Long Battle Against Guns Began With a Son’s Death

[RamboLiberal]

Kenzo Dix was named for the Japanese characters for “health” and “creativity,” and at age 15 he embodied those attributes, playing on the Berkeley High School basketball team and enjoying school art projects.

After finishing a class assignment — a graffiti-style display on a school handball court — he called his father for permission to go to a friend’s house. A few hours later, his father received another call: Kenzo was at Children’s Hospital in Oakland.

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The friend, 14, said he only wanted to show off his father’s Beretta 92 Compact L handgun. He had taken the precaution of removing a clip of live rounds to replace it with an empty one, but there was still a bullet in the chamber when he pulled the trigger to show Kenzo.

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Indeed, Mr. Dix does blame the gun in the death of his son — had there been a better indicator that a bullet was in the chamber, perhaps his son would be alive. To that point, Mr. Dix has sued Beretta three times, ultimately losing. The irresponsible behavior, jurors decided, could have happened no matter how the gun was designed.



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/us/13bcguns.html

Terrible tragedy, but there is more to blame for the accident than just the gun or the manufacturer. Lack of gun education on both kid's parts. Parents who didn't lock away the weapon or teach their son about that gun & when it is loaded. TV & movies who almost always show semi-auto pistols incorrectly (think of the hero who takes a gun from his holster & racks the slide - duh).

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Straw Man]

2. It's so preventable--with education.

The friend, 14, said he only wanted to show off his father’s Beretta 92 Compact L handgun. He had taken the precaution of removing a clip of live rounds to replace it with an empty one, but there was still a bullet in the chamber when he pulled the trigger to show Kenzo.

The fact that he could do that means that he knew nothing about the way semi-automatic handguns work, not to mention nothing about basic firearms safety. Ignorance + recklessness = tragedy.

Indeed, Mr. Dix does blame the gun in the death of his son — had there been a better indicator that a bullet was in the chamber, perhaps his son would be alive. To that point, Mr. Dix has sued Beretta three times, ultimately losing. The irresponsible behavior, jurors decided, could have happened no matter how the gun was designed.

The Beretta 92 does have a loaded chamber indicator. There's no reason to believe that someone so lacking in basic firearms knowledge would even know where to look for it, much less understand what it does/shows. Loaded chamber indicators are a poor substitute for the best way to determine actual chamber status, which is to open the action and look. I would never trust an indicator. When in doubt, rack it and see if it ejects anything.

In any case, it is a loaded chamber indicator, not an unloaded chamber indicator. Its purpose is to tell the shooter, "OK, you don't have to rack the slide to charge the gun; it's already charged, and racking it will just throw a perfectly good cartridge in the dirt." Its purpose is NOT to tell the shooter, "OK, it's now OK to stick the gun in your friend's face and pull the trigger." That is never OK, indicator or no.

[melm00se]

6. you sure about that?

My 92FS doesn't have an a loaded chamber indicator and the L model is a slighter smaller version of that.

[Euromutt]

8. Beretta's website says it does

"All models feature a 'chamber loaded' indicator."
http://www.beretta.com/Defence-Pistols-Carbines/Defence/Full/92FS/index.aspx?m=82&f=2&id=795&did=40212

Check your extractor: it should stand slightly proud from the slide when when you have a round chambered, showing a bit of red on the top. That is your "chamber loaded" indicator.

[melm00se]

9. there is one

but unless you know it's there you will never see it (I know I didn't).

the pic above is far more clear than it is on mine

my ruger, otoh, has one that you can't miss (it pops up just ahead of the rear sight and it is pretty tall)

[lawodevolution]

3. The pediatrician probably asked the father if ge had a gun and the father probably said no and was

Never advised to secure the gun. Now Docs have to just assume everyone has a gun and advise everyone in Florida. Docs now have to out their anti gun activism aside and do what's right.

[Lursa CB]

4. It's a shame

that the father failed the son so badly.

Better education, better securing the gun....but yeah, blame the gun co.

The first rule (of the 4 classic gun rules)...never ever point a gun at anything you dont want to destroy. Empty or not.

Yup, papa failed and/or junior failed (and 14 is old enough to know the 4 rules in his sleep.)

[eqfan592]

5. Better education on firearms is exactly what is needed....

..and it is exactly what so many of the antis fight against the strongest, because they know better education undermines their position. I will not make similar mistakes with my children.

[slackmaster]

7. Basic gun safety should be taught in public schools.

My 1944 vintage Walther P.38 has a chamber-loaded indicator that consists a captive metal pin with a spring. The part that protrudes from the gun, near the hammer, is painted red.

The original intent of that device was to provide verification that the chamber is indeed loaded. Without looking, the shooter can check the status of the hammer, the manual safety, and the chamber-loaded indicator to confirm that the gun is ready to fire, without racking the action (which makes noise and can waste a good round of ammunition.)

Treating a chamber-loaded indicator as a safety device is just plain wrong. There is NO substitute for following the correct unloading sequence - Point the gun in a safe direction, remove the magazine, and visually inspect the chamber while racking the action.