The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation was an organization whose stated purpose is to promote gun safety training. Articles by AGS leadership regularly appeared in the Democratic Leadership Council's magazine Blueprint.
The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation was a project of the Tides Center, and a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its website stated that the organization "seeks to educate Americans on existing gun laws and new policy options for reducing access to guns by criminals and children and to promote responsible gun ownership." The AGS Foundation funded studies of background checks at gun shows and the way states develop mental health records and keep track of those prohibited from purchasing a gun because of mental insanity.
In 2002, the organization orchestrated a $2.8M media campaign to pass gun control initiatives in Colorado and Oregon which included mailings, radio and television ads, and most notability a $1.85M television ad buy featuring Republican senator John McCain.
Due to the organization's being established by Andrew McKelvey (the founder of Monster.com), a former member of the board of directors of Handgun Control, Inc. and the primary founder of the Million Mom March, gun rights activists frequently made the claim that AGS had all the appearances and affiliations expected of an anti-gun organization. It was thus usually identified as a gun control organization rather than a gun rights organization.
Eventually, AGS merged with Third Way, which describes itself as a "non-profit, non-partisan strategy center for progressives." The site provides a direct link to the Brady Campaign as well.
The organization is now defunct.
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