Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,
Santa Monica CA: Guns are tools. Like any other tools, they can be either good or poor at achieving their purpose. In an article published in the Winter 2005 issue of Ergonomics in Design entitled “Human Factors Issues in Firearms Design and Training,” the authors look at the design and operation of firearms from a human factors perspective.
Observations on standardization and the prevention of inadvertent use highlight some important ways in which the human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) community can contribute to the production of safe and effective future firearms.
Some of the problems identified by authors Peter Hancock, Hal Hendrick, Richard Hornick and Paul Paradis include the following:
– Knowledge of how to use one type of firearm doesn't mean a person is going to be competent using other types. Different firearms may use the same type of ammunition, but that's where the similarities end. – You don't have to be shot to be injured by a firearm; sometimes this happens when ejecting a spent cartridge in semiautomatic handguns or catching your hand on the sharp edges of some slide assemblies. – In some cases, it's nearly impossible to tell when there are still bullets in the chamber. Even if there is a manual safety
