Fortune article: "smart guns they're ready are we?"

[thorium]

http://fortune.com/2015/04/22/smart-guns-theyre-ready-are-we/

[dustoff31]

Oh yes, I'm quite ready. Ready to reject them.

[onelonehorseman]

Interesting article. And though I had never read all the "long version" details of the smart gun idea development, I see nothing really new here. As pointed out in the article, I don't expect manufacturers to embrace the idea of dedicating massive R&D budgets to this idea anytime soon. And few, on the end user side, seem to be interesting in buying it.

[ThePatriot]

Where do these idiot journalists come from? That guy ran on and on to make an argument that he could have accomplished in a paragraph - "Smart guns great, NRA bad because they want to kill babies". He must get paid by the word for that garbage.

[XDJYo]

I can't imagine the impracticality of this. Even for a fun day at the range, the wife and I (who don't have a lot of guns), will take 3-4 guns to the range. We would be swapping watches back and forth etc as we each fire our guns. Having a gun switch off since I walked off to the restroom while still wearing the watch my wife is shooting.

What would happen in a home defense/self defense situation? Get the gun out of the safe. Put on watch. Wait...Get the OTHER watch. Punch in code. Punch in code again. Hmmm...Restarting windows...Punch in code. Wait for watch to sync with gun. Ready to fire.

I read the whole article and it seemed to be fairly logical. Logic that appeals to those who don't shoot. People who wouldn't bet their life on their pistol. There are so many flaws to this technology. I would hate to be the cop that is using one of these at the end of their 8 hour shift and the gun switches off.

In any case, I feel for those who have lost loved ones senselessly. I really do. But, this is going about it the wrong way. Unfortunately, many times, the gun owner is to blame. (I'll get flamed for this I know). But, leaving a gun where the kid has access to it? Trigger not properly covered? So, I can see the anti-gunners point of view. Senseless loss of life. But, legislation is not the way. We can't prevent 100% of the problems 100% of the time.

We teach the 4 rules of handgun safety for a reason.

Happy shooting and be safe.

[Kairo]

Can the electrical system withstand a recoil of a 44 mag? I doubt it.... only 22lr.... we got a serious reliability problem then.... those people....

[glockman19]

There needs to be a market for ANY product. There is NO market for this handgun. It will NEVER gain enough users to justify manufacture.

I'm curious if any have ever been sold. My guess is less than 50 to law enforcement, fewer than 25 to consumers and zero to the military, unless they are evaluating them.

[JDay]

If they're so great let the police and military adopt them for 10 years first.

[RobertMW]

Since when is a journalist qualified to make the statement, "Smart guns, they're ready..."

Just about every engineer on the planet (me included) would look at this system, and say, "It fails user requirements, time to redesign."

[Untamed1972]

There needs to be a market for ANY product. There is NO market for this handgun. It will NEVER gain enough users to justify manufacture.

I'm curious if any have ever been sold. My guess is less than 50 to law enforcement, fewer than 25 to consumers and zero to the military, unless they are evaluating them.

But look what happened with micro-stamping in CA.......how long before you think some jackhole up in Sacto decides this should be the next mandate to be foisted upon CA gunowners?

[Bainter1212]

I fix appliances for a living. You know that fridge or washer you had back in the day that "ran forever"? Yeah.....IT HAD NO ELECTRONICS! I swear....I spend half my time dealing with faulty electronic components.

I won't own a gun with electronics on it.

[robcoe]

Since when is a journalist qualified to make the statement, "Smart guns, they're ready..."

Just about every engineer on the planet (me included) would look at this system, and say, "It fails user requirements, time to redesign."

I design military electronics for a living. And you are right.

The stuff that can take the stresses of firing a gun are simple(so fingerprint recognition out) bulky and expensive.

To get a gun as reliable as a 1911 firing the same round to work with what they are talking about it would be he size of a Kriss vector and cost over 5 grand not to mention be heavy as hell

[glockman19]

But look what happened with micro-stamping in CA.......how long before you think some jackhole up in Sacto decides this should be the next mandate to be foisted upon CA gunowners?

As soon as any anti legislator can write up legislation...2 weeks...2 months...2 years? You and I know it's coming.

Question is how long until SCOTUS determines the type of scrutiny?

[Untamed1972]

If they're so great let the police and military adopt them for 10 years first.

Yea.....imagine that in combat. The arm with the watch on it gets blown off......and now...if I'm conscious I can't use the gun with my remaining hand to defend myself. Or I'm dead and the soldier next to me has a weapon failure and can't pick up my weapon and use it.

I'm sure the military will be all over that little gem.

[Capybara]

What is scary about this is NJ's law and the fact that the tyrants up in Sacramento got away with microstamping/handgun roster in this state. That does not bode well for the future of this. We should re-phrase what the writer wrote to, "Once there is a semi viable blueprint and one model can go on sale in California, the State will mandate that all handguns and eventually long guns must implement "Smart Gun" technology in order to be sold." It's for the children (and criminals). Imagine what a gangsters paradise this state would become if all law abiding citizens were only allowed "Smart Guns".