Gunmakers are feeling the heat. A pair of teenagers barge into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., and gun down 12 fellow students and a teacher. With each new massacre, America's outrage about gun violence flames higher. Meanwhile, Chicago, Detroit, and more than 20 other cities have filed lawsuits blaming the firearms industry for the staggering toll of urban handgun violence and are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. I've been in this industry 36 years, and this is the most awesome set of circumstances I've ever seen,'' says Robert G. Morrison, chief operating officer of Miami-based Taurus International Manufacturing Inc., the U.S. arm of Brazilian handgun producer Forjas Taurus.
Trouble looms on every front.
Politically, the companies are facing the prospect of a Big Tobacco-like meltdown of their power in Washington and clout with state legislatures, a development that could lead to tough new regulations that aren't riddled with loopholes. While handgun registration is still unlikely, measures that would make it harder for criminals to buy weapons at gun shows and limit the number of firearms purchased at one time seem more viable every day. Legally, gunmakers are facing an onslaught of lawsuits they can barely afford to fight, much less lose. These cases are based on the controversial theory that manufacturers are partially responsible for gun violence. The suits seek millions to cover local government expenses for health care and policing.