GUN MAKER BLINKS SMITH & WESSON SETTLES SUIT, AGREES TO BROAD SAFETY CONTROLS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

In what officials are hailing as a landmark settlement, the nation's largest gun manufacturer agreed Friday to provide safety locks on its handguns and seek to make them childproof.

Under the deal with Smith & Wesson, Los Angeles and several other cities and counties would drop lawsuits seeking to require safety features on handguns.

The agreement, reached after the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development decided to join the lawsuits, features an unprecedented ``code of conduct'' that changes the way Smith & Wesson does business, including handgun sales to the public.

President Clinton, in a Washington D.C. conference call that included Los Angeles officials, called the agreement an act of ``courage and vision'' and praised the gun manufacturer for setting an example of responsibility.

``Smith & Wesson stuck their neck out here,'' Clinton said. ``I think all of us, including the federal government, in our procurement policies - if we are really serious about making America safer - ought to send a clear signal that we appreciate what they did. This is a happy day.''

Smith & Wesson President Ed Shultz took part in the conference call.

``A decision to enter this agreement, we realized, would not be popular with everyone,'' he said. ``But we believe . . . it is the right thing to do.''

Reacting to the announcement, officials with the National Rifle Association, said on their Internet page that they were studying details of the Smith & Wesson decision but have concerns over its impact.

``It would appear that this particular gun maker is willing to sacrifice the rights of gun owners and its own First Amendment right . . . in order to eliminate the threat of federal suits that don't exist and to end suits filed by cities that keep getting thrown out of court,'' the organization said.

Under the deal, Smith & Wesson will take a number of steps to make its weapons safer, including the installation of external trigger locks within 60 days and the development of an internal locking system. It also agreed to fund research into the creation of ``smart'' guns that can be fired only by an authorized user.

In addition, it agreed not to sell to minors, have a 14-day waiting period for people seeking to purchase more than one gun, ban sales at gun shows that do not conduct background checks and provide a ballistic fingerprint on all weapons it sells to federal officials.

President Clinton said he hopes other gun manufacturers will follow the Smith & Wesson example and agree to the same terms.

Los Angeles City Attorney James Hahn, who was one of the first public officials to push the legal action, said the settlement represented a major step in making guns safer.

``We hope this goes a long way in convincing other gun manufacturers that this is the right thing to do,'' Hahn said, crediting Clinton and the White House for providing the final inducement to the company to settle.

``This also took courage for Smith & Wesson. They have shown leadership in setting an example for the gun industry.''

The city's suit against 43 other defendants is still pending. Hahn said talks are under way with 25 other gun manufacturers to try to settle it.

``There are over 200 million guns on the streets in America,'' Hahn said. ``We have to do something to make them safer.''

Councilman Mike Feuer also praised the settlement and said he will be proposing that the city adopt a policy of only buying guns from companies that agree to the terms of the settlement.

Councilman Alex Padilla said the settlement also provides the first step in trying to reduce youth violence.

``While crime is going down, in my district, we still have a problem with gun violence from young people,'' Padilla said. ``This can help us try to reduce that.''