Palm Pistol: Defense for Elderly and Disabled Shooters

[shadowrider]

--snip--

Carmel told me during a phone interview that he had asked an FDA representative if he could begin marketing his device as a medical device compliant with FDA regulations after he had received the notice of the listing instructions, the product code, and identification of the device and he was verbally assured he could do so. <5>

FoxNews.com and msnbc.com both reported that an FDA spokeswoman named Siobhan DeLancey said Matt Carmel “apparently got some bad advice from an FDA representative.” Both articles also reported that “and maybe he should have paid more attention to the fine print on the registration notice. It said: ‘Registering…does not, in any way, constitute FDA approval of your facility or your devices.’”<6><7>

--snip--

No doubt exists that women are physically weaker than men, with a few exceptions, of course. Women are typically smaller and weigh less. More specifically, the following biological facts exhibit why women are less able to defend themselves or to escape a dangerous situation than men:

The cardiac output is about 10% less in a woman than in a man of the same body size. The woman has about 20% less blood volume for the same body weight. For the same amount of blood, women have 10% less hemoglobin. Women have a wider pelvis which decreases the mechanical efficiency because it increases the angle of the thigh bone to bring the knees closer together. The average female possesses about 10% more body fat, which increases the load that needs to be carried. The woman has a 10% less vital capacity than a man. (Vital capacity is the maximum amount of air that can be exhaled after a maximum inhalation.<25>) The woman has a shorter Achilles tendon than a man and this is responsible for the elastic recoil of running. The menstrual cycle imposes physiological and psychological stresses on a woman’s body and mind which may decrease athletic performance in some athletes.<26> Cindy Lightheart, a National Firearms Association Counselor in Canada, has this to say:

The police cannot provide a guard for each threatened woman. There aren’t enough police officers to do that. So, unless a woman can protect herself, there is never going to be anyone to protect her. She is limited by having only her hands to protect herself when she is being brutally attacked by a violent criminal who is often much larger and stronger than she is and who may be using a weapon while attacking her! <27>

http://www.ammoland.com/

The second snip is for those who insist a woman need only learn martial arts to defend herself sans firearm.

[old mark]

1. My wife is disabled with very serious spinal problems. Years ago we lived

on an isolated farm and worked in an addiction recovery program...we were threatened by some of the
"clients", so I bought a used revolver and taught her to shoot. Despite having been raised as a Philadelphia anti-gun Liberal, she soon began to enjoy shooting, and now has an old police revolver, a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, of her own that she really loves to shoot. She is pretty good, too, and despite her shoulder, neck and back problems, she has no problems at all shooting this full sized 4" barrel revolver with +P police loads.
FWIW, the local police department MOVED OUT OF TOWN to a more suburban area, and take their time about coming to the older parts of town when called-seems like they want to avoid trouble....

mark

[slackmaster]

2. No matter what the BATFE or FDA say about it, it will never be available in California

Thanks to our stupid "safe handgun" laws.

[spin]

3. The biggest drawback that I can see is that it's a single shot device ...

but it would still be better than nothing and might save lives.

[rrneck]

4. It's innovative.

As long as they call it a gun, market it as a gun, and understand that everyone that buys one treats it like a gun that's fine. It is not, however, a medical device. It looks like at least half the reason for this gun is market penetration rather than self defense.

Your average gun is really, really easy to operate. If the target market for this product can't handle a small semi auto or revolver, at least a fair number of them won't have the reaction time, situational awareness, or motor skills to use it correctly. It looks like this guy just trying to figure out a way to get health insurance to pay for his gun. If your legs don't work you can't run from the bad guy and you need a gun. But if your eyes aren't so good and your hands don't work so good and your cognitive skills aren't so good, you don't need a gun, you need an armed caregiver.

In a statement to medGadget Carmel said: “Based upon agency information, correspondence, and verbal instructions, we were led to believe the Palm Pistol was classified as a ‘device,’ were given specific listing instructions, assigned Product Code ILT corresponding with ‘Recreational Adapter’ and identification of the device as a ‘Daily Activity Assist Device’ in accordance with 21 CFR 890.5050, and accordingly informed we had authority to begin marketing it as such a ‘device.’

Unless the elderly customer targeted by this marketing ploy's daily recreational activities include armed conflict intervention, they need to call it a gun and sell it as such. Let it compete in the firearms market with all the other pocket and purse size firearms out there.