The gun industry plays a central role in preventing guns from ending up in the wrong hands and ensuring that all forms of gun violence are prevented. Safety features can ensure firearms can’t be accessed by thieves or children, common sense sales practices can stem the flow of illegal guns into cities, information on who supplies crime guns can lead to targeted reform efforts, and accountability in the courts can shut down or reform bad actors.

Laws regulating the gun industry have not been strengthened since the 1960s and the gun lobby has been able to write special protections for itself while weakening the agencies responsible for regulating it. A gun industry that plays by its own rules has been able to fuel a gun violence crisis with no regard for the harm it causes.