'Safety bullet' invention aims to prevent accidental shootings

News Herald ^ | Story filed: 11:52 Tuesday 30th July 2002 | Editorial Staff

[vannrox]

'Safety bullet' invention aims to prevent accidental shootings

A Florida man claims to have designed a safety bullet which locks up a gun when it's accidentally fired.

Mike Worley says his simple invention takes gun safety to another level.

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

[MightyMouth]

Ooh, wow. An NRA member? Is there anyone in here who *isn't* an NRA member? I'm also an NRA Instructor, and I would never recommend this thing to anyone. I'm an ex-LEO, and I would never recommend it to anyone. Why, yes, I *do* have a better idea, Mike: Train your children -- all of America's children -- from an early age to handle guns safely. Teach them what a gun will really do. Instill respect in them by actively parenting them.

Anybody who disagrees with you must be a moron, huh? I begin to suspect that I know why your X is your X, and you're still so angry about it.

[MightyMouth]

You're now saying that "NRA" ... ALL of us ... like this idea? Mike, I think you are delusional.

[MightyMouth]

So ... in other words, we must all agree with you. No criticism, no opinions other than yours? Bye, bye, Mike.

[Squantos]

Long way to travel just to buy me dinner Mike.......but hey Texas Panhandle isn't that far from the Florida Panhandle. Tuesdays are good for me :o)

Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

Ever hear of Polish Roulette? One round in a .45ACP.

[Travis McGee]

Good catach on Florida's so called "screwey gun laws". FL was one of the very first CCW states, and has very permissive in-car carry laws for everyone allowed to own a gun, CCW or not.

I think bullet man is a flake or a phoney or both.

[MightyMouth]

So, tell me, Man Behind the Curtain ... you're so totally doing this to stop "accidental shooting" that you MUST be giving the bullets and the removal tool away to everyone who emails you, right? I mean, cheez ... a grand, goodwill-building, speaks-for-the-whole-NRA, kinda guy like you, you must be doing it out of the goodness of your heart and not for monetary gain, huh?

Yeah, right.

So, tell me -- you have test data? Written statements from all of these LEOs and the whole NRA that they've tried it under stress conditions and it works great? I would like to see those, and I would of course like my free bullets and removal tool. I don't intend to use them -- just show them to the other NRA Instructors, and maybe to Mas Ayoob and some other folks, and we can all get a good laugh from them.

[apochromat]

How about if the first two rounds are candy?

[Travis McGee]

Please address my points /1/ and /2/ from my reply #165. Thank you.

211 posted on 9/5/02 1:32 PM Pacific by Travis McGee

Anytime it's good for you.

[Sir Gawain]

As soon as your kid is able to pull back the slide on your Glock, you take him or her out and teach him or her to respect and handle a firearm properly. Like other posters have said, the less you have to think in a stressful situation, the less chance of a mistake. No wonder why my Glock has no external safeties. It's the safest gun on the market.

[COB1]

"To each his own."

Yeah, that's what I said when I bought the Sig.
I just liked the feel of it better.

[Southbound]

Just back from last night, and my, things have gotten interesting, haven't they? Evaluation all over the place. Just for grins, my sometimes faulty memory tells me that Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U. S. Surgeon General in the Clinton Administration, said that "what we need are sayfer bullets." This, too, was all for the "chul-dren".
I seem to recall she was advocating teaching creative masturbation in schools, also.......another brilliant concept that didn't catch on......anyway, that's who "she" is.

[dighton]

Ever hear of Polish Roulette? One round in a .45ACP.

Let's not be so picky. A round in any caliber automatic will do.

;-)

[dcwusmc]

Bump for an answer. I surely won't have such a thing anywhere NEAR any of my weapons. As has been noted and left unanswered by Mr. SBI, it's too easy to forget and when you NEED the piece, you are not going to be thinking about some "safety bullet" or anything else. Since the average defense use of a firearm is WITHIN 15 feet or so, that really leaves you a LONG TIME to get your tool out and remove the projectile, clear the jam and reload the weapon. As was pointed out, the early model M-16 comes to mind. Not me or mine, thanks. I want to be sure it's the PERP who gets fitted for a shroud, not me, not the wife.

[Redcloak]

Are those crickets I hear chirping?

[Abundy]

As a former police officer I can pretty much guarantee that the officers will fight the use of this technology tooth and nail.

There just isn't enough time during a critical incident to remove this from the firearm. Officers need to be able to remove the firearm from their holster, aim and fire as quickly as possible - forcing them to retrain to remove the firearm, rack the slide, aim and fire will take hundreds of hours of re-training and I'd be willing to bet that officers will still draw and fire, jamming their weapons during a high-stress encounter requiring deadly force. Further, this adds too much time between realization of the threat and firing the weapon - even if you could untrain the instinctive response of drawing and firing.

With respect to private firearms ownership, your invention will do further damage to my civil rights - some moron like my AG in Maryland will think this is a good idea and pass a law making it a felony NOT to have one of these rounds in a loaded firearm. Just more governmental intrusion into my decision on how best to protect my family.

Thanks, but no thanks.

[technochick99]

One of the things I have done is to talk to a lot of women about this. So far not one of them thinks its a bad idea. Several have loaded guns and kids because the were afraid for their lives. I am afraid for their kids. I have given a few some of my prototypes just to keep them safe.

If you are serious about getting women gun owners involved and getting their feedback, you might try giving out a few for them to test. There are several organizations such as Second Amendment Sisters, Women Against Gun Control, Armed Females of America , and the Liberty Belles.

Our input will have more credibility with gun owners than the Brady Center.

[Abundy]

The are going to come two in a pack for that reason. If the cycle the gun they will load the second safety bullet. I realize it may not be the perfect answer but its better than whats out there right now.

I replied too early in the thread. Now I can definately say your invention will get people killed.

IF they remember to rack the slide before shooting at an armed attacker they have to remember to RACK THE SLIDE TWICE! That's twice as long before someone using your invention can defend themselves from the individual that will NOT be using your invention.

You deserve every flame you get on this thread.

[R. Scott]

It sounds like the inventor has found a bandwagon to jump on – it’s useless but will look good to those who believe all guns are evil.
I can see it now. All across the country police departments in liberal cities will be buying them up and distributing them “for the children”.
Remember the fiasco with the trigger locks? All those locks handed out – and later we found out they didn’t lock.

[Abundy]

I want you to try one. Then slam it all you want. I think you'll agree it is one great idea. Everyone that I have shown it to has said that. If not dinner is on me.

You do realize that the only true test of your product is to subject someone to using it during an unexpected, armed encounter, don't you?

I'm curious, how did those tests go? What was the survival rate for the intended victim? How long did it take on average for the intended victim to rack the slide two times and then fire? How many intended victims were injured by the attacker?

As someone who has survived several encounters with armed individuals WITHOUT firing a shot I can tell you that I would never, even if ordered, use this device. PERIOD.

Now, do you want to listen to those of us who know what we are talking about or do you want to listen to the MMM, the VPC and the Brady Campaign?