There are significant obstacles to anyone attempting to bring civil lawsuits against gun industry defendants. Although cases against firearm and ammunition makers, distributors and dealers face challenges you wouldn’t find in almost any other industry, they still can succeed in cases targeting reckless or illegal conduct.

That’s the quick takeaway from a new 110-page guidebook published by gun safety advocacy group Everytown Law. Litigation Daily got an early look at the guide, which takes a deep dive into The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA, the federal law passed in 2005 that prohibited civil suits seeking to hold gun companies liable for the illegal acts of others. The manual delves into the definition of what the law calls a “qualified civil liability action” and the six exceptions to the definition of those prohibited suits. “PLCAA is like a door that bars access to the courthouse for certain claims against the gun industry; its exceptions are keys that unlock that door,” the manual says.