Careless gun nut wounds people in Crackert Barrel

[sirs]

99% of all modern guns will NOT fire when dropped

[Plane]

   Guns that are safe when dropped have been on the market since 1911 , or earlier.

    Old cowboy revolvers that we now call "single action" were so prone to fire when dropped that most cowboys loaded five rounds in their six shooter, the hammer setting over an empty chamber was their safety.

   The double action revolver does not require that the hammer be cocked to fire , pulling the trigger will cock the hammer and also work the shear, thus "double action" a double action revolver does not fire when dropped because the firing pin is not engaged until the hammer is cocked.

      Semi- auto pistols are generally like double action revolvers in this respect, plus a lot of them have "grip safety" so they will not go off when not properly held.

     If this guy had a single action pistol , it was his responsibility to understand the special precautions required , if he had something special , or something so worn out that its safety features weren't working , the same, it is his responsibility to know his machine.

     I still want to know the details of what the firearm was and why it fired when dropped, I might be responsible for the safety of such a thing someday and I would appreciate knowing what has failed before.


       It could be something I would buy without knowing better,

[Xavier_Onassis]

I bet that if someone in Congress tried to ban the sale of pistols that fired when dropped, the NRA would be all over them.

[sirs]

That makes no sense.   What specific gun(s) fire when dropped?   You do realize that part of testing firearms is dropping them in a contained location to make sure fhey don't fire, before they're sold to the general public, right?

[Plane]

I bet that if someone in Congress tried to ban the sale of pistols that fired when dropped, the NRA would be all over them.

Why can we trust Congress this way?
Are they well acquainted with gun safety?

I do not think the Congress has this competence.


Then of course , if congress makes such a law or regulation, then am I as a gun owner no longer responsible for the safe handling of the thing anymore?

[Xavier_Onassis]

?   You do realize that part of testing firearms is dropping them in a contained location to make sure fhey don't fire, before they're sold to the general public, right?

I know realize nothing of the sort. This particular gun went off when dropped.

When you find just ONE BLACK SWAN, then you know the statement "No swan is black" is wrong.

[sirs]

You have not identified what gun is involved, & since it's a fact that all modern firearms are tested so that they don't fire when dropped, makes the notion of banning a specific gun, pretty nonsensical

[Plane]

  Right.

   It could be so old that it was made to a lesser standard, it could be so worn out that its safety devices are compromised, it could be modified in an amateurish way.

    Or it could be cheaply made to a low standard, which would be the worst.

   I would like to understand the incident , because I own a couple of pistols and the responsibility for their safety is mostly mine.

 I have a need to know.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Anyone who plane to buy a pistol has a right to know.

[sirs]

Right to know what??

[Plane]

Anyone who plane to buy a pistol has a right to know.

I agree, a hidden problem of this nature would be irresponsible of the seller.

I don't think this is a big problem, it is so hard to get that license that only very serious people even try to become gun dealers, then they guard their right to print money jealously.

When you are buying a used gun from a classified ad , that is totally caveat emptor.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Why would you assume that a licensed gun dealer would be less likely to sell a gun that would go off when dropped than any unauthorized dealer?
people could go for generations and never know whether a pistol might go off when dropped.

[sirs]

NO modern gun is supposed to go off when dropped.  They are actually designed that way.     

[Xavier_Onassis]

But despite this, a gun DID go off.

[sirs]

Yea......and......you reinforce Plane's inquiry.   What kind of gun was this?  How old?  Were the safeties no longer functional?  How was this gun being handled before it went off.  Modern guns will NOT fire when dropped.  You can bang it on a table, and it won't go off.  Not any modern firearm.....that is anything over 30 years old.