Personalized “smart guns,” weapons that can only be used by authorized users, may soon become available in the United States, after two decades of efforts and discussions.
A Reuters report says smart gun makers LodeStar Works and SmartGunz LLC plan to bring smart guns to market by the end of the year. Last week, LodeStar reportedly revealed more details about a 9mm handgun, while SmartGunz claims local law enforcement is beta testing its own customized smart gun.
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“We finally feel like we’re at the point of… let’s go public,” LodeStar co-founder Gareth Glaser. “We’re at that point.”
Smart guns typically use technology such as fingerprint or radio frequency identification technology that allows the gun to fire only when a chip in the gun communicates with another chip the user wears on a ring, watch or bracelet. This prevents unauthorized users from using the gun and firing.
Proponents of smart guns argue that their widespread deployment could help reduce the number of accidental deaths, such as when children take their parents' guns to play with unsupervised. Smart guns use verification technology that could also prevent other adults from taking or stealing a gun and using it to harm themselves or others.
LodeStar's smart gun reportedly uses a fingerprint authentication system, a near-field communication chip accessible from a phone app, and a PIN keypad for situations where the technology becomes unusable. SmartGunz, on the other hand, told Reuters that the authentication system focuses on radio frequency identification.
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Smart guns as an idea are not new. The first discussions were held almost two decades ago. It is a controversial topic and as you can imagine, there has been a lot of backlash from people who oppose the use of guns. Many have expressed concerns about their reliability (a hacker unlocked a smart gun using $15 worth of magnets). There has also been backlash from people who support guns, who claim that smart guns will not help in situations where someone is trying to protect their home or family directly.
The biggest names in the firearms industry aren't particularly interested in smart guns, though that hasn't always been the case. Smith & Wesson, one of the nation's largest gun manufacturers, tried to strike a deal to develop smart guns in 2000 but ran into obstacles from the National Rifle Association and other industry groups.
When it comes to Americans’ views on smart guns, it’s not clear whether they prefer them over traditional guns. According to survey of U.S. gun owners, about 79% of people said that authorized dealers should sell both traditional and customized smart guns. However, when asked whether they would actually buy one of these smart guns themselves, just 5% said they were very likely to do so, and only 13% said they were somewhat likely. Also, 48% of respondents were not at all familiar with the technology.
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If smart gun manufacturers like LodeStar manage to bring such a product to market in the coming months, 2022 will be a pivotal year for technology and firearms alike.
Source: Gizmodo
