Beretta being sued over dumbass kids ( always check the chamber stupid!)

[funkyflathead]

AFTER A NINE YEAR STRUGGLE, TRIAL AGAINST GUN MAKER TO BEGIN

Case Could Be Thrown Out By Pending Gun Industry Immunity Bill


Oakland, CA - Kenzo Dix was fifteen years old when he died, unintentionally shot and killed by a fourteen year old friend with a Beretta pistol. The date was May 29, 1994.

The friend had unloaded his father's gun and replaced it with an empty clip, but the design of the gun failed to reveal the hidden bullet in the chamber. Inexpensive and feasible safety features used by other gun manufacturers could have prevented Kenzo's death...........


-more-

http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/release.asp?Record=525

[BullDozer]

1. Expect more

Of these sob stories as the bill, supported by Democrats and republicans, moves closer to passing.


"The Beretta handgun, a 92 Compact L semiautomatic 9mm pistol, could have been designed ....and an effective loaded chamber indicator"

Gee the Beretta 92s do have a loaded chamber indicator. The one I bought in 1990 did.

I guess anything short of a big red flashing light, a 1,000 decibel alarm blarring "warning the gun is loaded the gun is loaded the gun is loaded!!!" anytime someone gets within 500feet of it just isn't enough.

Too bad the kids didn't learn stop, don't tough, leave the area, tell an adult.

[beevul]

2. Umm yeah.

The model 96 I currently own has effective loaded chamber indicator. It works Verry effectively. To my knowledge, All the guns built on the Beretta 92/96 design have one. The taurus pt99/101 for instance I think has one.


The 3 key sentences that stand out to me that make this meritless, but no less sad, are: (in quotes)

Sentence 1

"The friend had unloaded his father's gun and replaced it with an empty clip, but the design of the gun failed to reveal the hidden bullet in the chamber."

Did in in fact "fail to reveal"? I don't believe it did. I do believe however, that the gun was left where it shouldn't have been, and with children not educated to operate guns safely, or that particular gun
or understand the way that loaded chamber indicator works. I could be wrong on the safety education issue, but if I was, I'm sure brady would be trotting it out. They're going to say that the loaded chamber indicator should be "obvious" even to those that wouldn't already know there is one. Can't be expecting the PROPER user of said gun to actually READ the owners manual to see how all the functions work, now, could we. :eyes: Couldn't expect the parents to take any responsibility for not getting the message to thier kids like bullDozer says "stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult". Though, IMO, at 15, that message should have been discarded in favor or real honest to goodness gun safety training.


Sentence 2

"The Beretta handgun, a 92 Compact L semiautomatic 9mm pistol, could have been designed with an internal lock that would have prevented a child from firing the gun, and an effective loaded chamber indicator that would have alerted a child that the gun was loaded."

This one is rich. Where to start...here:

"could have been designed with an internal lock that would have prevented a child from firing the gun"

How about:

"could have been equiped with an external lock that would have prevented a child from firing the gun" (especially since police departments seem to always be giving them away)

The differences between the 2 sentences being that the "designing with an internal lock" would have been done by a designer working for a manufacturer, AND that the equipping with an external lock" would be done by the owner.

Since both examples EQUALLY "could have been", and both examples EQUALLY "would have prevented a child from firing the gun", AND neither example would FORCE the owner to use said lock.....no merit there. Absolutely none.


And next:

"and an effective loaded chamber indicator that would have alerted a child that the gun was loaded."

This is really another question what kind of child. An educated one, or an ignorant one? They're going to attempt to say that it should be an indicator EVEN to the ignorant. Yeah, right. Just like a red taillight should be an indicator EVEN to the ignorant, that a car is stopping in front of you at night. Just like the surgeon generals warning on a bottle of bacardi 151 should be an indicator, EVEN for the ignorant. No merit here iether.

Sentence 3

"Manufacturers who put profits over the safety of children need to be held accountable, and they need incentives to make their products safer.

This one is a hoot.

I agree with the sentence on its face. I just don't see where its happened in this story. The fact is, like them or not, the beretta model 92 used in this case, is a quality made firearm. Not some so called junk gun.

This better fits the case:

"parents who put convenience over , or are ignorant of- the safety of thier children need to be held accountable when it causes harm to those children."

Sweet, I found some merit!! Bummer it wasn't on bradys page.......go figure :eyes:.


On edit: I probably would have entitled it "Beretta being sued over dumbass parents ( always teach the kids to check the chamber stupid!)", but thats just me, not an attack or insult to the funkyflathead. If these kids had gun safety training, I'd be more inclined to call them stupid. In this case, I believe it was COMPLETELY the parents fault, and I feel bad for parents of the kid that died, and especially for the kid that did the shooting. That kid is going to live with the mistakes his parents made by not educating him, and taking reasonable precautions that good judgement should have mandated in this case.

[beevul]

4. correction, missed it on edit

This is really another question what kind of child. An educated one, or an ignorant one? They're going to attempt to say that it should be an indicator EVEN to the ignorant. Yeah, right. Just like a red brakelight should be an indicator EVEN to the ignorant, that a car is stopping in front of them at night. Just like the surgeon generals warning on a bottle of bacardi 151 should be an indicator, EVEN for the ignorant. No merit here iether

Changed taillight to brakelight.




Bah, spelling

[DoNotRefill]

3. I'm surprised they brought this again...

Last time out, didn't Beretta get awarded costs?

[slackmaster]

5. Yes, but the plaintiffs appealed and their obligation to pay is stayed

For now.

Ultimately they'll end up paying the defendants even more in court costs. The case is absurd. The only winners will be the lawyers.