The lawsuit is Gary v. Glock, and it was filed all the way back in 1999. It came as part of a wave of litigation by over 40 cities targeting the gun industry for liability over criminal acts using firearms.
The clear intent was to use the court system to drive gun manufacturers and dealers out of business. The targets included Glock, Smith & Wesson, Colt and several others.
Thankfully, saner heads prevailed and the federal government along with several states put a halt to this madness. Multiple laws were passed to shield the industry from frivolous lawsuits, and they continue to do so today.
Within a few years all of the dozens of lawsuits fell by the wayside. Except for one.
In November, Indiana Superior Court Judge John M. Sedia rejected an effort to halt a subpoena targeted personal records held by several major Indiana gun retailers. Because of this, Cabela’s has already handed over more than 200,000 records from its Acquisition and Distribution books to the federal government.
Bass Pro Shops is next in line to fork over the names and addresses of hundreds of thousands of law-abiding gun owners, and more are on the way.
The insidious foundation of a gun registry continues to be laid. The release of such a trove of information harkens back to the infamous interactive map of pistol permit holders published in New York in 2012. And it is no secret that gun control zealots greatly desire to mandate a national registry of owners and their weapons.
Judge Sedia’s allowing of the 24-year-old lawsuit to move forward is based on nebulous “public nuisance” claims.
Without legal intervention, many believe the information will be handed over to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). And it is perfectly understandable that lawful Indiana gun owners will want to secure their property as these records become public knowledge.
