[Bob Wright]

Can't remember the trade name now, but saw a "Safety Cartridge" for sale at my local range. This cartridge is available in most popular calibers. The intent is to provide a safe method of leaving a handgun at home where a youngster might get a hold of it, presumably after defeating locking cases or safes.

The principal is a cartridge with a projection that protrudes into barrel/bore of a handgun if an attempt is made to fire the gun. It is loaded into a revolver cylinder indexed to fire the next chamber, or into an auto pistol loaded into the chamber. When an attempt is made to fire the gun, the primer actuated projectile is moved into the bore of the gun. In revolvers, this prevents rotation and subsequent opening of the cylinder. In autoloaders, the "fired" safety round cannot be ejected by racking the slide back.

Once the round has been activated, the gun cannot be cleared or loaded until a rod is inserted through the muzzle to reset the projecting rod. Once reset, the round is ejected like a normal live or dummy round.

Supposedly, if the gun so loaded is needed by the owner, he can manually eject the round, time permitting.

Bob Wright