More generally, the total number of fatal accidents involving kids 0 to 14 that year was 6,500, so fatal firearms accidents accounted for about 3 percent of the total.

There were about 1,400 fatal firearms accidents involving people of all ages, out of a total of 93,300 fatal accidents from all causes.

Every year at this time, without fail, about 200 American hunters die in firearms accidents and 1,500 more game.

It turns out that there are very few fatal firearms accidents involving children.

He said the Harvard study drew no statistical link between firearms accidents and keeping loaded, unlocked guns at home.

Mr. Hemenway said he believed that a more effective way than training to reduce firearms accidents would be to design a childproof safety mechanism or a device that indicated when a gun was loaded.

The New Blackhawk was seen as limiting firearms accidents and legal liability.

Gun-lock giveaways have appeared to be a growing trend in the last two years, said Mr. Delfay, even though "firearms accidents in the home are at historically low levels."

Despite assurances by hunting advocates, there is a link between the age of hunters and the rate of firearms accidents.

Historians and reference works usually state that Maini died playing Russian roulette, though his family contends that the death was a firearms accident.