When Will Every Gun Owner Be Carrying Around a ‘Smart Gun’?

By Ready to Fire News Last updated Jun 19, 2019

Everything is “smart” nowadays. This includes our phones, watches, tablets, and various features in our homes. Practically all the gear that we have is touched by so-called smart technology in some big way. Will this soon include our weapons?

Well, right now you may have some biometric safes in your home to protect and store your firearm gear. That’s considered part of the “smart” technology movement in the industry. You probably have read about smart guns being something that exists. They do. In fact these types of guns have been around for about two decades now, but that doesn’t mean you can buy them just yet.

A smart gun is one that has embedded technology which only allows the owner to fire the weapon. This is usually done with biometrics or “fingerprint recognition.”

There is actually a German company that makes an “all-in-one” smart gun called the Armatix iP1 Pistol, which is a semiautomatic weapon. The way that this gun works is by having it paired with a smartwatch their owner wears. The gun will only fire if it’s within a ten-inch range of the watch. The cost is pretty high at about $1,800 for the gun and the watch together. If you want to buy one, you’d have to go overseas to do it.

The National Rifle Association actually stands behind the development of smart gun technology. Most people just worry that with too much technology being used with the gun, it might not work every time. You want to be assured that the firearm you are using will work if you need it to.

There is a company here in the United States that is on the forefront of launching the first smart gun. It’s called Biofire Technologies. Their prototype uses biometric technology to make sure only the authorized user is able to fire the gun. With a mission statement that aims to “use cutting edge technology to make an inherently safer firearm” they are almost ready to put a very reliable and safe gun on the market.

The gun looks just like any handgun, but the fingerprint sensor is right on the grip. You don’t have to push a button or extra trigger step, it’s just going to recognize the owner when they put their hand around the grip, instantly unlocking the gun. The gun will re-lock itself when the owner sets it down. If someone picks it up that isn’t the authorized fingerprint owner, it’s not going to work period. It’s just that simple.

There isn’t any WiFi or Bluetooth that can be hacked into on the gun itself. The battery is rechargeable and works for up to a year before needing to be plugged in and charged again. A warning light on the gun will alert the user well in advance that the weapon needs to be charged. Right now you can’t buy this gun yet, but you can plug in your email on their website if you’d like to be notified when it’s available.

With people who own and collect guns, it’s always fun to acquire one of the first of anything that comes to the marketplace, whether that’s a new gun model, gear, or other accessories. The smart gun, when it does arrive, will surely be a popular addition to anyone’s firearm collection.

~ Ready to Fire News