Effect of current federal regulations on handgun safety features

Author: Milne, J. S. / Hargarten, S. W. / Kellermann, A. L. / Wintemute, G. J.
Publication: Ann Emerg Med
Topics: Legislation and Policy Public Health U.S./National
Keywords: Handgun factoring criteria pistol safety device
Bibliographic information +

The authors evaluated whether extending the BATF 1960s “factoring criteria” (i.e. a set of minimum size and safety standards required for any handgun imported into the United States) to all handguns sold in the US would increase the likelihood that safety devices would be included in new handgun designs. They examined imported and domestic handgun models produced in 1996 and scored domestic models against the factoring criteria. The authors found that imported pistols were more likely to include a firing pin block and a loaded chamber indicator than domestic pistol models. Pistol models in general that meet the factoring criteria are more likely to contain safety devices than those that do not, but the net effect is modest. As a result, the authors note that the factoring criteria alone are insufficient to ensure incorporation of safety features into new handgun designs consistently.