By David Codrea
USA – -(Ammoland.com)- Constitution Arms, a company specializing in designing and manufacturing firearms for the disabled, will likely become the first company to exhibit such products at a major consumer conference for amputees, the company announced in a May 12 press release. The “Palm Pistol®, Palm Carbine® and assorted accessories [will be displayed] at the Amputee Coalition’s 2016 National Conference in Greensboro, NC, from June 9-11.”
“The sideways ‘T’-shaped, ergonomic Palm Pistol®, and the Palm Carbine® based on it, are specially designed firearms that can be fired by depressing a trigger at the top and/or bottom with one’s thumb or combination of other fingers,” the press release explains. “This allows individuals with weak hands, amputations, arthritis, muscular degeneration or other debilitating medical issues to operate the firearm with ease and accuracy, creating numerous rehabilitative as well as recreational opportunities.
“For these reasons, the gun will be marketed to people with physical disabilities, and the company plans to seek FDA recognition of the Palm Pistol® as medical equipment for impaired individuals, potentially qualifying owners for insurance reimbursement,” the release elaborates. “The firearm’s inventor, Matthew Carmel – who is president of Constitution Arms – is an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor. Mr. Carmel developed the idea for the firearms after encountering numerous students who found it difficult to grip and fire a traditional pistol because of medical conditions.”
“The Palm Pistol® is an ergonomically innovative single shot self-defense firearm chambered in .38 special that may be held in either hand without regard to orientation of the stock,” Constitution Arms explains on its website. “It is an adaptive aid intended for seniors, disabled or others with grip limitations due to hand strength, manual dexterity or phalangeal amputations. The zero bore axis eliminates muzzle rise during firing and directs recoil forces directly into the palm. It can be fired using the thumb or combinations of other fingers.”
The War on Guns blog has been reporting on Carmel’s developments and progress in bringing his unique product to market since 2008, including his patent filings, application for Durable Medical Equipment coding, and various obstacles and complications that have needed to be navigated around – all coming from the government, of course. Such complications included ATF warning that a redefinition of
“pistol” could affect his product’s classification, and FDA balking at medical device eligibility, among others.
Still, the bottom line is that the gun is legal and available for purchase.
“The Palm Pistol® is currently in production and the first dozen units have shipped,” Carmel advises via email. “The Palm Carbine® will be in production shortly.”
“All transfers must be made through a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL),” the company advises. They then add a final caveat that should not be surprising to those who advocate the right to keep and bear arms belongs to all the people:
Not for sale in CA, DC, MA or MD.
That’s inexcusable, but certainly revealing of the mindset ruling those locales. It figures Opposite Day “progressives” who exploit the term “inclusive” would put up barriers against the most vulnerable of their constituents. Gun-grabbers would evidently rather see a disabled person physically abused and even beaten to death than “allowed” to possess an effective means of self-defense.
Also see: More reports on the Palm Pistol® from AmmoLand.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
Do they know that used it is declared a medical device that under obomacare it will have an additional tax of 2.3% on it? It would also be an interesting argument to see if California can ban the sale of a “medical device” for not conforming to there gun specs. Of course, I still don’t understand why no-one in California has sued the state that UHA is unconstitutional under the grounds that because by placing seperate specifications, mandates and testing on a product they are interfering with commerce and under the constitution article 1 section 8 clause 3 that is… Read more »
Keep up the great work, God bless.