Press Releases

Manufacturer Says Its JR-15 Child-Sized Assault Rifle “looks, feels, and operates just like Mom and Dad’s gun” Washington, DC — An Illinois-based gun manufacturer is marketing AR-15 assault rifles designed specifically for children. Manufactured by WEE1 Tactical, and dubbed the JR-15, the company states that the child-sized assault rifles are 20 percent smaller than a […]

Gun Marketing Exploits Rise in Hate Crimes during Pandemic WASHINGTON, DC – Exploiting the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, the gun industry is targeting the Asian American community as potential new gun buyers and future pro-gun advocates, according to How the Firearms Industry Markets Guns to Asian Americans, a […]

Washington, DC–In response to stagnation in the traditional white male market, the gun industry and National Rifle Association (NRA) are now targeting Blacks and Latinos as potential new gun buyers according to a new study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The 39-page report, How the Firearms Industry and NRA Market Guns to Communities of […]

Report Released Prior to Special Session of Virginia General Assembly Called in Wake of Virginia Beach Mass Shooting Washington, D.C. – The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today released an updated edition of its study Silencers: A Threat to Public Safety as the Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to begin a special session tomorrow on gun […]

In response to legislation introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) to ban “bump fire” and similar devices that allow semiautomatic assault weapons (like the ones found with the Las Vegas shooter) to mimic full-auto fire, Violence Policy Center (VPC) Legislative Director Kristen Rand issued the following statement: “We commend Senator […]

“Start Them Young” documents how the firearms industry and gun lobby market guns to children Washington, DC–The firearms industry and gun lobby are targeting children as young as grade-school age for financial and political gain, a comprehensive new study from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) reveals. The 54-page report, “Start Them Young” — How the […]

Washington, DC — The firearms industry and gun lobby are fighting a battle of their own creation with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) according to a new report from the Violence Policy Center (VPC), AR-15 and AK-47 Assault Pistols: Rifle Power in a Handgun. As the report details, ATF recently […]

Gun Industry “Corporate Partners” Donated Between $19.3 million and $60.2 million to the NRA since 2005, New VPC Report Reveals Washington, DC — The National Rifle Association has received up to $60.2 million in donations from the firearms industry since 2005, including eight “corporate partners” that each gave a million dollars or more, a new […]

Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center (VPC) released the following statement on Governor Chris Christie’s veto of a bill to ban 50 caliber sniper rifles in New Jersey: “By vetoing this bill, Governor Christie has prioritized gun industry profits over public safety,” said VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand. “Fifty caliber sniper rifles can puncture […]

AK-47 and AR-15 Assault Pistols that Combine the Power of an Assault Rifle with the Concealability of a Handgun Lead the Way WASHINGTON, DC–Not since the late 1980s and early 1990s has there been such a wide variety of assault pistols available for sale on the U.S. civilian market warns the new Violence Policy Center […]