Small, Cheap Guns Are Back, and Some Question Their Safety [View all]

More Americans than ever are carrying concealed handguns, but some of these small pistols are coming under scrutiny for accidentally shooting their owners.

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The number of Americans with concealed-carry permits soared to 17.2 million this year, almost four times the number in 2007, according to Crime Prevention Research Center, and 12 states now allow it without a permit. One of the beneficiaries has been Utah-based Cobra, whose small guns, some called derringers, are easy to conceal and among the cheapest available, selling for as little as $100.

Cobra has also been sued at least 15 times in the past decade by people who, like Mr. Barthel, allege that flaws in the guns it manufactures have caused injuries or death. Among the plaintiffs: A Texas man shot in the leg in 2017 when a duffle bag with his derringer fell; a Louisiana woman shot in the leg in 2016 when she dropped a purse that held her derringer; an Alabama man killed in 2014 when a Cobra pistol accidentally discharged.

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In the owner’s manual, Cobra warns against carrying a loaded derringer and says to keep the manual safety on: “DO NOT carry a loaded gun with a live round in the chamber while walking, or climbing or anywhere you might slip and fall, dropping the gun. A gun that is dropped, bumped or jarred with a live round in the chamber might accidentally discharge even with the safety on causing injury to you or someone else.”

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/small-cheap-guns-are-back-and-some-question-their-safety-1543833002 (paid subscription)