstood, it spawned headlines but perhaps little surprise among gun owners, and not just in New Jersey. Complex, sometimes contradictory handgun laws in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut have been confusing residents for years. What is illegal in New Jersey may be allowed in the other two states, and the obstacles to getting a permit... (GunPolicy.org)

When San Francisco and several cities in the state sued gunmakers in 1999 for allowing weapons to get into the hands of criminals, they figured they had a winning model-a suit against the tobacco industry that had secured them hundreds of millions of dollars. But two years later, the gun industry has remained virtually unbeatable in court, while big tobacco has been socked with a series of blockbuster verdicts. The gunmakers' success was brought home last week when... (GunPolicy.org)

The California Supreme Court ruled last week that the maker of the Tec-9 assault pistol could not be held liable in a 1993 San Francisco rampage in which nine people died. That was presumably a boon for the maker, Navegar Inc. of Miami, whose product was also used in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, in which 15 died. But comment on the decision from Navegar was not forthcoming. Navegar, it appears, has gone out of business. Navegar quietly informed federal... (GunPolicy.org)

In Brixton, parents worry every time their young men go out, even if it is to a friend's house to watch football on satellite TV," said the Rev Sheila Coughtrey. "They might innocently get caught up in someone else's argument, and when a situation arises around here, all too often guns are produced." As a community nurse, then as an ordained Church of England minister, Ms Coughtrey has watched guns become part of everyday life in south London. "You are still shocked... (GunPolicy.org)