Safety, Gun Violence, and Criminal Use Statistics
The term "Saturday night special" is often used disparagingly to emphasize the perceived lesser quality of the gun or, for political reasons relating to gun politics, to imply easy availability to those who are legally prevented from owning firearms, such as convicted criminals and minors. The term is used to allude that the only reason for the manufacture of such a gun is for use in crime; in fact, studies show that criminals prefer high-quality guns, in the largest caliber they can easily conceal. (Guns Used in Crime: Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice—Selected Findings July 1995, NCJ-148201).
Most guns used in violent crimes are large caliber revolvers, although semi-automatics are becoming more common. A 1985 study of 1,800 incarcerated felons showed that criminals prefer revolvers and other non-semi-automatic firearms over semi-automatic firearms. In Pittsburgh, a change in preferences towards semi-automatic pistols occurred in the early 1990s, coinciding with the arrival of crack cocaine and rise of violent youth gangs. The choice in guns, and the change from revolvers to semiautomatics, mirrors the choice in defensive weapons made by police and the legal private citizen market.
Nonetheless, three of the top ten types of guns involved in crime (as represented by police trace requests ) in the U.S. are widely considered to be Saturday Night Specials; as reported by the ATF in 1993, these included the Raven Arms .25 caliber, Davis P-380 .380 caliber, and Lorcin L 380 .380 caliber. However, the same study showed the most common firearm used in homicides was a large caliber revolver, and no revolvers of any kind appear on the top ten list of traced firearms.
Despite the inexpensive manufacture of "Saturday night specials", they are manufactured to certain quality standards to ensure they are not dangerous to the shooter when used correctly. Even prolific gun critic Robert Sherrill admitted he found no instance where a user was killed or even seriously injured by failure of a Saturday Night Special. Firearms sold in most countries are required to pass certain safety tests, particularly a proof test consisting of firing a special high pressure round (proof load) which far exceeds the European C.I.P. or U.S. SAAMI pressure maximum for the round (see internal ballistics). However, the United States Government does not require firearm manufacturers in the United States to proof test their barrels, although most U.S. makers do exceed proof standards simply to avoid product liability lawsuits. If there is any weakness in the firearm, then the proof load should damage or destroy the firearm; if it passes the proof test, that is considered "proof" that the individual firearm has safe operating margins and receives a proof mark.
Read more about this topic: Saturday Night Special
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