(no subject)

[winneganfake]

All right. This is more than just kind of scary.

Yes, yes, technology is awesome. Yes, guns are cool and such. But still- talk about items I would not want to see available to the general public. Not in the "machinegunsBAD" gun-control nut sense, but more in the sense of "is this really ever fucking necessary to a private citizen?" Because, let's face it- if you can afford hardware like this, you're not likely living/walking around like the example the sales rep gives. Hell even if the damn thing's dirt cheap- you probably wouldn't "go for a walk" anywhere where you'd need that kind of hardware anyways.

And yes, I can definitely see the concealment angle for military/security/etc as an advantage for some situations, or the ease of having a holdout weapon like this that does tuck neatly inside of a vest or anything, but that said, I really don't ever want to see this kind of thing make its way into the private sector.

Comments

[nomadboi.livejournal.com]

Meh. There's much scarier things in this world than a fold-up plastic housing for your handgun. The Glock that's at the heart of this is old news (and this is a couple years old now too).

I imagine the market is mostly private security details, but I could be wrong.

[banzaimf.livejournal.com]

I am changing my stance on firearms. We can get rid of CWP's. That isn't protected by the 2nd amendment. However, I get machine guns and anti-tank rockets instead. Get back to what the constitution was really trying to defend against. The gubmint....

[luchog.livejournal.com]

I so want one of these, even though I'll probably never need one. I just want it hanging on the wall (along with an XM8).

[wakko.livejournal.com]

Freedom isn't about need.

I don't need to justify my need to say, "Your mother sucks cocks in hell, Karras." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/)

I don't need to justify why I might decide to write a book that discusses the intimate details of the drug experience. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_Lunch)

I don't need to justify why I might decide to take a photograph of a bullwhip stuffed up my ass, and call it art. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mapplethorpe#Art)

I don't need to justify why I may wish to associate with Neo-Nazis or the scumbags of Nambla.

I also don't need to justify why I own firearms with certain characteristics, be it 50+ round drums, pistol grips, flash suppressors, shortened barrels, or a cute concealment mechanism.

Freedom, and the rights guaranteeing that freedom, is all about the edges, the fringes, and the extremes. The comfortable societal norms can take care of themselves. The crazy weird shit at the extreme ends of our tolerance are *exactly* why we have the rights we do.

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

OK, for the record... I'm pro-gun. Note that I'm not ever saying this should have legal sanction brought against it, nor am I arguing that weapons like this should be kept from the public- I'm just questioning a public need for it.

Reciting this kind of cant back at me for that is exactly why most people list NRA fans and such as extremist maniacs who would rather have their limbs removed in one-inch increments rather than give up their rights to possession of things what go boom. I am currently on your side- taking up this angle with me, however, tends to propel me in the opposite direction.

[wakko.livejournal.com]

Sorry to go off on a rant there. I wasn't intending to sound like one of the extremist NRA zealots.

My point was more focusing on the "need" portion of what you're saying, and providing counter-examples of other things covered by our rights to freedom of speech, expression, association, etc. that have come under fire from similar lines of reasoning.

Stuff like this is not about need. Framing the discussion as, "why do we need this?" is exactly how shit like the whole "sporting purpose" clause got into the GCA '68.

So, for me it's more an issue of realizing that's the beginning of the slippery slope, and suggesting a rephrasing of the statement from "this should not exist," or "people shouldn't be allowed to own these," and turning it into, "It might be cool for someone else, but it's not really for me."

After all, stuff like Naked Lunch, Catcher in the Rye, Mappelthorpe's work, and this firearm design, and everything else doesn't appeal to everyone, but why should that stop it from existing or reaching the audience who does want it?

[wakko.livejournal.com]

Oh, and about the design itself...

I think it's an interesting idea, but in it's current form it needs a lot of work. It took the guy far too long to deploy and acquire a sight picture for me to feel like it would be useful in the kinds of situations I'd want a firearm.

For something like this, I'd want it to be spring operated (or similar) so that it could fold out faster. It looked like it was mostly gravity operated in the video (hard to tell, though).

I guess it really depends on if you're trying to find alternative ways of concealing your existing pistol, or if you're trying to make a non-pistol shaped device fire bullets. Each has different design limitations.

[winneganfake.livejournal.com]

Pretty much agreed on all fronts- it's pretty much obviously just a quick prototyping job they've done there, but even as such, it's not a bad concept, and would just need some easily accomplishable tweaks to improve on things.