The Gun Lobby - Firearms Industry and Organizations

1. Firearms Production in America: A Listing of Firearm Manufacturers in America With Production Histories Broken Out by Firearm Type and Caliber, Violence Policy Center, Washington, DC, November 1999, 182 pages.

   This bi-annual report details gun production in the United States from 1975 to the most recent data available from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). It lists every manufacturer that produced more than 1,000 firearms in any given year by federal licensee name or trade or product name. Firearms Production in America is a key tool for the news media, elected officials, public health professionals, attorneys and victims involved in firearms litigation, and any public interest organization involved in the firearms violence debate.

   This publication is $20.00, including shipping and handling. Call the Violence Policy Center at (202) 822-8200 or write to the VPC at 1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.

   
   

2. Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America, Tom Diaz, The New Press, New York, 1999, 258 pages.

   This essential book moves beyond the familiar gun control debate and offers the first examination ever of the $1.4 billion gun industry. It reveals how the gun industry responded to stagnation in sales by producing increasingly deadly guns. It also shows how the industry collaborates with the gun press; capitalizes on sales to law enforcement; and targets women, youth, and minorities.

   This book is available in bookstores, or may be ordered online from www.amazon.com. It can also be obtained for $20.00, including shipping and handling, by calling the Violence Policy Center at (202) 822-8200 or writing to the VPC at 1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.

   
   

3. NRA Family Values: The Extremism, Racism, Sexism, Legal Woes, and Gun Industry Ties of the National Rifle Association's Board of Directors, Josh Sugarmann and Kristen Rand, Violence Policy Center, Washington, DC, June 1996, 10 pages.

   This report counters the NRA's claim that it is the nation's "oldest civil rights organization" working to protect the interests of minorities, women, and gun owners. An examination of the NRA's board of directors shows some members belong to militia groups or sympathize with the extremist fringe, while others can be accurately described as racist or sexist, and some have had brushes with the law.

   This publication is $2.00, including shipping and handling. Call the Violence Policy Center at (202) 822-8200 or write to the VPC at 1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. Follow this link to view the study.

   
   

4. National Rifle Association: Money, Firepower and Fear, Josh Sugarmann, National Press Books, Bethesda, MD, 1991, 285 pages.

   This in-depth book details the NRA's history from its beginnings up until the early 1990s�including the organization's own internal battles. At the same time, it offers a detailed history of gun control in America and recounts most of the major gun control battles of the twentieth century. Finally, the book details the activities of other pro-gun organizations and members of the firearms industry.

   This publication is $23.00, including shipping and handling. Call the Violence Policy Center at (202) 822-8200 or write to the VPC at 1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.

   
   

5. Ring of Fire: The Handgun Makers of Southern California, Garen J. Wintemute, MD, MPH, Violence Prevention Research Program, Sacramento, California,1994, 107 pages.

   "Ring of Fire" describes a small group of handgun manufacturers in southern California that produced the majority of Saturday Night Specials or "junk guns" during the 1990s. These guns are disproportionately involved in crime. This study details the origin and operation of the Ring of Fire gun makers, reviews their marketing tactics, and suggests legislative proposals to reduce the availability of their guns.

   This study is $5.00. Write to the Violence Prevention Research Program, Western Fairs Building, University of California, Davis, 2315 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817. Parts of this study can also be downloaded at the Public Broadcasting System's web site, located at www.pbs.org, by typing in "Ring of Fire" at the search prompt.

   Key Fact:

   • According to tracing data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Ring of Fire guns are 3.4 times more likely to be involved in a crime than are handguns from other manufacturers.