Violence Policy Center

VPC

IndexOnline NewsPress ReleasesFact SheetsPublicationsLinksHomeAbout VPC
Looking for something?

Broken Promises

The Failure of the Trigger Lock "Deal" Between the Gun Industry and the White House

The Agreement: A Rose Garden Unveiling

More than one year ago, on October 9, 1997, President Clinton announced at a Rose Garden ceremony that his Administration had reached a voluntary agreement with a number of firearm manufacturers to supply child safety devices with new guns. The deal was brokered by the American Shooting Sports Council (ASSC), a gun industry trade association, and negotiated with senior White House staff. The President touted the resulting agreement as a "breakthrough...in our efforts to protect children from gun violence." He also lauded the gun industry, stating:

Today, because of the voluntary action of the firearms industry, millions of our citizens will receive this protection. I'm pleased to announce that eight of the largest handgun manufacturers will now provide child safety devices with every new handgun they sell. This will affect eight of 10 handguns made in America, and it will save many young lives.

ASSC Executive Director Richard Feldman also attended the Rose Garden ceremony, and echoed the President's words:

Within the coming year, most major handgun manufacturers will institute company policies of providing safety devices with all handguns shipped in the United States.

This statement was repeated in gun industry publications and on the ASSC web site. Soon after, the ASSC also printed advertisements in the Washington Times and Roll Call featuring the agreement participants, which had increased in number to a total of 15 (see Appendix A). The ads promised that the companies "currently have, or will soon institute, policies which provide security devices with firearms they ship." Gun industry publications later listed several more companies that joined the agreement after it was announced.

In all, 20 handgun manufacturers were listed in the December 1997 issue of Shooting Industry as agreement participants. The list follows; those included in the ASSC advertisement are indicated with asterisks:

Handgun Manufacturers With Executives Present at the Rose Garden Ceremony

  • Beretta, USA*
  • Glock*
  • Harrington & Richardson (H&R 1871)*
  • Heckler & Koch*
  • O.F. Mossberg & Sons*
  • SIGARMS*
  • Smith & Wesson*
  • Taurus Firearms*

Other Handgun Manufacturers That Joined the Agreement

  • Davis Industries*
  • Kahr Arms*
  • North American Arms*
  • Sturm, Ruger & Company*
  • Heritage Manufacturing*
  • Savage Arms*Browning
  • European American Armory
  • Intratec
  • KBI
  • Lorcin Engineering
  • Para Ordnance

Gibbs Rifle Company also joined the agreement, but the company does not manufacture handguns.


Go to next section, The Aftermath: Legislation Stymied

Back to Broken Promises Table of Contents






All contents � 1998 Violence Policy Center