Gun Control Bill Would Subject Firearms to Consumer Safety Screening

CNSNews.com ^ | 6/11/03 | Robert B. Bluey

[AIRFORCE76]

In some auto-loading pistols, if the magazine is removed and there is still a round in the breech, the trigger is disconnected from hammer sear, and the round in the breech can't be fired. Unfortunately, if the magazine falls out by accident;ie, dropped, release pushed inadvertently, you can't fire the last round until you get the magazine back in the gun.

[RussRoberts]

Attempts to get firearms regulated as a consumer product have been pushed by the Violence Policy Center for years. Josh Sugarmann of the VPC wrote the following in Mother Jones magazine years ago:

"Such human and economic costs are not tolerated for any other product. Many consumer products from lawn darts to the Dalkon Shield have been banned in the United States, even though they claimed only a fraction of the lives guns do in a day. The firearms industry is long overdue for the simple, regulatory oversight applied to other consumer products. For public safety, the ATF must be given authority to control the design, manufacture, distribution, and sale of firearms and ammunition.

Under such a plan, the ATF would subject each category of firearm and ammunition to an unreasonable-risk analysis to weed out products whose potential for harm outweighs any possible benefit. This would result in an immediate ban on the future production and sale of handguns and assault weapons because of their high risk and low utility."

http://www.motherjones.com/mother_jones/JF94/sugarmann.html

The proponents clearly expect unelected board members to do what elected officials will not do, ban guns.

[tahiti]

"What is being done these days with the commerce clause powers is clearly an unconstitutional abuse."

I am in complete agreement with your remark above.

It is gratifying to see that there is at least "one" other "Freeper" who understands the constitutional issues involved with federal regulations and laws and also knows how to interpret the constitution from the perspective of a presumption of liberty.

As you so accurately stated:

"Almost no one does anymore; not even the so-called "conservatives".

[jimkress]

What a transparent (and insidious) effort to give the Trial Lawyers more money AND implement defacto gun control.

A real two-fer for the Left!

[Springfield45]

After reading all the posts in this thread, I was reminded of a quote I read about once...
Seems this Texas Ranger was on the job one day and a passerby casually glanced over at the pistol on the Ranger's hip. The gun in question was a Colt .45 automatic of the type used by our armed forces in two world wars, Korea and Vietnam. The military-style Colt .45 and the many copies of it are not double-action (in other words, pressing the trigger will not fire the gun without the hammer being pulled back first). The only sensible way that this type of pistol could be carried and still be useful in a moment's notice is in what Col. Jeff Cooper called Condition One: hammer pulled back on a loaded chamber but thumb safety and grip safety activated. In this condition, the gun is totally safe until the thumb safety is pushed down, making the gun ready to fire. Each shot after the first wouldn't require the hammer to be pulled back, the operation of the gun would do it. Millions of pistol owners in this country both carry and store these pistols in their homes in this manner (also known as "cocked and locked") with no danger factor whatsoever.
Anyway, getting back to the story. The person who saw the Ranger's gun simply noticed that the hammer was back and had no idea that safety catches built into the gun prevented its discharge, so he asked the ranger, "Isn't that gun dangerous?" to which the ranger replied, "Damn right it is, son. Wouldn't have it on me if it wasn't".
Beware of legislation like this, folks...if it ever saw the light of day and was stringently enforced, you could kiss the production of all single-action 1911 (military) style automatics goodbye.

[supercat]

Also, if a threat appears in that half second before the new magazine is in you can engage with the one round still in the gun.

I've been told that some people who regularly carry a backup pistol like having a magazine-disconnect on the primary pistol, since if the bad-guy makes a successful grab at the pistol one can drop the magazine and draw the backup on a crook who will be fumbling with the now-useless primary gun.

Of course, that idea only works if the backup gun is ready and available.

[supercat]

If you really want to see an argument take off, try telling a Glock pistolaro that his sidearm should have an integral safety and watch the fur fly!! (I stay out of those arguments.)

Three rules of Glock handling:

1. If you pull the trigger, it goes bang.
2. If you don't pull the trigger, it doesn't go bang.
3. If you don't want it to go bang, don't pull the trigger.

I don't know why people seem to find that complicated.

[Jonah Hex]

Agreed, I have three Glocks. A simple reliable pistol, the Glock is one of my favorites.

[FreedomCalls]

Consumer safety is a joke.

You got that right. Check out the latest recall from the CPSC:

CPSC, Creative Kids Inc. Announce Recall of Children's Art Supply Sets

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Children's Art Supply Sets

Units: 1,400

Manufacturer: Creative Kids Inc. of Monsey, N.Y.

Hazard: The sets contain mini-cutters with razor blades which pose a laceration hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: The Commission and Creative Kids are aware of an incident where an 8-year-old girl received minor cuts to her finger when she used the mini-cutter.

Description: The 87-piece art supply sets were sold in solid wood grain boxes. The sets contain crayons, markers, scissors, water and oil paints, brushes, etc. A label on the box reads "JUMBO ART CASE 87 pieces" and "Item No. 11519."

Sold at: Bigg's stores in Ohio and Kentucky from August 2002 through March 2003 for about $16.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should remove the mini-cutters from the set and return them to Creative Kids to get a free pack of colored paper clips.

So one eight-year old kid gets a minor cut on her finger from an X-Acto knife in an 87-piece art set (probably not supervised by her parents) and this is grounds for a friggin' recall??? Just imagine what the stupidcrats at the CPSC would do with a damn Glock-17!

[NYFriend]

Well....OK. I'm not real comfortable with that reasoning, but whatever they are comfortable with I guess.

[supercat]

Well....OK. I'm not real comfortable with that reasoning, but whatever they are comfortable with I guess.

For an ordinary citizen, this approach is probably not the best because (1) that's an extra piece of metal to carry around; (2) one tries to keep crooks at a distance. For people who may have to deal with crooks at close range, however, it may be reasonable if the people are trained to drop the mag in case of grappling conflict and, once it's clear, let the crook have the inactive gun. Of course, if one trains for that scenario with guns that have a mag-disconnect and then changes to a firearm without a mag-disconnect, one could be in trouble.

[NYFriend]

If someone goes for your weapon, you have to shoot them. If you don't they will kill you. I know, you gan't avoid it 100%. But if I was going to train for anything, I'd train to retain the weapon, rather than worry about dropping the magazine or whatever. I'm not expert, but that's my opinion.

[A Navy Vet]

WARNING! Do NOT place knife against throat and move in a horizontal direction!

WARNING! Baseball bats are not to be used on human heads!

WARNING! Stairwell rails are to be used at all times to prevent serious injury or death!

WARNING! Loosly fitting shoes may cause injury due to tripping.!

WARNING! Do not get out of bed, serious injury or death may occur!
To ensure additional safety, Government regulations require all beds manufactured since the dawn of time be retro-fitted with padded steel cage re-inforcement.
Titanium mesh covering is required as of January 1, 2004. Entrance/exit pathways are to be zippered panels 20" in width; 48" high; and placed at all four (4) corners. REMOVAL OF MESH TAGS IS UNLAWFUL and PUNISHABLE BY FIRING SQUAD! Have a nice life!

[Conspiracy Guy]

It is damn crazy

[Dan from Michigan]

Rep Frank, Barney - 6/10/2003 [MA-4] Rep Langevin, James R. - 6/10/2003 [RI-2]
Rep Lantos, Tom - 6/10/2003 [CA-12] Rep Meehan, Martin T. - 6/10/2003 [MA-5]
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 6/10/2003 [DC] Rep Solis, Hilda L. - 6/10/2003 [CA-32]
Rep Towns, Edolphus - 6/10/2003 [NY-10] Rep Van Hollen, Chris - 6/10/2003 [MD-8]

H.R.2403 Title: To expand the powers of the Attorney General to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and sale of firearms and ammunition, and to expand the jurisdiction of the Attorney General to include firearm products and nonpowder firearms

Sponsor: Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] (introduced 6/10/2003)

[Dan from Michigan]

S.1224

Title: A bill to expand the powers of the Attorney General to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and sale of firearms and ammunition, and to expand the jurisdiction of the Attorney General to include firearm products and nonpowder firearms.

Sponsor: Sen Corzine, Jon [NJ] (introduced 6/10/2003)
Cosponsors: 1
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2003 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COSPONSORS(1), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)

Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 6/10/2003 [NJ] ===================

THANK YOU JOISEY!!!

[Blue Jays]

Good Evening All-

...The (National Shooting Sports) foundation is pushing the Senate to adopt a measure that would make the firearms industry immune from negligence lawsuits. It's an issue that drew the ire of gun control supporters, including former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), who urged lawmakers to strike back..."

********************

Strike back at WHOM, Mr. ex-Senator Metzenbaum? Isn't it a bit extreme for legislators to say they are going to strike back at law-abiding Americans? Take a chill pill, Mr. ex-Senator...you're going to blow a gasket.

~ Blue Jays ~

[blackbart.223]

"And another label that says, "WARNING! A loaded gun is DANGEROUS!".

But not quite as dangerous as a loaded Democrat like Ted Kennedy driving a car.

[PhilDragoo]

A Kennedy involved in preventing accidental deaths?

Millions of gun owners have killed no one--

--yet the senior senator from Massachusetts killed Mary Jo Kopechne.

Jail Ted Kennedy before regulating firearms--unsafe at any blood alcohol level.

[donmeaker]

The way you blow a shotgun is

1. Insert 20 gauge shell into 12 gauge bore.
2. Forget about step 1.
3. Insert 12 gauge shell into 12 gauge bore.
4. Fire shotgun
5. Look for pieces using braille method.

Like most safety issues, it is the loose nut behind the gun that is the problem.