A lawsuit against a series of American firearm makers brought by Mexican authorities was soundly rejected by a U.S. federal court last week.

The $10 billion suit-- supported by no less than a dozen anti-gun states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Illinois-- sought to put some of the biggest names in the American gun industry including Barrett, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson on the hook for narco cartel violence that has plagued Mexico since 2006. However, a judge in a Massachusetts federal court wasn't buying it. 

At the crux of the Mexican authorities' argument was an attempt to recover a wild dollar amount in damages for the allegedly unfair trade practices of American corporations. For example, the suit contended S&W, by placing "M&P" on their ads, which signifies “Military and Police,” somehow wanted to attract persons and that intended to use such products "to battle against the military and police," a premise that the court rejected.

"The public is fully aware that the police and military use firearms," said U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in his 44-page opinion. "An image depicting an officer’s lawful use of a firearm does not suggest to the reasonable consumer that they should engage in criminal, 'combat-like' conduct. And the Court is unwilling to hold that the advertising of lawful conduct to sell a lawful product, without more, constitutes an 'unfair' act." 

Saylor, who holds a degree from Harvard Law, was appointed to the bench by President Bush in 2004 and is Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 

The trade group for the American gun industry told Guns.com previously that the lawsuit was intended to scapegoat law-abiding businesses rather than use their scant resources to bring cartels to justice, a much tougher fight.

"Mexico’s criminal activity is a direct result of the illicit drug trade, human trafficking, and organized crime cartels that plague Mexico’s citizens," said Lawrence G. Keane, the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Senior Vice President, and General Counsel on the lawsuit. "It is these cartels that criminally misuse firearms illegally imported into Mexico or stolen from the Mexican military and law enforcement."

Banner image: S&W M&P15 Rifle in the Guns.com Vault.

revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading