Smart guns coming to the US? Two companies are testing products

It appears that the move to push more gun control on Americans is gaining traction by way of smart guns. Reuters reports that two companies are actively testing products that they hope will hit the market later this year.

LodeStar Works invited Reuters to view the firing of their weapon in Idaho. The gun is unlocked with a fingerprint read that takes what Reuters calls “microseconds.” The firearm also has the ability to be unlocked with NFC and a cell phone. The company states this is because the firearm is unreliable with wet fingers.

SmartGunz also shared they have a firearm in beta testing that is unlocked with radio frequency identification. They have previously developed firearms and were co-founded by a Democrat from Kansas.

While the advancements in technology are amazing, they are not without significant concerns.

There is a major concern that the government could regulate firearms by forcing all guns to contain these measures. Reuters mentions this in their article as they discuss a New Jersey law that mandates the sale of “smart guns” once they become available.

Such a move would instantly allow the federal government to take the step to ban firearms that they do not like, by mandating the added technology while restricting it from being applied to other guns.

Another concern is the reliability of these firearms. While microseconds may seem small, every potential moment matters in a life or death situation. When a homeowner needs a firearm to defend their property or a gun owner needs it to defend their life, they need those microseconds.

If the technology fails or is unreliable in any way, it could create a situation where the firearm is essentially useless for personal protection.

There will no doubt be other issues such as hacking of the firearms. That happened in 2014 when criminals figured out how to remotely jam radio signals and disable a German “smart gun.”

In the end, nothing takes the place of responsible gun ownership. Training and resources on how to properly handle and store firearms can help save lives. Restricting gun owners and mandating the use of smart guns will not end shootings and will not save all lives taken by firearms.

There are many other measures that could help address violent crime, such as refunding police departments or addressing mental health inadequacies across the country. Of course, no one in the mainstream media wants to talk about that.