methods and apparatuses for reducing the criminal usefulness of a dischargeable hand weapon wherein the weapon is temporarily or permanently linked to a relatively heavy , bulky or long object by either a cord , cable , or signal , wherein the weapon may be prevented from discharging immediately after or a certain amount of time after it becomes unlinked from the object and wherein the object must be moved with the weapon when the weapon is taken to a relatively distant location for discharging , thereby effectively reducing the portability and concealability of the weapon for distant locations where it is more likely to be used for a crime .