title: Children's and women's ability to fire handguns. The Pediatric Practice Research Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether strength differences between children and women might keep children from firing handguns and to determine how many young children can fire available handguns.
  
  
  METHODS
  One- and two-index finger trigger-pull strength was tested using a standard protocol. Data on trigger-pull settings of 64 commercially available handguns were obtained.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience sample of well children and their mothers at four Chicago (Ill)-area pediatric practices for health supervision visits, and of siblings of emergency department patients, during an 8-week period.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  One- and two-index finger trigger-pull strength of mothers and children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five percent of 3- to 4-year-olds, 70% of 5- to 6-year-olds, and 90% of 7- to 8-year-olds have a two-finger trigger-pull strength of at least 10 lb, the fifth percentile one-finger trigger-pull strength of adult women. Forty (62.5%) of 64 handguns require trigger-pull strength of less than 5 lb; 19 (30%) of 64 require 5 to 10 lb.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant overlap exists in the trigger-pull strength of young children and women, limiting the potential use of increased trigger-pull settings to discourage firearm discharge by children. Young children are strong enough to fire many handguns now in circulation.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D009048:Motor Skills; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014481:United States