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'Smart guns' could be next step in gun control

bob_moderatorbob_moderator
edited October 2015 in Gun Control Debates Posts: 8
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) A proposal to expand background checks failed in Washington, but several entrepreneurs say they have a different answer to curbing gun violence.

They're using technology to create guns that only fire in the right hands. These so-called smart guns can recognize a watch, a ring or even just a grip.

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Comments

  • TheGhostTheGhost
    Posts: 5
    This is a great Idea, just make it for any kind of weapon, Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns, and Assault Weapons. This could help, a lot.
    Thanked by 1bob_moderator
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  • FrankieDFrankieD
    Posts: 9
    Unfortunately, this will likely just create a whole new juicy black market for smart guns.  I can set it how - everything from re-coding services to make the gun now think your buyer's hands were the right ones, or guns with open slate able to be coded for you or even left "uncoded" so it can not be traced.  You thought normal identity theft was bad, now the bad guys can get guns, kill someone, THEN have it coded to make it seem like YOUR hands were on it when it fired.

    Yah, I'll pass.
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  • CEOCEO
    Posts: 1
    I think this could have some great applications. Sure, a black market for re-coding guns may open up, but what about heat of the moment altercations? If a gun is pulled away from it's legitimate owner by a criminal, at least the gun won't be able to be fired if it is wrestled away. 

    And we can quarterback this scenario all day long - what if the criminal has his or her own gun? What if the criminal has his or her own smart gun and doesn't need to wrestle away anything? What if the criminal stabs you in the chest before you have an opportunity to draw your smart gun?

    If you ask me, this is at least something that should be explored. 

    What if everything goes right and even just a single life is saved? Wouldn't that make the technology worth it?
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  • UnnyUnny
    Posts: 7
    This is a step towards the right direction. I only hope that noone comes up with counterfeits too. If it passes then we are bound to see less crime on the streets. 
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  • SLTESLTE
    Posts: 8
    This sort of technology was predicted in fiction. I'm sure it's popped up elsewhere, but predominantly (for me, anyway) it was in a game called Metal Gear Solid 4. The guns in the game would only work for their specified soldiers, and a central registration system could shut them down under certain circumstances. There was a black market for unregistered guns in the game, as well. Funny how fiction works like that.

    I think it's an interesting idea. Yes, hackers will crack such weapons eventually, but you still need to be pointing the weapon at someone for the fired bullets to have much of an effect. Now, if these smart guns start being turned into turrets of some kind, we might have some issues...
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  • LC_77LC_77
    Posts: 22
    In theory I love this idea, it would be a great boon to those working hard everyday to protect these United States. Unfortunately I have to agree with FrankieD on the black market for these kinds of weapons. Smart guns will naturally create a smarter class of criminal.

    There is constant growth necessary to stay on top in the IT field. With such an increase in the positions available, one can only imagine the possibilities of illegal activities and the difficulties in actually proving their guilt.
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  • SLTESLTE
    Posts: 8
    I don't know about a smarter class of criminal so much as shifting those who are already in black hat tech fields - ie hackers - towards gunrunning, alongside their existing fields of illegitimate gain. But, yeah, I suppose the difference is fairly moot.

    I'd like to think any experts in gun IDs would do their damndest to stay on top at all times to prevent the misuse of technology, but hackers find exploits in 'secure' systems all the time. Still, if technology doesn't keep moving forward somehow...
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  • LilAnnLilAnn
    Posts: 22
    I bet the number of gun fatalities that were "heat of the moment" type kills is far less than the number of gun fatalities from bad guys with illegal guns. People, I think, have a hard time seeing the real consequences of taking guns away from the people who have them legally. Getting rid of those guns will only make the bad guys more dangerous... and that includes taking the use of a gun because daddy isn't home to fire it.
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  • FreezFreez
    Posts: 4
    What if the gun falls in the hands of a thug? Are they only supposed to be used by the police or anybody? I think that we should stop using guns and trust the security mechanisms around. We are are not supposed to live in fear.
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  • LC_77LC_77
    Posts: 22
    You are completely right, we are not supposed to live in fear, yet here we are. Constantly watching our rears at night and in certain neighborhoods in the day as well. Its not the gun that's the problem, its the individual behind it. We would genuinely like to trust our neighbors, but we all have some kind of secret situation buried deep in our metaphorical closets, which when they come to life become dangerous to the anyone out side of our immediate circles. People have been killed for knowing too much, or just being in the wrong place or hanging with the wrong people. Taking guns that kill out of the equation would bring all those circumstances to a screeching halt.
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  • JansomJansom
    Posts: 4
    I wonder how easy it would be to jam the signal between the control device and the weapon. Would it be possible for someone to simply turn off an individuals weapon with a radio transmitter. I like the idea but I wonder what the security concerns and failure rates are with these weapons.
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  • TommiGunn31TommiGunn31
    Posts: 246
    I think that even if they were re-coded, that would take time.  That may mean fewer gun crimes simply because it'll no longer be "find a gun and kill with it".  Since it'll take more time, there may be fewer crimes of passion because more thought will have to go into it.  For pre-meditated, basically the same thing.  Only, opposed to spontaneous killings, it may just reduce the number because it will take more time to prepare, therefore, less time to kill.  I'm sure there will be a few drawbacks, but hopefully a smaller body count than now.
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  • LilAnnLilAnn
    Posts: 22
    When the smart guns come out the bad guys aren't going to use them, for obvious reasons. If there's a lower body count it'll be because there are less people able to defend themselves because they can't use the gun sitting right next to them... just because its programmed for4 someone else. By the time, decades from now, that its almost all smart guns, bad guys would have figured out how to recode them and "mod" or "hack" them.
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  • nailah783nailah783
    Posts: 68
    This is a much better idea than trying to get rid of all of the guns. The problem I see with this idea is that even if they make these guns, people who don't come back on the background check might still wind up with these guns and nobody will be able to stop them from using them. I still like the idea for my household though. The only reason I don't have a gun at home is because I worry about my children. If I were to get one of these then I wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.
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  • davids0ndavids0n
    Posts: 2
    Hey smart gun genius!!!!!  what about the 300 million guns that aren't smart!!!
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  • rbower80rbower80
    Posts: 234
    It may someday come to this kind of tech. but if it is not done cost effective only the rich will be able to afford them.If you want to go that far how about heat sensing guns that won't fire at anything if the body temp. is not above 98.6,because most animals we hunt have body temps. above that.The bad thing is we have to get all the bad guys to use this type of gun.I am afraid we are stock with what we have until we do away with the bad guys.Self protection is our best option.
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  • ChimoChimo
    Posts: 49
    Another idea thought up by those with little real-world experience.  Note than most of these "smart gun" proposals always exempt law enforcement and the military?  Why?  Because in a fight you need to be able to use any firearm that is handy if for some reason yours is damaged, lost or inoperable.  This need also applies to civilians.   

    Imagine if you will, coming home late one night only to find that your wife is being raped by some mutt...you are still unnoticed while he's getting himself off...and there is a firearm, his, or maybe your wife's...but you can't use it to stop the attack because it's inoperable in your hands.  So you either have to find another weapon or call the police...knowing that with every second this mutt is continuing to rape and may even murder your wife.  

    A firearm, like any other tool, need to be operable in whatever competent hands are handling it.  
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  • TommiGunn31TommiGunn31
    Posts: 246
    I would be pretty sure that in the event of a rape, his hands are otherwise occupied.  And that comment IS coming from real-world experience.   So, he would have no weapon.  If you are pointing a gun at him (if it's not his or if he has no way of knowing that it's his), then he will stop. If not, you can still pistol-whip him.  I do, however, see you point in a scenario where you may actually need to shoot.  But, in this case, you may already have your gun on you.  This isn't a case where no one has a gun, it's just that guns are smart guns in this instance. 
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho
    Posts: 161
    Smart guns are not a smart idea most of the computerized devices I have had since the first digital calculator have EEEEE, and stop working, a good simple old fashioned S&W revolver is not prone to such problems, the people pushing smart gun technology seem to be people that do not know the much about guns or people, like Y2K, the people pushing new programs were the ones fear mongering and scaring people into buying new stuff they did not need, before Y2K, I took 3 non compliant computers and set the chronometer or calendars to dates in the future, nothing happened, we proved Y2K fears completely unfounded.

    There are things to be afraid of, gun control people propose to deal with things in ways that don't work !
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho
    Posts: 161
    I fear gun control advocates way more than I do criminals ! I have more of a chance facing a mugger if I am armed, than I do disarmed by a fantasy prone gun control advocate.
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  • jLs9413jLs9413
    Posts: 6
    I think this would be an excellent idea. However, I also think that it could go hand-in-hand in loosening up strict gun control laws. Automatic weapons and military-grade weaponry should only be fireable by certain hands. Could you post a link to some info? I can only imagine how the smart technology would be implemented to make this idea realistic.
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho
    Posts: 161
    I guess those of us that know smart guns are a bad idea don't count ?
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho
    Posts: 161
    I am sure only someone with no firearms experience would advocate a smart gun, at least no one with Military experience would advocate a smart gun for soldiers, so if those batteries die, then what ?
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho
    Posts: 161
    Do you really want electronics of any kind stopping your personal defense arm ? heat, sweat, cheese doodle crumbs ?
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  • sha30sha30
    Posts: 44
    Smart guns is good if this gun is true smart but in real world gun all gun is gun can kill lifes in wrong of usage we need to use in a good way to prevent kill in inproper use of gun
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  • JBFernandezJBFernandez
    Posts: 23
    That would be awesome. Because some of the guns that fell on the hands of bad guys are stolen from their real owners. Imagine if your gun is lost or stolen, It can't be use by others. So eventually they would just return it to the real owner.
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  • FishdaFishda
    Posts: 4
    Smart guns...cool! and scary! I say cool because of the technology that will be behind it. The ability of a gun to identify its owner is definitely a step towards responsible use of it. Scary... imagine this technology goes in the wrong hands.  The integration of guns with electronics is not full proof but a step towards responsible ownership.  
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  • iris2992iris2992
    Posts: 5
    This is a great idea and should be put into effect. Technology nowadays are becoming powerful and we see it embedded in almost anything around us and using it, it seems that almost anything is possible. This could lessen crimes because it will only be used by authorized people to carry firearms, providing that they undergone tests before they've been permitted to carry one. Though, it will still require one to be responsible enough to own firearms and not just leave it anywhere thinking that nothing wrong will happen. Of course, accidents can still occur anytime.
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