"Childproof Gun" Part 2

[Matt VDW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Can you imagine the administrative hassles I would of had to go through in order to get permission to fire it? It was a school project, funded by the center for injury research. I'm sure they could easily be found liable in some sense, as we weren't designing and fabricating this device for myself, I was doing it for a grade in school. [/quote]

Well, it seems as though someone at the Center for Injury Research, the college of engineering, or elsewhere at JHU should have had both the authority and the interest to arrange a test firing. It's not as if you created a plutonium-powered death ray that would have had to be tested out in New Mexico. Besides, since the whole point of the exercise was to make the pistol safer, doesn't it seem a little strange that everyone involved is afraid to test it? I'm not directing this at you -- I was an undergrad at Hopkins too and I remember what a bunch of weenies the administrators were.

So, now that you've got your grade, is your involvement with this project or with similar devices finished?

 

[richg]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by agent9mm:
Hey Rich-- You keep coming back to this gun safe idea, so I think you missed the point: not everyone uses gun safes. In fact, for the very reasons you point out above, many people do not use them because they know it will get them killed-- just like your device-when they really need their weapon. [/quote]

Actually, I didn't miss the point at all. The exact reason WHY I kept mentioning gun safes is because it is a person's personal preference how they choose to store their gun. Based upon their preference, they would choose whether or not to purchase ANY safety device--be it a gun safe, trigger lock, childproof handgun, or no safety device at all. Just like not everyone buys gun safes, not everyone is going to buy a childproof handgun. but there is people out there with the preference to own a childproof handgun, just like there is people out there with the preference to won a gun safe.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I'f it ain't good enough for LE, it ain't good enough for the rest of us! [/quote]


I've said it numerous times already, a childproof handgun would not be made for everyone. We are all different, we all have different needs and wants out of anything we purchase, be it cars, handguns, or anything for that matter. Do I buy the same car that a racecar driver owns? No, I buy a car which suits MY needs and wants. The same applies to handguns.

Is there a "want" for this in the market. Yes. Case in point is the numerous aftermarket companies which will modify your handgun to make it childproof to the tune of ~$150. So why not have one made by a gun manufacturer, the people who designed and built the handgun initially? They could probably produce a better end product, and at a much lower cost to the consumer.

MattVDW: I agree with you. I wanted to fire the prototype. I believe in the work that I put into it, and I trust that even though it is ONLY rough prototype, which didn't even use the same materials as a gun manufacturer would have chosen, that it would fire without incident. Am I going to go against the wishes of my sponsor and fire it in secret? No, I'm not. I'm going to deliver to them what they want--they're the ones who put up the money for it.

As far as continuing work with handguns, right now, I don't see my future heading in that direction. My project is completed. I don't forsee myself doing any more work on it. I've already accepted a job with a company in a different field (mainly national defense related contracts). If a gun manufacturer were to come to me and ask me about some of our ideas--I would gladly offer my assitance though.

Rich

 

[Ben Swenson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by richg:

MattVDW: I agree with you. I wanted to fire the prototype. I believe in the work that I put into it, and I trust that even though it is ONLY rough prototype, which didn't even use the same materials as a gun manufacturer would have chosen, that it would fire without incident. Am I going to go against the wishes of my sponsor and fire it in secret? No, I'm not. I'm going to deliver to them what they want--they're the ones who put up the money for it.

As far as continuing work with handguns, right now, I don't see my future heading in that direction. My project is completed. I don't forsee myself doing any more work on it. I've already accepted a job with a company in a different field (mainly national defense related contracts). If a gun manufacturer were to come to me and ask me about some of our ideas--I would gladly offer my assitance though.

Rich[/quote]

National Defense Contracts? So instead of designing guns to be safer for families with children, you design weapons of mass destruction? Quite a career leap but whatever floats your boat. Good luck on that.

-Ben