Dec 7 2008Wait, What?: Medical Handgun Coming Soon
The Palm Pistol is a single-shot firearm aimed (!) at folks who may have trouble shooting a regular gun and probably shouldn't be anyways. The company behind the weapon hopes to have it classified as a medical device for the elderly and people with arthritis. Holy shit.
"It's something that they need to assist them in daily living," says Matthew Carmel, president of Constitution Arms in Maplewood, New Jersey, which hopes to manufacture the Palm Pistol - now just a patent and specifications. "The justification for this would be no more or less for a [walking aid] or wheelchair, or any number of things that are medical devices," he says.
Wow, now I want a medical ninja sword.
Ideal for seniors, disabled or others who may have limited strength or manual dexterity. Using the thumb instead of the index finger for firing, it significantly reduces muzzle drift, one of the principal causes of inaccurate targeting. Point and shoot couldn't be easier.
Point and shoot couldn't be easier. More like point and shooting yourself in the freaking leg (aka Plaxicoing) couldn't be easier. Seriously though, my grandpa has arthritis and lives in a bad part of the assisted living facility, I'm getting him one.
UPDATE: Right, Alzheimer's -- the old coot shot me!
Company tries to get gun classed as medical device [newscientist]
Thanks to Spikey and Bordmanator, who only fire headshots.
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Reader Comments
1. buzz_clik - December 7, 2008 5:50 PM
Remember, kids - guns and old people DO mix.
2. Gonz - December 7, 2008 5:56 PM
SECOND!!
3. theophany - December 7, 2008 5:58 PM
although you've been doing it for the past two weekends or so, what's up with the weekend posts?
4. Believer - December 7, 2008 5:59 PM
FIRST
WAIT SHIT
5. buzz_clik - December 7, 2008 6:06 PM
It's just occurred to me that they probably had rooms full of old people during the making and testing of this thing, all holding and firing little prototype pistols and then saying what they thought of the experience. Then it'd be back to the office to implement what the old coots had to say about the gun. I'm surprised after all the focus groups and testing there was no feature on the firearm that automatically bitches about the kids not visiting anymore.
6. austin - December 7, 2008 6:19 PM
first didnt say it so, FIRST!!!
7. Hunter - December 7, 2008 6:20 PM
That's good old American ingenuity right there *laughs sarcastically*
8. tn11 - December 7, 2008 6:25 PM
they must be nuts. how u supposed to aim? just be in touching distance? and its not shaped like a gun (the point, i know) so its not like pulling it out will intimidate anyone... they'll just rush and get shot. not that they dont deserve it attacking old people...
9. Mcfeely Smackup - December 7, 2008 6:45 PM
Welcome to 1892. Yet again, someone makes a CGI mockup of something that has existed a hundred years, and the media is convinced it's new.
http://www.aaawt.com/html/firearms/f181.html
10. Oregoneagle - December 7, 2008 9:29 PM
Quote from Albert Einstein:
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree...
11. Demetri - December 7, 2008 10:02 PM
they need soft squishy edges to protect their skin
the old one is for assassinating politicians, the new one is to shoot the dog that shits on the lawn
12. Daisy - December 7, 2008 10:11 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is an obvious photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like the scene in the movien Never Back Down where Max chains the rear axle of a cop car to a pole, and then Baja goes speeding by.
13. Spikey DaPikey - December 7, 2008 11:19 PM
wonder what'll happen if they dont take there meds, and reach for this thing instead :o)
14. known - December 8, 2008 12:13 AM
Bored.
What happened to the funny Daisy posts and the fakes & shit?? Something died....
15. Benjamin Tudino - December 8, 2008 4:28 AM
PEWPEWPEW
16. Dr.Freak - December 8, 2008 9:15 AM
Does it work with ice?
17. meme - December 8, 2008 9:25 AM
Do you think Medicare will cover it?
18. Thumperchica - December 8, 2008 11:20 AM
What do you get when you combine the elderly, a hot nurse, viagra, and a thumb trigger gun?
GW and Fish shooting each other over who gets to see Grandma tonite...
19. Simon - December 8, 2008 11:55 AM
Great, now we'll have droves of geriatrics going all Dr. Kevorkian on us!
20. asher - December 10, 2008 8:15 AM
I can use this to defend my medical supply of heroin. I hear they're great for performing lobotomies.
21. ...in America! - January 4, 2009 5:18 PM
'"It's something that they need to assist them in daily living," says Matthew Carmel, president of Constitution Arms in Maplewood, New Jersey, which hopes to manufacture the Palm Pistol - now just a patent and specifications."
I don't know about you guys, but my grandpa really NEEDS a gun DAILY. *rolls eyes*
22. hackamore - November 23, 2009 1:37 PM
Actually repeating palm pistols did exist and are now quite collectible.
They're intended to be used as self defense weapons at point blank range (muzzle against target) much like a derringer or any of the little snubnose revolvers...
they're sometimes called "belly guns" because you push them to the assailants belly and pull the trigger.
press muzzle against muggers stomach and squeeze trigger
23. m65 - January 30, 2010 3:01 AM
good read thanks for the share. nice website