Cuff Warning!
Copyright
The Smith & Wesson handcuff is a very popular handcuff and I used them a lot in my act. I however know some of the quirks with the cuff. I use to go to the local police station and get people out when the cuff jammed and the key would not work.
Recently I was mailed an add which was advertising a line of gaffed Smith and Wesson cuffs. The add read that the Smith & Wesson gaffed cuffs were good for bridge jumps. Here is a serious lawsuit waiting to happen.
This is a dangerous cuff when new if you get the wrong pair. I always let my crew practice their cuff picking with all my new Smith & Wesson to get them worn in.
Once I was satisfied the cuff was holding up it would advance to the position of danger. These were not gaffed cuffs and that adds another dimension. If the person doing the works makes a mistake it could be a problem. There is no way to be sure every cuff will work right all the time since some of these cuffs fail when they are new and right from the factory. To say they are good for a bridge jump is to invite possible legal trouble or the worst kind of trouble.
I have seen both sides of this fail for an officer and they were just purchased. The main problem is the lock body is pressed together and if there is any flaw in the process the face plate will lift a bit causing a jamb.
No one should risk the claim that any cuff is safe in a dangerous situation for people with no experience to read and possibly act on.
