From Ammoland comes news that, after fits and starts, the Palm Pistol is baaaaaaack! [Press release after the jump.] The question that’s dogged the company since its inception is still out there, somewhere. Why? What purpose does this gun serve? To confuse people reaching for an asthma inhaler? IIRC the gun’s inventor created the weapon for people with severe hand strength issues. There might have been something about deep concealment, but I’m not sure. Anyway, you gotta give Matt Carmel credit for pursing his dream year after year, through setbacks and walk-backs (i.e., customer refunds). If and when the Palm Pistol hits the market TTAG will give the gun a fair shake. So to speak . . .
MAPLEWOOD, NJ – After a two year hiatus, the Palm Pistol is back on track for production.
Three second generation fully working prototypes are under construction. These have incorporated design improvements and lessons learned from the initial endurance and drop testing in February 2011. This includes tightened select tolerances; improved ergonomics and manufacturing efficiencies; and final material selection, metal finishing and production colors.
One prototype will be submitted to ATF for determination of compliance with 18 USC 922 (p) the “Undetectable Firearms Act.”
Large quantity orders for baseline versions of certain parts that are not subject to revision for the initial production release have been placed, delivered and passed redundant QC review by the part supplier and our independent design consultant.
Notable additions to the design include a small and large back strap that permits customizing stock size for individual comfort, and a grip assist ramp on the outboard side of the latch. This feature positions the stock in easy-to-grasp position when lying on a flat surface such as a bedside night stand.
The production model color and finish scheme has been finalized. The barrel, hand guard, latch and receiver will be protected with Cerakote Shimmer Gold (H-153Q). The ejector rod, cocked striker indicator (striker shaft) and optional Picatinny rail, thread protector and crenelated strike bezel will be stainless. The plastic injection molded parts consisting of the grip panels, safety pads, trigger covers and back straps will be matched to Cerakote Blue Titanium (H-185Q). The trigger button will be red for safety reasons.
We have endeavored to manufacture the firearm entirely from US suppliers and manufacturers.
Due to the uncertain development and production lead time, all previously received deposits were returned to customers in 2012. Once shipping is imminent, we will be contacting each customer in the order their deposits were initially received, and extending an offer to purchase. We will not be accepting new pre-production deposits.
We will communicate again when there is additional significant progress to report.
Matt Carmel, President
Constitution Arms
Ummm…why?
I don’t get it. What niche is this supposed to fill? I’m not clear on why anyone would want this thing.
Inexpensive, single-shot, marketed to people with reduced manual dexterity and the elderly?
Sounds to me like this thing is a ticket-puncher.
Speaking as someone who has lost more than one relative to cancer, I’m not going to say that’s a bad thing. Just be clear about what it’s likely to be used for.
Uh… What problem is this a solution to?
The problem of how to increase market share by coming up with a gimmick.
Picatinny rail? Threaded barrel? What is all that mess for?
I support this as a “seriously, get off me” gun, especially for those who would otherwise just not have a gun, but the extra gack makes me suspicious.
You gonna put a can and a Streamlight on your B2BUG? WTF?
BBQ.
You want the P-rail so you can mount a bayonette, of course.
Presumably the rail would allow you to mount a small laser, which would be the only way you could aim this thing at all.
love my palm pistol. accurate to three feet. fits well in those concealed carry briefs. looks like a potato at the beach (when worn in front). variable choke tubes. has not yet been rated in ‘strasbourg goat test’. safety no longer works. a natural performer on ballistic gelatin. i should probably clean it. it’s gettin’ a little harder to re- load.
I would not have thought updating the Protector Palm Pistol basic design would be so hard.
being a firearms owner of several special quality pieces , I find this quite interesting an would be interested in seeing it work , also having severe arthritis with my hands
makes me more curious !! to bad no one seem to want to look outside the box so to speak !! good luck !!
Target market would be for elderly, still living at home, Also for disabled with lost fine motor skills.
When baby boomers reach advanced age where hand strength wanes. If I had a mentally sharp but
with phyical impairment elder, I would sure check it out. If lucky, most of us will turn into an old fart, some day.
We looked outside the box. The box is empty Dave.
I’ll buy one when they make it in a 50 cal bmg…….now that’s a palm pistol or should i say lack of palm….
I love guns, all kinds of guns, but this is (yet another) of those gun that draws head shakes and eye rolls. Other than as a novelty or perhaps a piece that is basically concealed in plain sight I just don’t get it. Unless the trigger pull is very light I don’t see this helping much with hand issues and if it is that light this thing is an ND looking for a place to happen. It has exactly nothing going for it in the accuracy department; short barrel, no aiming mechanism and awkward grip, one wonders if this is intended for use beyond contact distance. Seriously if the options were this or a DoubleTap I’d take the latter, it at least can be gripped in such a way that it can be aimed (sort of). I have a prediction; they will sell a few of these as a novelty but within a couple of months sales will dry up permanently. There just isn’t any use for this device. It’s too big to compete with other, far more practical concealment pistols and would appear to be virtually impossible to shoot accurately while simultaneously being difficult and slow to reload. I honestly think I large knife makes a better weapon than this device and any reliable derringer blows it out of the water. Really, this is a head scratcher of a production gun.
At that range a good knife would be cheaper and more effective
I have an elderly family member with muscular dystrophy and it’s been difficult to find a useable gun. Semis are easier to fire but revolvers are easier to load. Manipulating a slide on a semi is pretty much impossible without the aid of tools and even then it takes several tries. We can lighten the trigger pull on a revolver but it gets to the point where it’s too light to fire while still being too difficult to pull.
Maybe that’s who this thing is for? I’m open to other suggestions but I’m fairly certain we’ve tried just about everything.
How about NAA mini’s. They come in regular 22 long rifle, or 22 magnum, The hammer spur could be made larger for easier cocking, and larger grips are available.
These little guns are also 5 shot. Single shot just doesn’t cut it!
Now, if they’d just make a .44 magnum…
I fear it lacks the essential elegance of the originals – search “Chicago Palm Pistol” to see what it should look like. I mean, where’s the nickel plating and the pearl inlays? Where’s the cheap engraving?
Now that is cool!
I’m surprised someone hasn’t updated the CPP design with modern metallurgy for 25ACP or 32ACP centerfire ammo.
Or even .380, although the pressure might be too high for the design. And note that the originals were 6 or 7 shot.
Creating a gun that those with hand strength/dexterity issues can use is certainly a good thing. But I’m not convinced that a single-shot weapon is a good one for self-defense.
This would make a cool little back up gun, something you can keep in your pocket, given a reasonable price point.
I don’t know about a primary weapon though, but better than a pointy stick, I guess.
I dunno. At the range it’s effective at, contact and not much more, a pointy stick might be more effective. And you can jab with the pointy stick more than once
Yeah, but who wants carry around a pointy stock and be “the pointy stick guy?”
Two words: Sleeve gun.
They should make a version with a cylinder, so you have more than one shot.
To all naysayers: it is easier to squeeze a trigger with your palm than pulling it with your finger. Especially if you have artithris or something.
It’s interesting. I’d have one, if only for the novelty, if the price was right.
Everyone keeps asking why. I ask, “why not?” I gotta respect the guy. He said, “I want to make this.” and he did. Sometimes the right answer is “Because I can”. Kudos to him.
“Why?”-eye roll- “Why?” -facepalm- “That’s silly, why would you need one of those? What would you use that for?”
Now, am I talking about pocket pistols, 30 rd mags, shoulder things that go up, class III funsies, or .50 BMG rifles? Some of the comments in here sound like the same argument the antis use.
You may not like it, you may not buy one. That’s cool, don’t. But, don’t poo-poo the product simply because you don’t see the need for one.
I can only think of one good use for this thing, and that is marginal. When you go out for a little plinking (with a real gun) and you forget to bring a couple of tin cans, if you have one of these contraptions in your pocket, you can set it up on a stump and use it for a target!
Reminded me of this…
http://www.samstoybox.com/toypics/SixfingerR.jpg
If difficulty manipulating the slide is an issue, Beretta and Taurus make pocket pistols with tip up barrels in .25acp and .22lr. Taurus is double action only. Beretta is single and double action, with a hammer which may be thumb cocked to ease trigger pull. Beretta also makes the same pocket pistol in .32acp and once made a larger pistol with tip up barrel in .380acp, which is available in the used gun market.
So solutions are out there for people of limited hand strength.
it would be cool to have this as the handle on a walking stick or cane. i could see that being useful.
Pair the Palm Pistol with a Trackingpoint Networked Tracking Scope and you’d really have something. Okay, it’s something stupid, but that’s still something.
Dear Truth about Guns:
Is this April 1st?
While the novelty and retro “cool” of a palm pistol has some notable history and they were made and carried years ago they proved impractical most of the time. Niche market.
I find the Hyperbole in the text more disturbing I’m willing to bet this thing never sees the light of day given the vague printed material and usage of big words and general BS
“We have endeavored to manufacture the firearm entirely from US suppliers and manufacturers.” Meaning What? Babble Babble Who then is actually making the thing. Mechanically this is a very simple device.
“We will communicate again when there is additional significant progress to report.” Translation: we will continue to take your money and keep lying to you until this blows over and I have sacked a few bucks before running off w/o delivering anything but verbiage.
TTAG should be slapped for posting such things w/o a qualifier. This is nothing but PR.
Wow, that’s a lot of hate for one comment. I only have two things to say. First, to the “why do you publish this stuff” question: Because if we didn’t, I wouldn’t know about it. And I like knowing about things. You may be comfortable in ignorance, but I’m not. Second, to your “keep taking your money and lying to you” comment, you need to work on your reading comprehension and stop talking out your ass. They returned all the deposits they had taken, and when they are ready for sale, they will contact those folks who did place (now returned) deposits to give them first crack at purchasing the actual item. They will not be taking any more deposits.
Oh yeah, and one more thing. “TTAG should be slapped…” I invite you to take your best shot, or kindly close your mouth. If you don’t like the product, then you don’t like the product, and that’s fine. But you need to step your indignation down a notch or three. “How dare you post this?” Well, my only answer is “How dare you think you’re entitled to speak on what is and is not posted?” Like the gun, don’t like the gun. Read the post, don’t read the post. Either way, learn to express yourself civilly or kindly keep your opinions to yourself.
Nope not talking out of my ass, they returned some of the deposits by those who requested same. I am an avid shooter, former dealer and former LEO. I have attended the SHOT show many times over the years and have seen a lot of stuff come and go.
Those who did not request a refund are still on the hook, because of this several more folks will plunk down their deposits and may or may not see a return. I am very sarcastic yes and just a bit jaded because I have seen way too many of these things go on and on for years and finally nothing is delivered and the company just quietly goes into bankruptcy. In my old age I would never place a deposit on at this point is a fictional firearm.
I don’t know if you remember but Century Arms sold a bunch of AK’s with receiver’s having an extra hole. The BATF required return off those weapons because that hole was for the Full Auto carrier pin. I had sold I think about 25 of these as the pricing was good. Century screwed the pooch on that as only about half my customers got their weapons back before they discontinued returning weapons. I as the dealer in trying to be honest refunded the money for those that did not get their weapons back. It nearly broke me. I received lots of PR, phone calls and messages from Century over the 15 months of waiting and they broke every promise made but continued to advertise and sell “other” weapons.
As far as saying TTAG should be slapped my feelings are posting like this should be reviewed and/or screened before sending on. The firearm as yet does not exist, none have been delivered and I have a hard time with the lawyerspeak being used. If you are an honest upstanding company say what you are going to do then deliver or give me a proper explanation. That was the main reason for the sarcasm in my post was the wording and basic evasion of a firm timeline.
Hell Bill Ruger could never get the Mini-30 to work properly and finally gave up in frustration after many years and a lot of company money. The difference here is they did not use money from anyone else and stated the technical problems were basically beyond what the firearm could be manufactured for at a profit. I’d still think about buying one if they ever figure it out.
As a dealer I took a lot of heat from customers whom I had deposits from and manufacturer’s who failed in delivery so try and see that point of view.
As far as the comment about TTAG it was intended to inflame a few folks (you read the post as I see you are a bit pissed, enough said) I also depend on TTAG for most of my information and view most of it as honest and reliable sourcing. I agree my post was really sarcastic but: it got you thinking! Frankly I hope you are not so offended that you hold this against me, I would actually like this Palm Pistol to succeed but I have been around long enough to be suspicious.
Caveat Emptor I believe is the saying.
If it wasn’t too expensive I would actually but one just for the novelty. There are many gun designs that have been forgotten in the past. Some would never be allowed to return in the current political landscape, but this thing is kind of cool.
How the hell do you aim this thing? Seems like you could miss L to R very easily.
At the sort of ranges this gun would be effective at, it’d be hard to miss.
In other words: jam it into the bad guy’s ribcage, pull trigger.
This ain’t one of your fancy aimin’ guns, Quigley.
I wonder how it would group at 100 yards?
sarc/
Hey Robert, how about this for a question of the day.
“If you had to have one, would you have the Palm Pistol or the Pocket AR?”
Interesting. Novelty. Possibly useful defence tool in a very narrow band of situations.
Fun to play with, but to me seems too potentially dangerous to leave laying around.
Sure there’s a market – however small.
Don’t forget; This is America. Build what you legally want. Buy what you legally want.
There’s no requirement it make sense.
What is the price of this “thing”, and what caliber?
No idea about the price, but those look like .38 Special cartridges in the photo.
That’s what I was thinking, the recoil has got to really move your hand back though. Maybe that’s why it’s single shot. Nobody would want to fire it again, until their hand stopped hurting.
Now I understand the origin of the expression “Rosy Palm.”
Anybody here remember the Bond Arms 2-shot derringer’s?
I’d buy a “liberator” pistol as well just for the novelty if I could find a new one, again no reason, real need just the fun factor. Cane Guns, Pistols with a Cutlass attached, a Mars or a new Gyrojet would all fall in the same category as “cool” but few managed to serve a practical purpose and remain a niche market.
I still carry a COP as a backup THAT thing serves a very narrow market.
Maybe they could add some brass knuckles in the design or a snub nose version, different barrels for different calibers, Laser or thinking Zombie Green as an option. I like the tracking point idea.
In the armory museum at the Doge’s Palace in Venice, They have several examples of a matchlock/crossbow. Lordy, I’d love to have one of those. Really seemed kinda obvious, once you saw it.
Close-quarters last-ditch alternative to a pocket pistol? Or for those for whom a knife isn’t loud enough?
Let the market forces decide its viability. Thumbs-down here.
Im all for innovation and like about any gun out there except for cheap junk guns that are just too unreliable. With that said I think for the size, weight, and ammo capacity of this redesigned palm pistol there are much better options available now. Like the ruger lcp or any of the kel tec pocket pistols. Even the heizer double tap offers more capacity and accuracy than this thing. Pocket pistols are so thin and lightweight now they make this gun a poor choice considering all the options. Even if u have low hand strength then one could just get a custom trigger job or revolver and cock the hammer back before each shot. Also any of the beretta or taurus tip up barrel models are designed for users with lower hand strength. I’ve shot a berretta 22 with a tip up barrel and it was crazy accurate, low recoil, and very fast to shoot. Let this palm gun be for collectors and market it as such before someone gets themselves killed thinking this gun will save them from a real attacker or if attackers then you’re definitely screwed
Looks Dangerous… a suicide toy… I’d go with a knife instead ..
Just looking at that makes the joints between my fingers hurt…
Oh you fucking idiots. Putting a ridiculously expensive single shot death machine into the trembling hands of a disabled person is more likely to blow their own fucking head off or end up blowing the face off an innocent relative coming in to visit them.! What a fucking load of fucking dead heads you Americans are, shoveling out your safe to have a gun horse shit !!!!! – Just go and kill yourselves and keep raising the mortality rate every year in your own brainless bubbles you fucking morons – have a nice fucking day you sad fuck ups – from a fucked off but still breathing British man
Spoken like a true Brit. Have fun with your yellowjacket revolution and keep sucking up the gas.
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