Smart Guns Are Coming to the US, But Are They Ready for Prime Time?

Back in March (below), I posited the question: are smart guns ready for prime time? Well, it’s amazing how much can change in the span of just a few months. And now, regardless of whether or not smart guns are ready, they are poised to become mainstream.

Smart Guns Are Set to Become Mainstream

Raising $14 million in a series A funding round, Biofire Technologies is set to take its biometric guns to the next stage. Although previously against the idea, Biofire was able to change the mind of investor Founders Fund.

Founders Fund Partner Trae Stephens tells BiometricUpdate.com, “I’m previously on record saying that Smart Gun technology is uninvestable – that it would take ‘multiple miracles’ to bring this product to market. The Biofire team has changed my mind. We need novel solutions to address firearm violence, and their technology has the potential to transform firearm safety.”

Joining Founders Fund are 10X Capital, Gaingels, Will Manidis, existing investors Draper Associates, Structure Capital, Service Provider Capital, and Gavin de Becker & Associates.

Founder and CEO of Biofire, Kai Kloepfer, says that the company went back to the drawing board. As a result, he believes they created a highly reliable biometric handgun with state-of-the-art authentication technology.

I guess we will find out soon enough because the company is preparing for a commercial launch in 2023. According to BiometricUpdate.com, the launch has the support of special forces, law enforcement, and private security partners.

We will keep you updated as the technology draws closer and will keep tabs on it once it is in production.

On March 14, 2022, PDW reported:

Like many of you, I have been using computers and smartphones for many years. One thing I can say unequivocally is that I have yet to see one that isn’t glitchy. Every computer or phone I have ever owned does something quirky at the worst times. I’m not sure I am comfortable with that happening with my firearm. But with smart guns coming to the US, that could very well be the case.

Smart Guns are Coming to the US

Picture it. It is the middle of the night, and you hear the sound of breaking glass. You realize that someone is breaking in, and you don’t have long to act. Your spouse dials 911 while you reach for your pistol, only to hear, “I’m sorry. User not recognized.”

Of course, I don’t think they talk. Yet. But the principle is still the same. When seconds count is not the time for your main point of access to fail. Although they are working on multiple access methods, figuring out which one works during a break-in is counterproductive.

According to The Hill, “LodeStar is hoping to revolutionize the industry with technology through the LS9, a 9mm handgun that incorporates fingerprint or face technology, radio frequency identification (RFID) and a PIN pad [embedded] in the grip.”

But whenever I see a list of “features” like this, all I see is a list of things that can go wrong. Not to mention, all of these methods of entry, aside from the PIN pad, are hackable. And I don’t even know about the process to power them. Do you have to keep them charged? Do they use a replaceable battery?

Security Concerns

According to a Reuters report, “Most early smart gun prototypes used either fingerprint unlocking or radio frequency identification technology that enables the gun to fire only when a chip in the gun communicates with another chip worn by the user in a ring or bracelet.”

Predictably, early attempts were less than successful and posed new problems, such as hackers.

The report goes on to say, “In 2014, German company Armatix put a smart .22 caliber pistol on the market, but it was pulled from stores after hackers discovered a way to remotely jam the gun’s radio signals and, using magnets, fire the gun when it should have been locked.”

But they are working to make more reliable platforms, even stating, “the microelectronics inside the gun are well-protected.”

However, smarter computers just make smarter hackers. If someone is bound and determined to access your firearm, they will find a way. With all the information available on the internet, it won’t be long before there are instructions on how to do it.

Government Regulation

As with anything, the government has to stick its grubby fingers into things. This is especially true when it comes to firearms and their regulation.

According to the Reuters report, “Guns coming to market could trigger a 2019 New Jersey law requiring all gun shops in the state to offer smart guns after they become available. The 2019 law replaced a 2002 law that would have banned the sale of any handgun except smart guns.”

Likewise, according to Biden’s campaign website, “Put America on the path to ensuring that 100% of firearms sold in America are smart guns.”

I can’t help but be apprehensive when the government starts pushing something like smart guns. There is a good possibility that they have ulterior motives. If I have learned anything over the years, it’s that it has little to do with public safety. Most likely, there is some level of further control in store.

I don’t imagine it will be long before the government mandates that smart guns include government accessibility. Then, if the government deems you a threat, they can shut off access to your firearm. Didn’t pay your yearly gun ownership fee? Shut off. Etc.

The potential for illegitimate government intervention is disconcerting at best. I don’t know about you, but I’ll go ahead and keep my dumb gun, thank you.