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Teen Fails to Buy Gun Company

Quote:

(AP) A California teenager left paralyzed in a shooting accident a decade ago failed Thursday in his bid to buy the company that produced the Saturday night special that changed his life.

Brandon Maxfield's final bid of $505,000 to buy Bryco Arms, one of the nation's leading makers of inexpensive guns known as Saturday night specials, fell short. He had wanted to acquire it in order to shut it down.

Paul Jimenez, Bryco's former foreman, purchased the company for $510,000, in spirited bidding that increased by $5,000 increments from the opening bid of $175,000.

In an earlier hearing, Jimenez was sold the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company for $150,000, but the U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jerry Funk reopened the bidding when he ruled that notice of the previous sale was not properly given to potential bidders.

Richard Ruggieri, who represented Brandon's Arms, the organization created to bid on the gun company, said Maxfield was very disappointed.

Jimenez refused to comment after the auction.

Bryco was forced into bankruptcy last year when Maxfield won a record $24 million judgment against the company, its distribution arm and its owner. A jury in Oakland, Calif., concluded that Bryco knew the pistol had a safety flaw.

Included in the purchase was about 75,600 unassembled guns. Maxfield hoped to buy the inventory, melt it down and create a sculpture from the metal.

Ned Nashban, the lawyer representing Bryco owner Bruce Jennings in the bankruptcy, had described Maxfield's acquisition attempt as a publicity stunt that only has delayed Jennings' efforts to settle his debts.

But Ruggieri maintained that Jimenez was only a front for Jennings.

When Maxfield was 7, a 20-year-old family friend who was baby-sitting thought he heard a suspicious noise and grabbed a gun from a dresser drawer. The baby sitter called the boy's mother, who instructed him to immediately unload the .38-caliber pistol. While trying to do that, the baby sitter accidentally pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck the boy, shattering his spine.

The Oakland jury assigned more than half the blame to the boy's parents and baby sitter, but said the gun maker also was liable because the pistol could only be unloaded when its trigger safety catch was switched off.

A trust established for the boy has collected $8.75 million from an ex-wife of Jennings and from the insurance company of a gun distributor. It had not collected any money from Jennings, who shuttered his factory, moved to Florida and put his manufacturing business into bankruptcy.

Ruggieri had set up a nonprofit organization to take donations over the Internet for Maxfield's hoped-for purchase, since the damages won from the accident could not be used for that purpose under the terms of the trust.

Now if I remember correctly, in the original story, there was no mention of the babysitter calling the mother, no mention of a strange noise. If I remember correctly the original story went something like the kid was playing with the gun, the babysitter took it away from him and tried to unload it.

Personally I'm glad he didn't get to buy the company.

Somehow, I think Bryco makes (or used to make) Jennings little wallet autos.

Someone asked about Jennings firearms around here not to long ago. IIRC this is all the same guy.

This dude has been in trouble before I believe, and why his company isn't called Jennings anymore.

75 thousand unassembled weapons? Wow. That would have been a fantastic sculpture.

-bear

I'd say this kid has made out like a fucking bandit. 32 million dollars, hot damn! I'd have a robot suit made, then I'd crush all who oppose me.

were it me, I would have wanted to buy the place and then build well made guns- that way you employ people, and fix the problem- as it is, it seems that no good has come of the result- looks like they will still be making badly built guns, probably filling the asshole who made "the guns that make better paperweights" pockets with money

Bryco/Jennings guns are utter shite. While I'm not a big fan of lawsuits against manufacturers for injuries caused by idiots that misuse their products, Bryco/Jennings' safety flaws are well known. As much as I hate to say it, because it would doubtless give ammo to the anti-gunners, I almost wish the kid would've won just to see those bastards shut down, and their dangerous products no longer hitting the street.

I'm a little confused. He won a $8.75 million dollar suit... but couldn't keep up with bidding that barely crossed over $1/2 million. He must not have wanted the company THAT bad. :confused: Even if it strayed up to $1 million he would still have $7.75 million left.

Under the terms of the trust, no money could be used for the purchase of the company. The money he was using was from internet donations made to a nonprofit organization. As far as safety flaws and having to have the safety off to unload it, look at glock, hell you have to pull the trigger to get it apart. There have been reports of people shooting themselves while disassembling their glocks.

Yup, them evil Glocks. Man, they must be Satan-spawn for people to constantly bring em up like this. I should oughta get rid of mine...

C'mon man, do you know of a gun that some idjit hasn't shot themselves with when trying to clean it? I've heard tale of people drilling themselves with a bolt-action rifle for crying out loud =P

Bryco/Jennings guns are utter shite though. Safeties breaking, sears failing to stop automatic cycling, firing pins breaking, action allowing the gun to go off when not yet fully into battery. They're garbage.

Oh man.....where I have I been? I did not even hear of this until now. I too am glad he failed on his attempt to win the bid. Shit, I have several Jennings firearms. This story is sad only to the fact, that a manufacture can be held responsible for some elses stupidity. What is our country coming too? Sad....just very sad.

Whether the safety is flawed or not, any idiot knows you don't point a gun at something you don't intend to kill. I don't care if it's loaded or not, on safety or not, you just don't do it. The gun company shouldn't have been liable in the first place. The idiot that pulled the trigger should have been.

And besides, plenty of other guns have to be off safety to unload them. It's not a flaw, it's called the way a gun is designed. Ever heard of a revolver with a safety that is on when you're unloading? Or a safety period other than not having the hammer engaged?

I'll run the risk of sounding like an insensitive bastard: the kid didn't deserve to get a penny from the gun manufacturer.

Quote:

When Maxfield was 7, a 20-year-old family friend who was baby-sitting thought he heard a suspicious noise and grabbed a gun from a dresser drawer. The baby sitter called the boy's mother, who instructed him to immediately unload the .38-caliber pistol. While trying to do that, the baby sitter accidentally pulled the trigger.

And for what fuckin reason does this kid deserve money from them?????

It wasnt thier fault, I dont care how crappy thier guns are, sue the damn baby sitter.

Incidents like this (the babysitter) make me wish our schools taught gun safety. I know I'd be a much happier person if I could exchange PE for a gun course.

I fail to understand why the company is at fault here. The babysitter pulled the trigger. I have never heard of a gun that requires your finger to be near the trigger in order to unload it, and even a toddler knows that when you pull the trigger on a gun it will go off.