Would you buy a "smart" gun?

[Natebishop3]

http://www.kgw.com/news/national/269814011.html?c=n&fb=y&can=n

National organizations like the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the American Association of Suicidology support further development of smart guns and believe such firearms are ready to be brought to market.

An assortment of companies, mostly startups or ones based in Europe, are using various technologies — including the use of a radio-transmitting wristband worn by the owner that sends a signal to the gun — to try to make handguns safer.

Personally, I don't care if they're sold. If someone wants to buy one, I don't see it as any different than having a gun safe or a trigger lock. It's another form of security measure, and if you feel comfortable owning one, good for you.

I would have a problem with the government mandating that all guns need this technology. That would be something I couldn't go for.

My personal problem with the technology:

1. It's designed for only the owner to fire it, so can it be set up so multiple people in the family can shoot it? Wife? A home defense firearm isn't worth much if only one person can use it. What if they aren't home? What if they're in another part of the house when someone breaks in? I would have to hear more about how the technology works.

2. Radio transmitting bracelet: this is a horrible idea. Horrible horrible horrible. What happens if you can't find it? What happens if it fails? Are you going to wear this thing all the time? Even when you sleep? I guess if it was something unobtrusive like a Live Strong style bracelet, that wouldn't be so bad, but again - what happens if you aren't around and your wife needs access to the gun? Does more than one bracelet work on the gun?

I'm not opposed to this technology, but it would have to be heavily refined and there would have to be some questions answered before I would ever personally own one. I don't even like laser sights on my pistol because it's one more thing that could fail. It's one more thing that might throw you off and that could mean the difference between life and death.

 

[Further]

It sounds interesting, great for certain uses and bad for others. As a concealed carry it would be nice, only one user, and if something happens like you leave it in the car while you go into a federal building, and someone breaks in and steals it, it's nice to know it would not work. It would be great for official use guns like police guns, one user and if it was ever obtained by the bad guy, it wouldn't work.

At home, it might work for certain people, single people who don't mind wearing stuff all the time, but perhaps not good for a husband and wife to share, or a hand model.

Also, might not be bad for a range gun. Some people have guns that aren't for security, but only for target practice, it would work for that.

In the end, I think it won't go too far, but if I had kids in the house I might consider it as one additional line of defense against some kid having a mishap.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

No. I don't think I'll ever buy a gun

 

[PDXFonz]

I think guns are plenty smart already. Can I buy smart owners?

 

[Natebishop3]

It sounds interesting, great for certain uses and bad for others. As a concealed carry it would be nice, only one user, and if something happens like you leave it in the car while you go into a federal building, and someone breaks in and steals it, it's nice to know it would not work. It would be great for official use guns like police guns, one user and if it was ever obtained by the bad guy, it wouldn't work.

At home, it might work for certain people, single people who don't mind wearing stuff all the time, but perhaps not good for a husband and wife to share, or a hand model.

Also, might not be bad for a range gun. Some people have guns that aren't for security, but only for target practice, it would work for that.

In the end, I think it won't go too far, but if I had kids in the house I might consider it as one additional line of defense against some kid having a mishap.

For a concealed gun, I would be worried that it could fail when I needed it most. Sure, it's a slim chance, but it's still one more thing that could go wrong.

 

[MARIS61]

The whole goal here is to make it so the feds can render your guns inoperable at the push of a button. It's complete gun confiscation disguised as a simple safety accessory.

 

[MadeFromDust]

I already have a smart gun(s), they're operated and controlled by electrical signals coming from my Cerebellum.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

No, never.

 

[Natebishop3]

The whole goal here is to make it so the feds can render your guns inoperable at the push of a button. It's complete gun confiscation disguised as a simple safety accessory.

That's a really good point that I never considered. If these became popular, could someone roll up in front of your house and send out a signal that closes down your guns?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That's a really good point that I never considered. If these became popular, could someone roll up in front of your house and send out a signal that closes down your guns?

Gun-disabling EMPs? That would suck.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

That's a really good point that I never considered. If these became popular, could someone roll up in front of your house and send out a signal that closes down your guns?

meh..the government would never abuse power like that..what would be next? CIA spying on the senate? oh,, wait...

 

[Natebishop3]

Gun-disabling EMPs? That would suck.

That would sure shit on the 2nd amendment though, wouldn't it?

"Sure, you guys can own guns, but if we feel threatened we'll just send out a signal that renders all the guns in the country inert. Sorry."

 

[PtldPlatypus]

That would sure shit on the 2nd amendment though, wouldn't it?

"Sure, you guys can own guns, but if we feel threatened we'll just send out a signal that renders all the guns in the country inert. Sorry."

Which would also require the end run around the second: "We won't infringe which guns you can own, but we will prohibit manufacture and/or importation of any 'dumb' guns (except for police and military, of course)."

And then Maris' nightmare will be complete.

 

[MadeFromDust]

That would sure shit on the 2nd amendment though, wouldn't it?

"Sure, you guys can own guns, but if we feel threatened we'll just send out a signal that renders all the guns in the country inert. Sorry."

It absolutely would, but when has Obama cared about the constitution or even America for that matter?

 

[barfo]

That would sure shit on the 2nd amendment though, wouldn't it?

"Sure, you guys can own guns, but if we feel threatened we'll just send out a signal that renders all the guns in the country inert. Sorry."

Seems rather hard to believe that the control couldn't be removed by disassembling the gun or electronically tweaking it.

Has anyone actually looked into the technology they are using and what it would take to remove if it necessary?

barfo

 

[3RA1N1AC]

That's a really good point that I never considered. If these became popular, could someone roll up in front of your house and send out a signal that closes down your guns?

That was my first though on reading about these, similar to the mandatory phone kill switch they have. I distrust our government so I'm a kooky conspirator though.

 

[Natebishop3]

Seems rather hard to believe that the control couldn't be removed by disassembling the gun or electronically tweaking it.

Has anyone actually looked into the technology they are using and what it would take to remove if it necessary?

barfo

No, I'm just intrigued by the idea of the "smart" gun. It still sounds pretty far out before we actually see something like this on the shelves.

With that said, I bet you could remove it, but perhaps removing it would render the gun inoperable? I know there's some cars that have a remote kill-switch that law enforcement can use to stop a car chase. I would imagine it would be something like that. Can you remove that function without damaging the car?

 

[BigGameDamian]

Oh I thought this was a smart car thread.

 

[Further]

I think all the paranoia is uncalled for since there is no way American citizens are giving up the 300,000,000 non-smart guns already out there. It doesn't make sense that this would be something that everyone would immediately turn over their guns for. It's just a safety mechanism that could be written into a Science fiction novel, but looses its real world threat of total gun decommissioning.