You'll shoot your eye out!
Posted on 10/30/2001 5:14:58 PM PST by Swordmaker
WASHINGTON – The Consumer Product Safety Commission filed an administrative lawsuit Tuesday against Daisy Manufacturing Co. seeking the recall of 7.5 million Powerline Airguns because of what the CPSC says is a substantial risk of death or injury to anyone using one.
Daisy, of Rogers, Ark., has refused to recall the weapons, which have been on sale since September 1972.
The CPSC said there have been at least 15 deaths and 171 serious injuries – 80 percent of them children under 16 – associated with the airguns. The CPSC alleges defects in Daisy's manufacturing.
The CPSC began investigating the BB guns in May 2000 after hearing Daisy had made changes to the model 856 Powerline Airgun in 1999 to eliminate the possible places where a BB could get stuck.
Tuesday's lawsuit contends the guns are defective because BBs can become lodged in the magazine of the airguns, even though the airgun can appear empty. That, the suit says, can lead to children playing with the weapons, believing them safe. The stuck BB can then become dislodged, causing death or serious injury if fired in the direction of another person.
Despite the 1999 modifications, the CPSC contends Daisy models 856 and 880 are still defective because they fail to incorporate an automatic safety system. The airguns have a manual safety button.
Daisy lawyer Jeffrey Locker said it was difficult to believe users are unaware of the presence of a BB, stuck or not, because it takes seven steps to fire the guns.
The family of John Tucker Mahoney had been pushing for a recall ever since the then-16-year-old Pennsylvania youth was shot in the head in 1999 by a friend and left in a near vegetative state with severe injuries. Daisy settled a suit with the family for $18 million.
Yessiree Bob, this is a real problem!
I believe that the incident of deaths from soda straws is probably higher!
Not only that, because Daisy decides to re-design the models to eliminate some of the problem, they will get punished for recognizing they can make it safer! Yeah, RIGHT!
Incidentally, the woman chairperson of the CPSC who is pushing this term will expire this week. Appointed by B. Clinton.
That's exactly the problem!! When they get into court, Daisy will have to admit that their product was "unsafe".
This is so outrageous!! Maybe my son will get a BB gun for x-mas now.
Can we give them little laser badges?
ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME?
Excellent point. There are litterally thousands of consumer items, including private aircraft, that are never modified to elimanate "know saftey defects" because to do so would be a tacit admission of guilt in a civil action.
It is the principal reason why private industry will not cooperate with government saftey agencies when an obvious change is suggested or mandated.
sounds like some very, VERY desperate form of gun cotrol here. i'll bet schumer and feinswinesukksass have something to do with this. bb's are the size of schumers huevo's!!
I would suggest that every American go out and buy an AR-15 with plenty of 30 round mags and .223 ammo. That's a real gun! ;-) Don't waste your time or money with pea shooters.
This is not intended to start a 'caliber' war :-)
1> Every gun is always loaded.
2> Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
3> Never shoot if you don't know where the pellet|bullet|BB will go.
4> Never point the gun at anything you don't want to make a hole in.
My apologies if I'm preaching to the choir - I'm a big fan of pellet guns...and gun safety.
FReegards,
Slings and Arrows
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.