Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community  

Go Back   Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community > Interests > Tilted Weaponry


 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 08-17-2004, 01:30 PM   #1 (permalink)
"Officer, I was in fear for my life"
 
hrdwareguy's Avatar
 
Location: Oklahoma City
Teen Fails to Buy Gun Company

Linky
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.
__________________
Gun Control is hitting what you aim at

Aim for the TFP, Donate Today
hrdwareguy is offline  
Old 08-17-2004, 01:40 PM   #2 (permalink)
Gentlemen Farmer
 
j8ear's Avatar
 
Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey
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
__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.
j8ear is offline  
Old 08-17-2004, 02:25 PM   #3 (permalink)
Jarhead
 
whocarz's Avatar
 
Location: Colorado
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.
__________________
If there exists anything mightier than destiny, then it is the courage to face destiny unflinchingly. -Geibel

Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. -Marcus Aurelius

Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? -GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly
whocarz is offline  
Old 08-17-2004, 11:10 PM   #4 (permalink)
Warrior Smith
 
Fire's Avatar
 
Location: missouri
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
__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens
Fire is offline  
Old 08-19-2004, 02:27 PM   #5 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Location: SE USA
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.
Moonduck is offline  
Old 08-19-2004, 03:17 PM   #6 (permalink)
Tilted
 
Location: Orlando, FL
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. Even if it strayed up to $1 million he would still have $7.75 million left.
turbodriven is offline  
Old 08-20-2004, 06:52 AM   #7 (permalink)
"Officer, I was in fear for my life"
 
hrdwareguy's Avatar
 
Location: Oklahoma City
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.
__________________
Gun Control is hitting what you aim at

Aim for the TFP, Donate Today
hrdwareguy is offline  
Old 08-20-2004, 03:20 PM   #8 (permalink)
Junkie
 
Location: SE USA
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.
Moonduck is offline  
Old 08-30-2004, 05:11 PM   #9 (permalink)
Here to Help My Fellow TFP'er
 
Dawson70's Avatar
 
Location: All over the Net....(ok Wisconsin)
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.
__________________
"I Finally Finished My Goal....You Can Too!

Yippie Ki Ya...
Dawson70 is offline  
Old 08-31-2004, 10:18 AM   #10 (permalink)
Upright
 
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.
Furious M is offline  
Old 09-02-2004, 04:19 AM   #11 (permalink)
Metal and Rock 4 Life
 
Destrox's Avatar
 
Location: Phoenix
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.
__________________
You bore me.... next.
Destrox is offline  
Old 09-09-2004, 10:11 AM   #12 (permalink)
BFG Builder
 
Location: University of Maryland
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.
__________________
If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.
DelayedReaction is offline  
 

Tags
buy, company, fails, gun, teen

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:32 PM.

Tilted Forum Project

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360