Is it just me, or...

I

Ike666

New member
Like I suspect many, I was the happy recipient of a new pistol for Christmas. In this case it was a Ruger Mk III 22/45 (hope to shoot it later today).

Although in most any other case (electronic gear of all sorts, tools, etc.) I completely ignore the manual until a problem arises, I've always sat down and given the manual of a new firearm a thorough read.

Now, reading through this new manual I became increasingly irritated by all the various legal warnings and state-notifications. You cannot read a firearms operators manual as a cohesive document to inform you about the correct and safe manual of arms anymore. You literally have to search for the critical content buried in amongst all the dreck.

It occurs to me that by peppering the manual with all these various notices and warnings the manufacturers have actually made the operation of the weapon less safe. Is it just me, or does this insane practice irritate anyone else?
 
I agree 100%. I think Lawyers (not all) are the downfall of society, at least one of them anyways. People need to stand on their own two feet and not someone else to tell them something is ok, safe or dangerous. I actually heard someone at work say "What ever keeps us safe" talking about stuff in general and it made me want to puke. His Dad is a lawyer.
 
It's like that with most owner's manuals these days. Have you looked at an automobile owner's manual lately, it's so full of "how not to crash" and yada,yada, that it never really gets around to telling you where the dipstick is.

But in this litigation-nation, it's only going to get worse:mad:
 
Agree

I agree that all the legal warnings make it harder to make myself read the manuals as thoroughly as I probably should. These warnings of some sort show up on almost any product in our country and annoy me on many of the products even if I don't read them. Unfortunately, our country has become a nation of irresponsible consumers, "ambulance chasing" lawyers, and frivolous lawsuits, so the manufacturers, etc. have to disclaim so much responsibility themselves or risk huge lawsuits. I am not saying everyone is this way, but far too many are. Perhaps you are right about the warnings making the operation less safe by discouraging the consumer from reading the manual thoroughly by overfilling it with legal "crap". I believe all the legal warnings and disclaimers should be grouped into the first section together and labelled "Read First" or something like that. That way the warnings were provided for us morons and if we failed to read them and hurt ourselves it is our own fault.
 
Lawyers

Lawyers are a necessary evil. Unfortunately, too many of them are more evil than necessary.
 
It is my personal belief that these erratic, half understandable warnings in manuals are part of the tidal wave of CYA that this country leads the world in. There's a warning label on damn near everything. I am a huge fan of Ruger firearms, specifically the SR9C I carry daily, their DA centerfire revolvers, of which I have owned a great many, and their single action revolvers, too. I firmly believe that the Ruger GP100, whether stainless (my preference) or blued, 4" barrel, full lug, six shot .357 Magnum is The Finest double action fighting handgun made. That said, I think Ruger has caved a lot more than other manufacturers towards 'giving in' to the gun hating liberal bureaucracy. See the Long Island Railroad shooting and others. The warning etched into each firearm, especially the "Read Manual Before Use" that desecrates the otherwise beautiful design of these machines is a disgrace to personal responsibility and our freedoms and inherent rights.

I am often heard to comment that we are a society that celebrates dolts and ignorance with a ready lawyer behind every tree. Mediocrity is awarded, stupidity and arrogance in the face of it celebrated.

Here is an example of articles relating to that mindset.
http://www.mmmpalaw.com/CM/Articles/articles16.asp
 
Is it just me, or does this insane practice irritate anyone else?
Click to expand...
I take the "lawyer-ize" stuff as what it is.

What irritates me more and to no end is that it getting harder and harder to find the "English" version.
 
Ruger

Sgt. I agree. I just bought a SP101 and love everything about it except the warning on the side of the barrel. I have been told that I could have it taken off and the barrel refinished, but I question the integrity of that. I would question the strength of barrel and quality of finish. Also the cost of having it done would prohibit me. Don't know if it could really be done anyway. Guess I'll live with it.
 
I just bought a SP101 and love everything about it except the warning on the side of the barrel. I have been told that I could have it taken off and the barrel refinished, but I question the integrity of that. I would question the strength of barrel and quality of finish. Also the cost of having it done would prohibit me. Don't know if it could really be done anyway. Guess I'll live with it.
Click to expand...

You could do this, the cylinder is just a little dirty
 
Last edited:
How much of the this is the result from the normal every-day run-of-the-mill greedy litigaous lawyers and how much is the result of anti-gun factions (including anti-gun lawyer groups like LCAV) filing lawsuits against gun companies to obliterate them?

Remember that Intratec was basically sued out of existance
 
Now, reading through this new manual I became increasingly irritated by all the various legal warnings and state-notifications. You cannot read a firearms operators manual as a cohesive document to inform you about the correct and safe manual of arms anymore. You literally have to search for the critical content buried in amongst all the dreck.
Click to expand...

Read the instructions for your refrigerator/toaster/chainsaw/bathroom cleanser/weedwhacker/car battery/etc. lately?

Of course it's CYA... but there are a lot of stupid people in the world. Over the years I have read about:
  • Someone who sued a ladder manufacturer b/c he didn't realize putting the feet on ice wasn't safe.
  • A girl who got pregnant b/c she was putting the contraceptive jelly on bread and eating it.
  • A guy who set the cruise control on his RV and then went in the back to make a sandwich.
  • ...the list goes on and on.
 
Giving in?

I think Ruger has caved a lot more than other manufacturers towards 'giving in' to the gun hating liberal bureaucracy.
Click to expand...

While you see it as "giving in", they see it as "staying in business".

Ruger lost a big lawsuit in the early 70s, that's why there is a New Model Blackhawk. Some idiot was trying to load/unload his Ruger in the cab of a moving pickup, and shot himself in the leg. He sued. Ruger lost.

Based on the details I heard, it should never have happened, but it did. The jury found in favor of the idiot. Part of the settlement included the redesign of the Blackhawk.

Which is also why Ruger will convert old model (three screw) Blackhawks to the modern configuration. In fact, if you send an old model in for any work at all, it will be converted. Even if you don't want it converted. Ruger has to do it, per the legal settlement.

Another result is that Ruger is just a bit enthusiastic about hedging their bets against another lawsuit. NOBODY can claim "I wasn't told..." with a Ruger firearm anymore. Its all through the manual and its marked ON THE GUN! And all because some foolish jury could only see "big business vs the little guy". You should be blaiming them, not Ruger.

If Ruger really "caved" to the gun haters, they would close their doors and walk away. Or produce a different product and drop guns entirely.
 
It's too bad the Brady Campaign got a hold of Plaxico Burress, he could have worked for Glock illustrating safe-action safety.
 
44 Amp, with all due respect, they lost that fight because they chose not to fight it fully. A machine is an object and while they are certainly destructive devices, they are inanimate without the actions of their users. Am I saying their legal fund is endless? Of course not. What I'm saying is that if you pay blackmail once, you'll pay it again and again.
 
safety warnings

AMEN brother!

The litigation attorneys have the upper hand. Most politicians are former lawers and too spineless to initiate real reform.
 
i agree...

but at this point if the manual is written in ENGLISH! im happy

Ruger lost a big lawsuit in the early 70s, that's why there is a New Model Blackhawk. Some idiot was trying to load/unload his Ruger in the cab of a moving pickup, and shot himself in the leg. He sued. Ruger lost.
Click to expand...

thats like those stories of burglars falling through sky lights onto knives suing the home owner. its a sad state of affairs and only gonna get worse.

the dismal tide is coming
Click to expand...
 
.

While you see it as "giving in", they see it as "staying in business".
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this observation is true. Gunmakers feel obligated (and rightly so) to protect themselves against unscrupulous litigants. Don't blame the manufacturers for foisting on the buying public trigger locks, unsightly inscribed warnings and heavier than necessary trigger pulls. Blame a society that increasingly seeks to absolve personal responsibility for stupid behavior and places blame for said obtuse conduct on "society at large"-and a bottom-feeding lawyer's fraternity that actively exploits this foolish but cleverly contrived reallocation of blame.
 
What?? Read a manual???? REAL men don't read manuals - we learn by experience . . . or so my wife says!? :D

I agree with you - it's like a major search through all of the warnings to get to the "meat" of the manual - plus on a lot of them, I usually end up picking up the wrong manual to read . . . sorry, but I'm not bi-lingual. My one comment would be . . "whatever happened to common sense"?

That's one of the reasons I didn't buy my wife a pistol for Christmas . . I got her a bicycle instead. Now I have to go find her a bicycle lock for it so it doesn't get stolen when she rides it. I've got that covered though . . . I'm going to go buy another brand new Ruger (I love Rugers - have 4 of em) . . that way I can get the bicycle lock that comes with it and both my wife and I will be happy. Ooooops! That's a whole other topic . . sorry! :D
 
There are a lot of warnings in manuals, and although I always read the manual on a new gun before I take it to the range, I can't swear that I always read all the disclaimers and standard warnings.

Still, we need to remember that for many folks, that's all the "training" they'll ever get when they become a gun owner. When you look at it in that light, it makes more sense.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top