Sunday, February 07, 1999
'Smart guns' are not answer, some experts say
BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Firearms experts who repair, rebuild and sell handguns on both sides of the Ohio River say smart people, not “smart guns,” are the key to firearms safety.
Peter Garrett, considered one of the best full-time gunsmiths in Greater Cincinnati, is familiar with recent attempts at creating a gun that can only be fired by its owner,advances in gunlocks,
and other devices.
“They all can work, theoretically, but actually none of them is the answer to preventing accidental shootings or use of guns by someone other than the owner,” Mr. Garrett said from his Newport, Ky., shop.
“With the present technology, it is virtually impossible to manufacture a safe gun, and you couldn't retrofit the millions of handguns already in people's homes.”
He said all of the inventions, such as Colt's plan for a semiautomatic pistol with a built-in microprocessor and a transmitter for the owner that would prevent anyone else from using it, look good on paper.
“These things are great, and they can work, but in almost every instance they can be altered and/or changed by a novice,” he said.
“Firearms are inherently dangerous. They are intended to be dangerous. The only totally safe gun is one that is mechanically non-functioning.”
He said that some of the electronic safety devices would easily double or triple the price of the gun, pushing the price tag of a $500 pistol to $1,000 or more.
Hugh Rinehart, of Target World in Sharonville, has operated his indoor target range and retail gun outlet for 15 years. He said lawsuits against gun manufacturers aren't the answer.
“The answer is education, not the so-called "smart guns,'” Mr. Rinehart said.
He and Mr. Garrett both sell gun locks, but both emphasized that the locks are anything but foolproof.
“If having gun locks saves just one life, it's worthwhile,” Mr. Rinehart said. “But they are easy to break and open, and on some types of handguns they won't work at all.”
Mr. Garrett said that especially in the case of children, gun locks aren't much help. “Most 12-year-old kids can figure out how to get a lock open,” he said.
He said other safety devices have been manufactured for years with little or no effect. One is a magazine disconnect available on many modern semiautomatic pistols. It prevents the gun from being fired when the magazine is removed.
The now-defunct Harrington & Richardson company, one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in the U.S., sold revolvers in the 1980s with a locking mechanism in the grip. The owner could insert a key to lock the mainspring, preventing the pistol from firing.
“That H&R lock seemed like a good idea, but it was easy to disconnect, broke a lot and generally just didn't work well,” Mr. Garrett said. “After a few years, the company discontinued the locks.”
Mr. Garrett said he is appalled by cities suing gun makers for what individuals do with the product.
“More people are killed and injured, per unit and cost, by automobiles than guns,” he said. “Imagine what would happen if cities began suing the auto manufacturers for building vehicles that permitted people to have accidents.”
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