I think guns carried in public should be virtually incapable of firing when dropped. Do you agree? [View all]

[TPaine7]

I'm no expert on guns, so I'd like to hear from those who are.

There are many who fear and oppose people carrying in public. I don't agree with them as a matter of simple justice and of constitutional law, but I do understand their position.

One of their concerns is gun accidents. Even given a well trained, responsible, sober CCW permittee who behaves perfectly, if guns fire when dropped, the potential for disaster is very real.

Absolute perfection is not possible in human products, but there are definitely ways to make failure rates vanishingly small. Triple redundancy in a well designed system should prevent almost 100% of firing as a result of dropping—and IIRC, at least one manufacturer has triple redundancy.

It is quite reasonable for people to expect that guns carried in public be certified not to fire when dropped. There should be double or even triple redundancy. I know for instance, that some safety critical systems in cars must be certified to have at least two fail safes.

It should be illegal to carry antique guns that lack mechanisms to prevent shooting when dropped. And if he wasn't carrying an antique, how did this guy's gun shoot him in the buttocks? Is this just another case of a reporter not getting accurate facts? I wish I knew what he was carrying.

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/la-na-nn-nevada-man-shoots-himself-movie-20120815,0,5594673.story

(Edited to add a link to more stories. Have I been mislead on modern handguns? http://www.democraticunderground.com/117261815#post5)

What do you think (assuming that you can't prevent carrying of guns in public):

13 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	All gun carried in public should be certified designed (or retrofitted) with redundant features to prevent firing when dropped
	6 (46%)
	People should be able to carry antique guns without such features
	0 (0%)
	I'm ok with things as they are, whatever that may be from locale to locale
	7 (54%)
	Other (explain below)
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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