Blumenthal Introduces Bill to Stop Deceptive & Dangerous Gun Marketing

[Hartford, CT] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (Ill.-02) in introducing a bicameral bill to investigate marketing practices of the gun industry and to implement consumer safety standards for guns. The Responsible Firearms Marketing Act would direct the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into the advertising and marketing practices of gun manufacturers.

“Deceptive firearms marketing exploits and fuels gun violence — and must be stopped. Our goal is to hold accountable gun manufacturers who prey on vulnerable consumers to fatten their profits. Turning a blind eye to these dishonest advertisements and promotional campaigns will continue to threaten public safety,” said Blumenthal. “Wrongdoers must be held accountable. Our legislation – along with the FTC’s enforcement – will prevent the industry from peddling these dangerous weapons of war by misleading buyers.”

“For far too long, the gun lobby has held politicians in its clutches, but I’ve taken on the gun lobby—and won,” said Kelly. “I’m taking the fight to the gun industry’s pocketbooks because they should not be able to profit off gun violence and death. The gun industry advertises the number one killer of children and teenagers—to children and teenagers themselves. It’s sick and twisted. Guns should be sold responsibly with the basic safety standards expected for such deadly weapons.”

The investigation would focus on advertisements that appeal to children, imply or encourage illegal use of weapons, and sell assault weapons commonly used in mass shootings. Semiautomatic assault weapons are often the gun of choice for mass shooters due to its rapid-fire rate, causing maximum carnage.

Some examples of the gun industry’s marketing and advertising practices include:

1. Wee 1 Tactical: This Illinois-headquartered gun manufacturer advertised the “JR-15,” a child-sized AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. It included the tagline, “Get ‘em One Like Yours,” and the gun was decorated with cartoon skulls and crossbones.
2. Daniel Defense: Daniel Defense posted a child holding an assault rifle with the caption, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” invoking a Bible verse. Days later, a gunman armed with a Daniel Defense AR-15 killed 21 people and injured 18 others at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
3. Smith & Wesson: A gunman killed seven people and injured 48 more at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois. He used a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semiautomatic rifle, abbreviated for “Military and Police.” Smith & Wesson advertisements often feature military associations aimed at young male civilians, promising they will “Experience More Adrenaline.”
4. Mean Arms: This manufacturer’s magazine lock, a device that locks a magazine onto a semiautomatic rifle, was sold with removal instructions, allowing for higher magazine capacity. The shooter who killed ten people in a racist attack in Buffalo, New York, wrote in his manifesto how he easily removed the lock to add 30-round magazines, which are illegal in New York.

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