history. They’re saying the shop is responsible for so-called ghost guns infiltrating the city. Now, why does this matter to you or I? Because this isn’t just about Baltimore. This verdict could set a very dangerous precedent that anti-gun groups will try to copy in cities across the country. Let’s break it all down. So here’s the story. A jury in Baltimore ruled against Hanover Armory, a gun shop in Maryland, ordering them to pay 62 million dollars in damages to the city. And I forgot to mention the city of Baltimore teamed up with the Brady Gun Control Group for this.

Their claim, that Hanover Armory flooded Baltimore with untraceable firearms, what the media loves to call ghost guns. Now keep in mind, the city originally only asked for 30 million dollars. So the jury more than doubled that. That should tell you how stacked this trial was against the gun dealers. Now back in 2022, Maryland passed a law banning so-called ghost guns, making unfinished kits and parts fall under the same rules as firearms. Remember, you have been able to build your own firearm in this country since before this became a country. It’s something we could always do.

And at the time, Baltimore officials pointed to rising numbers of privately made firearms recovered by police. They went from just nine in 2018 to 324 in 2021. And by April of 22, they claimed that they had seized 131 in just four months. So the city decided to sue both Hanover Armory and the then big kit manufacturer, Polymer80. Now Polymer80 settled early for about 1.2 million dollars and then later shut down. Hanover Armory decided to fight in court. And now they’ve been hit with this record breaking verdict. Neither Maryland nor the federal government treated unfinished frames and receivers as firearms.

So both Polymer80 and Hanover Armory were operating within the bounds of the law. Now here’s something you don’t usually hear. Where’s this 62 million dollars supposed to go? Well, according to reports, the money would be funneled into an abatement fund to support three community organizations in Baltimore that deal with violence prevention. You been to Baltimore? These groups aren’t preventing jack shit, but they’re going to get all kinds of money to pretend they’re doing it again. Just money laundering. Now Mayor Brandon Scott called it a massive victory for the city. And of course the anti-gun lobby like Brady, they’re already celebrating this saying that this proves that gun shops and manufacturers can be punished for how criminals use firearms.

Think of that. That’s a horrible precedent. And here’s the dangerous part. Think about this. A business legally selling a product is now being held liable for crimes committed by a third party. This isn’t just about one shop in Maryland, guys and gals. This verdict will embolden other cities to go after gun dealers, kit sellers, and even accessory manufacturers. Anyone that they think that they can tie to violence in the area is going to be targeted. And make no mistake, the gun control lobby is watching this very, very closely. They’re already calling this the template for future lawsuits.

And in the past few days, they’ve even been calling for bans on semi-automatic rifles as well. So they’re not stopping. Hanover Armory has already said that they plan to appeal and the verdict itself still has to be approved by judge Shannon Avery before it’s finalized. But that process will take time. And in the meantime, this verdict is going to be used as a political weapon. Expect politicians and activists to say, see, if Baltimore can do it, then we can too. We’ve already talked about the ATF’s rule on ghost guns. Remember earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld the Biden administration’s regulation requiring serialization on kits and frames in the Vaynerstock ruling.

Now combine that decision with this Baltimore verdict. And you can see a trajectory here. The government and the courts are lining up against homemade firearms, against dealers, and ultimately against our second amendment rights. They can’t pass the sweeping gun bans that they want through Congress. So they’re going to use lawsuits and the courts to bleed businesses dry. So here’s the bottom line. This isn’t just about Baltimore. This is about creating a new strategy for gun control through the courts. If this verdict stands, it could open the floodgates for lawsuits targeting dealers and manufacturers across this country.

What do you guys and gals think? Should a gun shop, I mean, legitimately, should a gun shop be held liable for what a criminal does with a firearm? Or is this another way to crush the second amendment through lawfare? Drop your thoughts down below. I’m pretty sure I know how you’re going to say, how are you going to decide on this one? But I would love to hear what you say. Make sure you hit that like button and share the video so that folks know what’s really going on and subscribe to Guns and Gadgets for more 2A news that you’re not going to hear anywhere else.

I’ll keep you posted on this case as it moves forward. And until then, stay safe, stay vigilant, and carry on, most importantly, stay free, guys and gals. These are our rights, and we’re not giving them up for anybody. [tr:trw].

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