Built-in gun "design flaws" - Whaddya think?

.250Savage

Or at least that's what I refer to 'em as - those fancy gimcracks that are DELIBERATELY designed to keep guns from firing. You know what I mean. The H&K USP has one in the mag well, the Taurus revolvers have 'em. Key-actuated gizmos that are (Heaven help us all!) INTENDED to keep the gun from working!!! Isn't it hard enough to keep a gun in firing condition without the designing engineers DELIBERATELY keeping them from working?

Now don't get me wrong - I have nothing against H&K USP's. As a matter of fact, I am going to be picking up a full-sized one tomorrow in .45 that I bought at a gunshow TWO WEEKENDS AGO!!! Damn Kali waiting period(Like I couldn't kill someone with the fifty-some guns I already own?)! However, it is just an article of faith with me that I will SERIOUSLY investigate disabling this little bit of "nanny-state" engineering!

To my surprise, tho, even two members of my local NRA group actually LIKE the things! They think it is GREAT that their weapons can be disabled with the turn of an easily-lost key! I simply can't understand this. A gun, by definition, IS AND SHOULD BE DANGEROUS!!! If Sam Colt had felt the need for a key-locking safety on his revolvers, he would have included one!!!!

I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.--Voltaire~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~

DarkStar11

Yep, it's almost like Porsche making cars that prevent you from using the brake and gas pedal at the same time (yep, they are really doing this!)

It's all a bunch of horsesh*t that's aimed at protecting companies against frivelous lawsuits because people refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.

"I was too much of an IDIOT to use your product properly! I completely ignored the user manual, and I didn't receive any training on how to use it! Why on earth is this thing even for sale??? I'm going to sue you silly because I'M STUPID."

Yep, that pretty much sums up our culture.

DarkStar11
"...But Mona Lisa musta had the highway bluesYou can tell by the way she smiles..."

interstatepawnllc

Darkstar, bbbbbbbbbingo!!!

offeror

Frankly, there are people who own guns who don't know them well, don't practice with them, and just have them around "in case." They put them on top the refrigerator and expect the kids never to find them. In that scenario, I wouldn't mind if they locked the gun and lost the key. Not only are they not likely to use one effectively, but they may be more likely to have it a) accidentally discharged by one of the children or b) grabbed and used against them by a home invader.

This is the only reason I can see in favor of "integrated" gun locks. I have to trust the quality gun makers to create a lock that won't accidentally engage without the use of the key, and I know that requires a certain amount of trust until these systems have proven themselves. But not everyone who owns a gun is expert with it, or bothers to become one, and frankly for those folks, if they want to lock them up, maybe we're all safer that way. Just because we believe everyone has the right to own a gun doesn't mean we believe everyone we know should own one. I know some folks who are better off without.

- Life NRA Member
If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

DarkStar11

We (US Citizens) all have the right to own firearms. If we choose to exercise that right, we then have a duty to learn about the basic operation of our firearms, the proper use and care of our firearms, and how to properly store our firearms.

We are responsible for our actions in exercising ANY of our rights.

DarkStar11
"...But Mona Lisa musta had the highway bluesYou can tell by the way she smiles..."

leeblackman

I think the only reason gun companies are starting to install safety locks on the gun itself is either because it was agreed in a settlement over one of those stupid state lawsuits, or its just for liability purposes.

My opinion, is that its just another moving part, just another thing that can go wrong, break, or malfunction. If I personally were to order a custom gun from the factory, I would request not to have one.



I just wish I had a dollar for every gun I wanted, then I'd be a rich man.

MrNathanLee

I feel that this "feature" can both be good and bad and maybe should be an option that can be added for no extra cost to the buyer.

Good: In a home where there are children or for a parent that wants to give his child a firearm but doesnt want him/her to be able to fire it without the parent knowing about it and being and might not have a safe cause they dont own any firearms anymore or they only have a trigger lock for there pistol or something (thats when you also get another pistol lock for the usp and enguage the internal lock so even if the kid wishes to shoot someone they cant cause you have the key hidden in a different place than the trigger lock key)

Bad: I think that most of the people if not all of the people that post here are able to handle a firearm in such a matter that this little lock would not be needed nor wanted and therefore should not be on there firearm for they will not be one to carelessly leave it somewhere where is it accessable to children (aka not locked up) or if they do not lock it up they dont have children to worry about or they simply dont want to have to worry about making sure its unlocked every day in case they actually have to use there concieled weapon they will actually be able to fire it rather than have it locked and maybe end up a victom instead of a citizen.

pikeal1

Just to add another name to the list, Glock will be including integral locks on their guns soon as well.

The only problem I have with these locks is the possibility that they might malfunction and the lock might engage due to recoil, or whatever.

Personally, If I had a choice, I would not have them..but as was said before, not everyone who owns a gun has the same mentality or profeciency with a firearm as the majority of the folks on this board. Maybe it would work better as an add on option, but not as a standard part of a gun.

Alex

He Dog

Having no children I keep loaded firearms in the house at all times. Semi-autos are loaded with no round chambered. Revolvers are loaded with the hammer sitting on an empty chamber. Even a highly compentent fool can fumble and drop something right?

I can see where it would be attractive to those with children to have lockable firearms to prevent tragedies. I cannot help remembering that when I was a child, most guns were stored unloaded (which is safer right?, I mean no one was ever killed by an empty firearm.), but there was always one semi-auto pistol which was kept loaded with an empty chamber. I knew it was there, I knew it was loaded, and I knew it was not a toy. Guess what? I never played with it.

bhayes420

Remington 870 youth model 20 that I bought a few months back has a key-lock "thingy" on it. Don't know if they are standard on the adult models or not. I would assume so. Personally, I like the thing. I don't see any problem with it. I keep the "key" with the choke tubes in a little baggy with the gun. I figure I have kept up with the tubes for other guns for years, so why should I be worried about losing the key?