http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/ Engadget Comments for The Lockdown: Gun locks - unsafe at any caliber http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/

]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
How is someone supossed to get in my house, up the stairs, and into my bedroom before I can pick up my gun off the nightstand?

Safes and alarms are for protecting guns from theft.

Locks are for keeping the kids who are too young to understand what's dangerous away from things that are dangerous.

That's the point here, it doesn't protect your kids when it opens with just a little abuse (which kids are known to dish out on your junk from time to time).]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 5:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 6:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 14th 2007 12:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/And of no use to you in an emergency. But I get your point. :)]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
What's next, a commentary on the dangers of Pop Tarts on society?]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 30th 2007 3:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
In the studies of child shooting related accidents, how many of these involve guns that had safety locks on them, and how many that did not? Granted, the shoddy condition of these locks is totally inexcusable and can pose a major risk, but DOES it, in practice? I'm willing to bet, off the cuff, that over 95% of the gun related child deaths involved weapons that lacked a gun lock.

While I doubt that breaking through gun locks causes a significant percentage of real world deaths( easier for the child to just get the key to the lock than to go to the trouble of bypassing it, I'd think), I do applaud you for bringing this to the public eye. Many gun owners consider gun locks to be 100% safe. Thank you for warning us otherwise.]]>Jun 13th 2007 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
and really all those kids in that 5% just had it coming anyway...

?]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
Before it does, I'll just say that I can't understand how we allow a situation to exist in this country whereby manufacturers are forced to recall childrens' toys that have the potential to be a choking or other hazard, even when no harm has yet occurred... yet manufacturers of child safety locks on guns designed for no other purpose than to kill other human beings are allowed to get away with producing products that are demonstrably defective.

It is really mind-boggling.
]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Well, we can argue the effect of guns back and forth, but you could say that in modern times, guns ARE designed to kill humans. Hunters do it for sport rather than sustenance and its a sad state when there is 'sport' in hunting an animal with a high powered rifle or .50 pistol. If you want to impress me, someone else, or yourself... go tackle that lion with your buck knife and call me when they reattach your arms.]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
In reality any minor who can use basic tools can get just about anything open, but as the video and some of the comments show it is far too easy to open. Gun locks should be made to a standard that basic hand tools can't be used to open them.
I am not anti-gun. While I don't own one, I am well educated in the use of firearms and if I do buy a gun you can be sure this post will make me do more research before I choose a gun lock.]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
as for 'sport'. You realize that our screwed up ecology requires us to cull deer in many regions of the united states. otherwise there would be famine in the population, which leads to disease. There are already massive problems with deer Tuberculosis in most states.

People also hunt with bows and arrows, it is quite popular, but far less effective and humane than a gun. although it is much more sporting.

I think you should hold off judging other people's hobbies. I don't go around insulting sky divers, mountain climbers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, owners of sports cars, career alcoholics, etc. just because I think their hobby is unsafe.]]>Jun 13th 2007 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
1) If this is such a danger, why does he have no examples where a lock was compromised and something bad resulted?

2) "Just saving one kid would be worth all the effort." What if this costs $10,000,000? Is it worth that? And if so, why should society not instead use the $10,000,000 to save children's lives in Africa where it can probably be accomplished for $100 per?

This is not about guns _or_ locks. It is about stupid and self-serving writing.]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
We know that a life has a monetary value because we do not spend the entire U.S. GDP to save a life. That is too much. But we would be willing to spend a dollar. So the value is somewhere in between. We also know that value varies with the life. American lives are substantially more valuable than African lives, as evidenced by the amount of money we spend to save them. Young, white, pretty female lives are more valuable than black lives of any sort -- as evidenced by the amount of law enforcement effort and publicity engendered by a kidnapping. These are all facts, not opinion.

My point was that this gun lock twit does not understand that society has determined that it is _not_ worth an unlimited amount to save one life. (Nor should it be IMHO.) But to be fair, he has achieved his objective of self-promotion and probably has no interest in anything else anyway.]]>Jun 13th 2007 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 7:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
It's like the English/Spanish warning labels you have to take off of every new extension cord you buy. Do you think a lot of people were putting bare wires in their mouths before the warning tags appeared? Do you think that warning tags made any difference? The answers are (1) no, and (2) yes. The difference is now we are all paying for these useless tags, as this gun lock twit would now have us pay for a bunch of federal regulation to solve a non-problem. Your gun lock is mickey-mouse? Don't buy it in the first place or replace it with one that is not.

End of thread.]]>Jun 14th 2007 10:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
Hmm.... how does this make ANY sense? Since when did we need to see the end result to know something is dangerous? I don't need to drink a bottle of Drano to know it's dangerous. Same thing with locked guns: they're still LETHAL weapons. Don't need to hear about some kid who killed his pal because Jim Bob his dad bought the cheapest lock at Wal*Mart and keeps his rifle loaded.]]>Jun 14th 2007 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
We don't. What we need to know is whether something that is dangerous in theory is, in fact, something worth taking steps to protect against. Economics 101 is beyond the scope of this discussion but that is where you need to start. Cost/benefit analysis specifically.

Exercise #1 for the student: Dancing between the feet of a marching elephant is dangerous. Should we take additional steps to prevent children in the United States from doing this? If so, why? How much should we be willing to spend? If not, why not?

Exercise #2: Weak gun locks have been responsible for zero deaths in the United States but someday they might. What is an acceptable national cost to increase the strength of gun locks?

Exercise #2a: If weak locks have caused one death (or plug in your favorite number) what is an acceptable national cost to increase the strength of gun locks so that this number is reduced? Hint: "Anything it takes." is not a tenable answer.

Extra Credit: Explain why there is no such thing as a free lunch.]]>Jun 14th 2007 5:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
Oh wait...]]>Jun 13th 2007 6:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 6:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
The comments here are also a prime example on why we cannot discuss gun issues in this country without getting ridiculous knee jerk reactions about how this somehow means the government is going to take your gun. ]]>Jun 14th 2007 1:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
Which this article does not have much of.

Also I agree that you might want to remove the video as well as images showing how this is possible. All you are doing is enabling the same thing you are supposidly attempting to prevent from happening.

Hypocritical? Hrmmm]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
he just happens to have an ice pick and knows exactly where to use it on each lock.

Sure the locks are not the best, but is this really the best portrayal of their compromise?

Remember locks are only there to keep the honest people out.]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
I was raised around handguns. I was taught from a very early age to respect and fear handguns. I know how to fire and care for handguns and rifles, and yet I don't own any, because I don't want any.

I can't help but imagine that, if more kids were exposed to firearms and taught just how deadly and destructive they can be, rather than being shielded from them (something which naturally breeds curiosity in a child), they would be far less inclined to think of them as toys or have interest in playing with them.

But I'm not running for office, and I'm not a negligent parent, so my opinions and personal experiences are irrelevant in this matter.]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
That trigger lock is scary.
]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
The biggest problem here is not so much the lock itself but the curiosity of the child involved. I never have, nor will never agree with, the need to use technology and/or gadgets as a safety net at the expense of, or without any, education to back it up. The fact that our current society advocates and promotes this mindset is turning our children into mental infants frustrates me to an extreme but that is another topic and not the point here.

Granted those children under say the age of 5 years would have a difficult time being taught about firearms. However, in those those circumstances you keep the majority in your safe and the one you would use at home on your person. We were taught at a rather early age respect for firearms and there are only two places it should be; in the safe or on your person. Period.

Just to lay a firearm about with just a lock, and not in a safe, combined without any training and/or education is just asking for trouble.]]>Jun 13th 2007 2:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
Don't kid yourselves folks, biometric locks or any lock for that matter, can be circumvented, there is no such thing as a 100% secure lock. This is why we should all have multiple layers of security to make getting to the prize that much more difficult.]]>Jun 13th 2007 1:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/Jun 13th 2007 1:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/13/the-lockdown-gun-locks-unsafe-at-any-caliber/
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