Posted on 08/01/2002 7:11:52 PM PDT by vannrox
He came up with the idea after a local boy was shot in his elbow while showing off his dad's .357 Magnum.
The safety bullet can be hidden in the gun chamber and ejected quickly if the owner needs to fire a live bullet.
If the safety bullet is fired, it jams the chamber and locks the gun until the shell is removed with a special tool.
The News Herald reports Mr Worley has applied for a patent for his invention.
He says several companies are interested in his design, and one has started making a prototype.
Mr Worley, from Panama City, says he supports the use of guns and understands why people need a loaded gun as protection.
He said: "I think the safety bullet is a step in the right direction. I don't want fame and fortune. This is a simple device that takes safety to the next level."
Story filed: 11:52 Tuesday 30th July 2002
In the meantime, he has shown his idea to gun control groups such as the Million Mom March and The Brady Center
Hey, I've just had a brillian flash! Why don't we just reduce the size of magazines to eliminate the first round. That would eliminate those first round accidental discharges.
Also we could turn all six-shooters into five-shooters, also eliminating the first round.
Now I've got to go patent these ideas and market them to Sarah Brady and the MMM. Wish me luck.
This is the second time you have posted this diatribe to me. I don't appreciate it any more this time than I did the first. It infers that I have some degree of ignorance on this issue and that is absolutely not true.
I have endured accidental shootings within my own family, and recently a friend of mine was killed in a hunting accident. Another aquaintance was nearly killed by a LEO with a brand new shiny glock. (he says he did not mean to fire his gun)
I know full well the acts and the consequences of a small lapse in judgement regarding a gun. It is a dangerous tool and it is meant to be! The problem is that people take them for granted. That is when it happens.
I have been in the industrial maitenance field for most of my working career. Part of my job was to make sure that people did not get injured or worse by mis-using or operating necessary but dangerous machinery. We did everything prudent to render these machines harmless without affecting their value as a tool.
What always happened was someone would attempt to "idiot proof the machine." This would inevitably cause a situation where the machine would fail or not do the job for which it was intended, causing the removal of these devices/device that cost the company huge amounts of money and time.
I saw this happen time and time again! I have even been fired from jobs for argueing against the installation of some of this crap! Only to be proven right at a later date.
In short, I am quite familiar with the issue and at the same time I am quite fed up with it!
I am afraid that your little device, while a admirable cause, falls into the "idiot proof" category, and will only be discarded after the first time it activates or worse, will render the tool worthless at the very time ones life might depend on it.
Besides, this has been tried before. It was called a dummy bullet. You loaded it in the chamber by putting it on top of the clip and it forced you to jack the slide prior to firing the gun. This dates back mucho years ago and was summarily discarded as more problem than it was worth. Your idea is even more problematic as it requires a tool to remove it.
/1/ At 0330 when you are awakened by smasing glass and you grab the pistol you (or your spouse) loaded months ago, under stress you will pull the trigger and fatally jam your gun. An added safety locking device, if used, must be readily visible on the exterior, telling the owner at a glance, "HEY! TAKE ME OFF OR I WON'T SHOOT!!! This device is hidden, and will under stress be forgotten and jam the gun when most needed.
/2/ This device "makes it safe for kids to handle the gun". BULL CRAP! This violates EVERY basic firearm safe handling law. GREAT! Let's leave our pistols out, after all, they have "safety bullets" in the chambers! Don't fret if the neighbors find them and play with them, Safety Bullet will take care of the danger.
WHOOPS! Somebody took Safety Bullet out and forgot to tell the kids, and since the device is HIDDEN FROM VIEW when used, NO ONE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE! BANG!!!! "Oh Gee, SORRY, I thought there was a safety bullet in that damn thing. I guess I took it out last week when I cleaned it. SORRY! My Bad!
//////////////////////////////////
There is NO substitute for proper training, which teaches one and all that ALL GUNS MUST BE TREATED AS IF THEY ARE LOADED AND COCKED AT ALL TIMES. "Safety Bullet" violates this First Commandment, and would actually INCREASE gun accidents by causing folks to "think" the gun was safe with its HIDDEN FROM VIEW safety-bullet, which may or MAY NOT be present, since it is INVISIBLE. If it leads to a PERCEPTION of safety and more "horseplay" with guns, there will be more accidents.
Stay Safe !
I wondered for about 1.3 seconds. At the very least, he is getting the best market research right here - for free. When the MMM and Brady Center find out gun owners don't like it, they will work to make it mandatory.
So9
That line caught my eye, too. How complex can the mechanism be to fit in the dummy cartridge?
(Did you ever see the Maryland politician Glendenning at his Million Mom March HCI media event where he was touting the "Glock Lock" insert, and was on film trying to get it off, and couldn't, and about 5 cops had to confer to help him? They practically had to take the Glock apart and put it back together. Glendenning was explaining how all MD cops were going to use that type of "safety " feature, which would be mandatory on all new guns sold in MD. The NRA made a priceless video clip from it.)
I'd be the first in line.
Also, this teaches children that it's OK to play with firearms. That's fine when it's your gun with the safety bullet inside, but what about the neighbor's gun? Do you really want your child to believe that all guns are safe to mess with?
As you say Travis, there is no substitute for proper training.
I hate when posters turn into the Spelling Police, but I could NOT let this one pass.
It's Glendingaling, okay? You're a good guy, so I won't come down on you too hard, this time.
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.