The National Shooting Sports Foundation is recommending that Story County officials should not hand out about 1,000 cable gun locks provided to the county through its participation in Project HomeSafe, a national program that promotes firearm safety and proper storage.

NSSF officials are urging law enforcement officers to stop distribution of the locks until further testing can be done.

The officials said the locks’ strength needs to be tested more.

Capt. Gary Foster of the Story County Sheriff’s Department said they have not received the locks, but he said he feels the locks are doing what they are supposed to do, which is preventing children from gaining access to a loaded weapon.

“Primarily, the locks try to make it more difficult for an unauthorized child to use a firearm,” he said.

Bill Brassard, NSSF editorial director, said the cable locks, which are similar to a bike lock, could be opened without a key. However, he said, it is thought to take sufficient force to open the locks.

“We still think the lock is performing the intended function,” Brassard said.

The lock isn’t designed to prevent complete use of the firearm.

He said if a person wanted to, they could use wire cutters to cut the cable.

Brassard said there are other safety devices available, such as trigger locks, which block the back of the trigger so the gun can not be fired. However, he said he likes the cable lock better because of an extra safety feature.

“The cable goes down through the magazine, so it can’t be loaded,” he said. “It’s rendered inoperable.”

Foster said he is pleased with the Project HomeSafe program that was brought to the county by sheriff Paul Fitzgerald.

“If we can prevent a child from using a firearm, we achieved our goal,” he said.

Fitzgerald said he learned of the program while attending a National Sheriff’s Association Convention in North Carolina.

“We should do anything we can to make things more safe, especially firearms,” said Foster, who is also a Hunter Safety instructor.

Story County should be receiving the locks, changed or unchanged, some time this spring, Foster said. The locks will be handed to all citizens applying for concealed weapon permits and Story County deputies.

However, a person cannot receive a concealed weapon permit without reason, Fitzgerald said. A person applying for a hand gun must meet with Fitzgerald, who issues the permits in Story County, and display a legitimate reason to carry a weapon.

Fitzgerald said he grants permits to people whose profession requires them to “carry large amounts of cash and/or merchandise.” They also must meet federal and state requirements.

A concealed weapon permit allows a person to carry a concealed weapon any where in the state of Iowa unless it is against establishment policy, Fitzgerald said.

He said he also puts a stamp on the permit reading, “This permit is not valid in establishments where alcohol is consumed.”