Company Facts:

Intratec is best known for its inexpensive assault pistols, most notably the TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and the AB-10. The TEC-DC9 was one of the guns used in the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The 1994 crime bill banned the TEC-9 and the TEC-DC9 by name. But, following enactment of the ban, Intratec retooled its product line to follow the letter, but certainly not the spirit, of the law. The company began producing the AB-10, a slightly modified version of the TEC-DC9 that was technically legal under the law (AB stands for "after ban"). Intratec sells the gun with a pre-ban 32-round ammunition magazine despite the fact that production of ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds was also banned in 1994. At the same time the company began marketing a new line of Saturday Night Special handguns, or "junk guns," promising its customers, "The Legend Continues...." The "Pro 'TEC' tor Series" of Saturday Night Specials features two double-action pistols, the .25 ACP Protec-25 and the .22 LR Protec-22. The June 1995 issue of Gun Tests magazine—which views itself as the Consumer Reports of guns—called the Protec-25 "a nightmare," citing its lack of any safety device and repeated malfunctioning. Intratec also offers the "'Cat'egory Series" of small, powerful handguns. Promising "Hurricane Force," the pistols come in 9mm, .380, .40, and .45. The ‘Cat'egory-9 9mm is described in 1995 dealer copy as, "The first 9mm that fits in the palm of your hand."

Notorious for its willingness to cater to the criminal market, Intratec's dealer advertising copy has bragged that its guns are "as tough as your toughest customers." The 1994 dealer copy for the TEC-DC9 promised that the assault pistol was "ideal for self-defense or recreation" and "does not give up one ounce of gutsy performance and reliability to any other gun on the market." Intratec is not subtle in its pitch for the male market. Up until 1995 the company offered a wall calendar featuring its handguns held by pouty-lipped models in various stages of undress. The 1994 calendar displayed a semi-nude model on all fours holding an assault pistol. An advertising flat for the "Scorpion Series" Tec-22 featured the pistol posed majestically in front of a raging fire. A scorpion poised to strike crawls alongside the weapon. The text reads: "A 30-round magazine is standard and ready to be 'jungle clipped' with a second mag. for 60 rounds of immediate firepower....The TEC-22. It's fun. It's affordable. And it's hot." Other advertising copy for the Tec-22 promised, "Only your imagination limits your fun!"

In April 1991 the National Rifle Association's American Rifleman magazine ran a notice for owners of Intratec's TEC-22 Scorpion, advising them that "a flawed part may cause these guns to function full automatic," and that the guns could be returned to the factory for free modifications. The company issued no recall for the weapon. In 1995 Intratec issued a recall of its ‘Cat'egory pistols. The guns' slides were defective and presented a risk of serious injury.

In September 1999 the California Court of Appeal ruled that Intratec could be held liable for damages resulting from a 1993 mass shooting at a San Francisco law firm. The court held that firearm manufacturers have a duty not to increase the lethality of their weapons. The court's opinion cited Intratec's marketing of the TEC-DC9 (the same weapon used in the Columbine massacre) that emphasizes high fire-power, a threaded barrel for the easy attachment of a silencer, and the gun's "excellent resistance to fingerprints." The court pointed out that Intratec's "officers were aware of reports in the media and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms data showing that the high firepower, low price, concealability, and certain other characteristics of the TEC-DC9 made it the ‘weapon of choice' of certain types of criminals...."

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