Poll: 70% of Voters Reject Lawsuits Against Gun Manufacturers

A National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) poll released April 25 shows that 70 percent of voters reject lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

According to NSSF, “Seven of 10 American voters do not support allowing crime victims to sue firearm manufacturers and retailers when firearms they made or sold lawfully after background checks are used illegally in crime.” Moreover, 72 percent of voters support the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which was put in place in 2005 to prevent frivolous lawsuit upon frivolous lawsuit from being filed against gun makers.

It is interesting to note that support for the PLCAA is spread across the political spectrum. Ninety-one percent of “Strong Republicans” support it and 86 percent of voters leaning Republican support it, while 75 percent of Independent voters support the PLCAA as well. Even 47 percent of “Strong Democrat” voters support it, versus the 45 percent who do not, and 67 percent of voters leaning Democrat support the PLCAA.

NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane said:

The concept that an entire industry should not be held liable for the criminal or negligent use of products made and sold legally clearly makes sense to the overwhelming majority of the American public, as these poll results demonstrate. We commissioned this poll to help determine where Americans stand. They have told us. Now, it’s time for politicians to demonstrate that they have some respect for the good sense of the people and to stop vilifying the hard-working people of an entire industry and exploiting real tragedy that is the result of criminal conduct.

Opening the door for crime victims to sue gun manufacturers over the misuse of firearms is a key component of Hillary Clinton’s gun control platform in the 2016 presidential election. She wants laws changed to allow suits not only against gun manufacturers, but against lawful gun sellers as well.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com