Although it may be more difficult for a child to open a bottle of aspirin than to fire a gun, Congress has expressly forbidden the Consumer Product Safety Commission—or any other national government agency—from regulating firearms. As a result, toy guns and teddy bears are subject to more manufacturing oversight than handguns.

American-made guns are one of the few consumer products specifically exempt from consumer product safety regulations (imported firearms are required to meet certain safety standards).

Proposals have been put forth to apply consumer product safety regulations to the firearm industry to require uniform quality and safety standards for American-made guns.

• Just as the re-engineering of cars has contributed to dramatic declines in motor vehicle fatalities, subjecting gun manufacturers to safety regulations would be an important step toward preventing accidental gun deaths.
   
• Federal law requires imported handguns to meet minimum safety standards; handguns produced in the United States should be subject to the same standards.

• Guns are designed to inflect injury and death and therefore, the notion that a firearm can be made "safe" stands against the very nature of the product.
   
• New safety standards will cause the price of handguns to increase making handguns too expensive for the poor to own.
   
• New safety measures may lead to a ban on pre-existing handguns that do not meet the mandated level of safety.

• Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Americans—and 64% of gun owners—say they support government safety regulations for the design of guns. Ninety-four percent (94%) believe handguns made in the U.S. should meet the same safety standards applied to imported guns.
  
  SOURCE: TERET ET AL., 1998
   
   

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 Safety Gear
You should always wear equipment to protect your eyes and ears when firearms are discharged, whether you are shooting or simply observing.