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From: syoung%pecanpi.UUCP@mathcs.emory.edu
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Submission
Message-ID: <35325@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 6 Jun 91 19:27:36 GMT
Sender: magnum@mimsy.umd.edu
Organization: Pecan Pi, Doraville, Georgia
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Approved: gun-control@cs.umd.edu


In article <35246@mimsy.umd.edu> snitor!petert@uunet.UU.NET (Peter Toth) writes:
# [...]
#
#Apropos: for the longest time i've been puzzled by magazine safeties.
#Can anyone explain what are they good for besides rendering the gun less
#than useless while reloading ?
#
#Thanx
#
#Peter Toth

Peter, the "noble intention" of a magazine disconnector is, of course, to
keep the gun from firing when folks take out the magazine.  Not a bad idea
on a target gun -- but a terrible idea for a protection gun.

The magazine is the single part of a semi-automatic pistol that is most
likely to malfunction.  Better a single-shot than a club...

A lot of manufacturers prefer to include the magazine disconnector for
product liability reasons.  If some idiot on a range doesn't clear his
weapon, and shoots someone else, a lawyer goes after the folks with the
money - the manufacturer of the gun.  So they try to minimize that
exposure.

S&W, for example, builds magazine disconnectors into their guns.  If you
try to order one without the magazine disconnector, the standard response
is to say no (unless you are ordering on police department letterhead).

On the other hand, I have a Model 3953 on order that will NOT have the
magazine disconnector.  It took a couple of letters, a few phone calls,
and a helpful local dealer, but they finally agreed to build it the way
I want it.

(BTW, ordering one this way takes patience!  I put in the order in late
March; the delivery estimates from the factory range from August through
November.  They DID offer me a loaner...which I turned down.  The loaner
would have had - you guessed it - a magazine disconnector :-(.  )

So if you want a particular gun without the magazine disconnector, contact
the factory.  You might be able to convince them to do it your way.


-- 
Stan Young                                {emory, slammer}!pecanpi!syoung