Makers of a gun safety device say their product can save lives. The Safety Bullet is said to disable a loaded gun.

Distributors tell us it allows an owner to have access to the loaded gun within seconds should an intruder break in.

The Montana Shooting Sports Association fears the Safety Bullet gives a false sense of safety and recommends other gun safety measures.

Glenn Barrow is a Police Officer and Safety Bullet Distributor. He tells NBC Montana that all gun owners must practice proper gun safety including locking up the gun if children are in the area, but that Safety Bullet provides one more layer of protection. "Children check guns by pulling the trigger. Should a child pull the trigger with safety bullet, it will disable the gun and your child is alive."

Barrow says Safety Bullet also is an added disabler should an intruder steal your gun and try to use it on you or your family members.

We spoke with salespeople at two sporting goods shops in Missoula. Neither had heard of Safety Bullet.

For safety devices, a wholesale store in Missoula mainly sells trigger locks, cable locks and small gun vaults.

Jack Raines says most of the customers he serves are very safety-minded. "These safety devices are designed for safety at home and abroad. Especially if you have children or know of anybody who has children who may come over and visit, that's the primary concern. A lot of these things will provide safety for the child. The safety locks are a good thing if you're traveling. These vaults, a lot of homeowners have these for access of their firearms or personal valuables."

The trigger locks are priced between $5.00 and $15.00. The mini-vaults are between $100 and $300.

We could not find Safety Bullets in the stores. We found them for sale on-line at $24.95 a pair.