Page 5 - IAV Digital Magazine #527

Gun Resembling Lego Toy Sparks Backlash In US
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
A US gun compa- ny is facing a backlash for pro- ducing a pistol that looks like a children's toy made of Lego.
Culper Precision said its cus- tomised Glock weapon, named Block19, was developed to "highlight the pure enjoyment of the shooting sports".
But Danish toy- maker Lego has written to the com- pany demanding that it stop pro- ducing the weapon, which is covered in what looks like Lego bricks.
Gun control cam- paigners described the pis- tol as irresponsi- ble and danger- ous.
Shannon Watts, of the Everytown for Gun Safety cam- paign group, said her organisation had contacted Lego about the customised Block19 last week, and that the Danish company had then sent a "cease and desist" letter to Culper
Precision.
Ms Watts also crit- icised the gun company, which is based in Utah, saying there was a risk that children may be drawn to use firearms "even when guns don't look like toys".
Culper Precision said in a state- ment that it had chosen to release the Block19 in an attempt to show that guns were "for everyone" and that "owning and shooting firearms responsibly is a really enjoyable activity".
It added that the firearm could only be purchased by those legally per- mitted to own a gun.
Culper Precision president Brandon
Scott told the Washington Post newspaper that after discussions with a lawyer he decided to comply with the request from Lego.
The weapon appears to have since been removed from the gun manufactur- er's website.
It is illegal in the US to produce a children's toy that precisely resem- bles a real gun, but the laws do not explicitly pre- vent manufactur- ers from making a gun that resem- bles a toy.
Accidents involv- ing children and firearms are on the increase in the US. More than 140 people were killed in such gun- related incidents last year.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine