Smart Guns: Solution To Gun Problems In The US

The US government is hopeful that it can finally launch the smart gun technology. This 'childproof' smart gun technology may curb cases of accidental shootings as well as increase gun safety.

According to a news report on NBC News, the Florida-based iGun Technology Corporation has long been developing smart guns. These guns utilize a ring with a chip in it which sends a signal to a circuit board that is embedded in the firearm so that only authorized users can fire the gun. Nevertheless, the smart gun is not the only technology that ever exists or is currently being developed.

In Germany, Armatix GmbH has amazingly developed a handgun that employs a watch which sends signals to the handgun. Carrying a 10-round magazine, the iP1 is a .22-caliber pistol with an accompanying watch that has to be within ten inches of the handgun for it to fire.

In 2014, the iP1 is made available to customers by two US gun dealers: one in California and another in Maryland as cited in an article on PBS NewsHour. But after the uproar among gun-rights advocates, the operation ceased. A primary concern involves a New Jersey law, mandating that within 3 years of a smart gun being commercially available, only those types of guns could be bought and sold in the state.

Sold around $1,300, the cost of the iP1 is considerably higher than a standard handgun which is about $450. On top of that, buyers also need to buy the watch separately for additional several hundred dollars.

Efforts to make guns a lot safer with technology are nothing new. Most firearms have trigger guards-the casing which loops under the trigger-as well as a safety switch that prevents the gun from firing when engaged.

While there are companies that still design a 'grip safety'. This includes the iGun Technology shotgun which has a programmable ring designed to send a signal to the firearm to discharge. A line of handguns with a grip safety, which includes the XD Compact model, has been produced by Springfield Armory. Unfortunately however, it was responsible for the accidental shooting of a 4-year-old boy in Florida in March when he shot his mother with the .45-caliber handgun. He was in the back seat while his mom was driving. The boy shot her dead.

The gun lobby, on the other hand, is truly wary of the smart-gun technology and questions its reliability.

"There's no way to practice for the batteries going dead or just when it doesn't recognize your print. You don't want to be messing with buttons. ... The bad guy in your home isn't going to have to boot up his weapon," said Erich Pratt, the executive director of Gun Owners of America.

Even though the organization has reservations about the reliability of this new technology, the gun lobby emphasizes that it is never against the idea of looking for effective ways to develop a smart gun.

"We, the industry, are not opposed to R&D and development of this technology. We're only opposed to mandates," said Larry Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. "Not everybody wants or needs that feature," she conclusively said.