"Palm Pistol" Project for Disabled Shooters

FWIW, the original palm pistols used a .32 Extra Short rimfire cartridge, made necessary by the design, which was loaded from the inside of the flat "cylinder". With a case length less than half that of the .32 S&W Long, it was not exactly the .454 of its day. But it fired seven rounds, not one.

See the excellent pictures at the link shown in #14. Mine is not quite as nice but is fully functional and only cost $700, a third of what they are asking.

My idea would be a more or less conventional revolver with a bracket extending forward from the butt and around to the frame below the barrel. A lever would be attached to that and to the trigger so that squeezing the lever with four fingers would pull the trigger in a DAO manner.

Jim
 
There is no reason in the world that electronic primers couldn't be used. Plenty of ways to create safety systems. There is no damned reason that nearly any number of rounds couldn't be fit into a handgun once you eliminate the need force hammer, trigger, etc.

When you start thinking about really unconventional things, a wrap around design, blow back operated 32 or .380 is conceivable. We've already thrown away every convention. We could create a design that could it in the palm, fired electronically,, blowback slide, several passive and manual safety features, etc. It doesn't need to be as small as a deck of cards. It just has to fulfill the needs of a firearm that repeats, of being held and fired with weak hands, and be capable of using rounds that can damage an assailant.
 
And then, of course, there was Metal Storm, but their goal was military contracts more so than personal weapons and they went into bankruptcy, but all their weapons were electronically fired.
 
Electronic ignition is certainly possible, as Remington has already proved. High Standard had an "electric" trigger, but it did not use electric primers, it just used a solenoid to operate a normal sear. I tried one of those years ago and it is disconcerting as there is no sense of trigger pull at all. I had then some qualms about safety, but of course the force needed can be made hard or easy.

In fact, we have already done away with conventional ammo, firing wired darts using CO2 (hence not a firearm) and that could be one way to go.

There are many ideas out there, some of which might require a change in the law or BATFE regulations to implement, but such changes are certainly possible.

But I don't think a single shot pistol, whether a "palm pistol" or a derringer, is the answer.

Jim
 
James, that is the bottom line and it makes it hopeless. A single round from a hidden handgun has literally no value unless a single attacker is incapacitated or all threats are driven off by a single round. No deterrent value an rock bottom tactical v value.
 
briandg said:
A single round from a hidden handgun has literally no value unless a single attacker is incapacitated
Click to expand...

How much value does 18 rounds from something like a non-hidden Glock 17 have if there is only a single attacker but it doesn't incapacitate him?

How much value does a single shot have if there is only a single attacker and it incapacitates him and saves your life. Infinite maybe?
 
The gun isn't particularly designed to help people- it's designed to make the manufacturer money by having the government and insurance companies pay for it.
Think about all the power chair and catheter commercials you see on TV.
 
I think to say this is only designed to make money for the manufacturer is a bit cynical. I do agree that making this something that is reimbursed by Medicare/Medicaid is a stretch at best. The companies advertising on TV for a share of the health care business are just like everyone else; some are honest and some aren't. Catheters and wheelchairs are medical necessities though. Pigs will fly before Medicare pays for concealed weapons...
 
I see a big flaw in the ability to use this firearm. Being a member of Paralyzed Veterans of America, if the dexterity of your hands do not allow normal handgun operation, why would this be any different? Buckmasters, Wheeling Sportsman NWTF, PVA, all have systems for anyone with any kind of disability to get out and shoot.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The gun isn't particularly designed to help people- it's designed to make the manufacturer money by having the government and insurance companies pay for it.
Think about all the power chair and catheter commercials you see on TV.
Click to expand...
Ding, Ding, Ding.
I think we have a winner here.
 
Last edited:
As can be said about thousands of products.

In fact, I'm thinking about inventing twelve gauge rounds with silly putty. I have no idea what it will do, but people will love it, and buy them at two bucks a round

I think unique, pink hulls, cushioned wads with non stick lining, one ounce load.roll crimp, with smiley faces on the top cards. I think that I'll use mine to copy pictures from the funny pages from fifty feet.

I wonder, is that a mistake? Should it be $2.50 a round? I could use $1coupons on the five pack. Gross sales may be phenomenal.
 
Just for the record, the above "quote" attributed to me is not mine. Bill DeShivs is the author.
 
Last edited:
What I would like to know is specifically what disabilities is this gun supposed to be addressing.

James, that is the bottom line and it makes it hopeless. A single round from a hidden handgun has literally no value unless a single attacker is incapacitated or all threats are driven off by a single round. No deterrent value an rock bottom tactical v value.
Click to expand...

While a single shot is not ideal, I would completely disagree with the notion that a single shot gun has no value. It is amazing how many engagements are won by intended victims who fire only a single shot and who either miss or fail to incapacitate their attacker, yet the attacker ceases hostilities and goes elsewhere.

The gun isn't particularly designed to help people- it's designed to make the manufacturer money by having the government and insurance companies pay for it.
Click to expand...

While I completely agree with you, Bill, keep in mind design intent is pretty meaningless in many cases. People get all hung up on design intent as if it was a deterministic factor in design application. Design intent is just the designer's view of how his/her design should be applied, but that does not mean that the design can't be used elsewhere. Think about Viagra. What it is currently marketed for is NOT what it was designed for. In fact, it failed for its original design application and what it is marketed for now was a side effect discovered during trials.

The Palm Pistol may be able to help people, regardless of its design intent and regardless of whether the manufacturer is trying to make money doing so. All manufacturers try to make money. That is their design intent because if they fail to do so, then they go out of business.

So this gets back to the question about exactly what sort of disabilities this sort of gun is supposed to be addressing. Is it really filling a niche that is not otherwise covered by other products on the market?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top