Medical Firearm

A US-based company,  Constitution Arms, claims to have received federal approval to market their most recent handgun as a medical device. It is a 9mm gun that cost about $300, and contrary to the company’s claims, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they have not made any such approval. 

They call it the Palm Pistol, and it is intended for people who have trouble operating a normal handgun, like the elderly. As of yet the Palm Pistol is just a prototype, but the company president says they hope to start the manufacturing process soon. 

Now, I think it is perfectly fine to make a handgun that is easy for people with dexterity problems to use. There is certainly a market for it. However, to claim this is a medical device is just insane. Here is what the company president, Matthew Carmel, had to say about it:

It’s something that they need to assist them in daily living

Daily living? That is just absurd. I can see how it may give elderly people a bit more confidence when walking to the store for example, but I really don’t think it would help them much if they were to be robbed. If you cannot operate a normal handgun, what are the odds of you managing to fish this thing out of your bag in time to deter a would-be robber? Also, if the robber is armed, he/she will certainly be quicker on the draw than you, and trying to threaten him/her with this thing would most likely only get you shot. 

As mentioned, the company seems to have jumped the gun, no pun intended, a bit when it came to the FDA approval for selling the gun as a medical device. They actually claimed the FDA approved this as a ”Daily Activity Assist Device”. You cannot help but wonder what exactly the elderly are supposed to be doing if their daily activities require the use of handguns.