Any liability with modifying a gun used for self defense?

[jlw]

This threads just slay me....
IN MY OPINION...deadly force is authorized or not....
IF you authorized to use deadly force, then what difference does it make what you use??? Machine gun, pinned grip safety, improved sights, handloaded ammo, boiling oil, car bumper, boarding axe, length of rope, or candlestick in the library.
We have beat liability into every conversation about deadly force....instead of spending time making sure civilians and peace officers understand that YES, you can use deadly force if you follow the law.
If you are authorized to pull the trigger, then pull it. Or use your boarding axe....or your modified rail gun with the Kung Fu grip....cause it really JUST doesn't matter

I put your boarding axe back in your office. The modifications you wanted to the handle have been completed.

 

[Massad Ayoob]

What some are missing here is that attorneys know there is no such thing as a justifiable accident. This is where we get the prosecutor who changes his theory of the case to negligent accidental discharge, in hope of an easy win on Manslaughter instead of a high hill to climb for a Murder conviction. This is where we get the plaintiff's lawyer who fabricates an accidental discharge theory because homeowner liability will pay off for negligence, but not for the "willful tort" of an intentional act.

A trigger pull lighter than factory spec plays right into their hands, as does a deactivated safety device on a firearm. This is the kind of thing cshoff is wisely warning about.

We can't confuse how we think things should be with how they are, and like it or not, this is how things sometimes are.

 

[cshoff]

Ok, again... we have a LTC for protection, we use it under the circumstances we are allowed to. Don't see what diff a trigger job, ammo or anything else could be pointed out to make us guilty.. The gun is supposed to kill!!! What does a trigger spring have to do with anything. We aren't talking about an accidental shooting ...

If I am a civil attorney, I am going to look for anything I can to paint you in a negative light. I will look to see what kind of ammunition you used. I will find out what kind of training you have had. I will find out how often you practice and with whom. I will want to know the maintenance schedule you have in place for your firearms. I will want to know when the last time you had your gun checked out by a factory service rep or gunsmith was. I will scour the internet to find any statements you might have made regarding firearms and self defense. And I will try to uncover anything else I think will help me.

I will then have MY "experts" go over your firearm, ammunition, holster, and gun belt with a fine tooth comb. I will also pay "experts" to evaluate your level of training, your practice regimen, and your maintenance schedule. And you'd better believe that I will be bringing up any of the statements you've made on the internet if I think they can help my case in any way.

I am trying to build a case against you. I need to prove to (or convince) a possibly sympathetic jury that you are one of two things: A) A rogue vigilante that goes through life looking for an excuse to blow somebody away, or B) A negligent moron that was too stupid to be carrying a gun, much less making modifications to it. If I can prove either, my client, and more importantly myself, will take everything you own and all that you have worked hard for over the years. Of course, you will also be given the option to settle out of court, but it's still going to cost you dearly.

The question now becomes, how much would like to assist me in my endeavor? Do you want to make my job easier or more difficult? How far would you like for me to be able to take your seemingly innocent actions, twist them around, throw them through the "blender of experts" that I have at my disposal, and use them against you?

Personally, I have no desire to make this attorney's job any easier. YMMV.