New Hampshire has beefed up legal shields for firearms manufacturers, limiting their exposure to product safety lawsuits. The fresh legislation specifically protects gun makers from claims related to the presence or absence of certain safety features.

New Hampshire Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte signed the measure last month, covering all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees operating in the Granite State. The law nevertheless preserves the right to file claims over actual manufacturing defects.

The push for expanded protection came after Sig Sauer, which employs more than 2,000 residents of the state, faced multiple lawsuits over the P320 pistol, as plaintiffs allege that the weapon can discharge without the trigger being pulled.

Sig Sauer has stood firm on the safety of the P320, claiming that the weapon “has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.”

Not everyone backed the measure. New Hampshire Democratic State Representative David Meuse voiced opposition during debate, saying that “I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people.”

The law builds on existing protections. New Hampshire was already counted among thirty-two states with gun industry immunity provisions, according to data from the Giffords Law Center.

During testimony supporting the bill, Bobby Cox, the vice president of governmental affairs at Sig Sauer, emphasized the economic stakes. “We’re fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,” he contended.