Smart Guns, Stupid People

D

David Scott

New member
I see that SIG is prototyping a "smart gun" with a digital keypad hanging under the barrel. Other schemes I've heard include a ring for the owner to wear that enables the pistol. I assume the manufacturers are trying this stuff becaus ethey think it may get them off some hooks in liability suits.

Horse crap!

Here's why the "signature gun" idea bites:

1. What if your battery goes dead just as the rape gang catches sight of your daughter?

2. What if you have to shoot weak-handed? Are you going to waste time moving the ring to the other hand? Will it fit?

3. Theives are able to steal cars that have "smart keys", you can bet they'll figure out how to make a stolen smart gun work.

4. If my "smart gun" fails at a critical moment, may I (or my next of kin) sue the maker for that product defect?

The point is this: In order to be useful, a weapon must be reliable. You must be able to put it in operation quickly and easily. If the makers come up with anything that looks to a non-shooter like it maybe might work, it will provide an excuse to mandate this defective and stupid concept on all new handguns. Since no intelligent handgunner would pay extra for this stupid idea, the makers will be putting themselves out of business. How do we convince them of that simple fact?
 
Well, I guess I'd add it to "Governmental Evasion of Responsibility and Liability".

The government certifies airplanes as airworthy before they can be flown. Why don't the relatives of the deceased crew and passengers sue the government, after a crash?

The government might mandate that only smart guns can be manufactured and sold. If one fails, who's ACTUALLY responsible: The manufacturer, or the government?

The government says thou shalt have airbags. If you fall below the average seat-design-height for "most people" and die because the airbag broke your neck, why is the government not liable?

'Scuse me. I gotta go barf.

Art
 
Problem with Smart Guns is that they'll never be any "safer" than the person using them while adding complexity to a mechanical device which, generally speaking, is about as refined and precision an instrument as was ever produced.

Its a stupid idea and I wish manufacturers would just reject the notion outright and not even attempt to apppease the ignorant.
 
Good topic -- see related posts [Link to invalid post]

[This message has been edited by FUD (edited February 17, 2000).]
 
The term "smart guns" somehow infers that guns are currently "dumb". Furthermore, it infers that dumb guns kill people, but "smart guns" won't.

Are all of you following this?

To me, such a "smart gun" should be able to read the mind of its user and know exactly what his/her intentions were, and then function or not function.

Robbing a liquor store are you?...click, click, click. Car jacking are you?...click, click, click. Going to murder that poor woman after you rape her huh?...click, click, click. Going to shoot that homeowner pointing his AR-15 at you huh?...click, click, click. So you think this is the guy behind this smart gun idea huh?...BOOOOOM!
 
I hope these smart guns have their control, alt, & delete buttons conveniently positioned. Also, I wonder how long it will take the computer gun to reboot after it locks up.
 
The "smart gun" topic gets beaten to death here at least once a month. That said, I'll take another swing.

The fundamental problem with the whole popular "smart gun" movement is what I'm increasingly calling the "advertising culture": the idea that great things can be done if you'll just buy gizmo XYZ (if XYZ doesn't exist, someone should/will make it). The people pushing it are completely ignorant of Cooper's Four Rules (or anything like it), and thus have no mental basis for even considering that safety is (other than real design negligence or malfunctions) entirely a function of the user and not of the tool. They are ignorant of proper use, and do not realize their ignorance, so they cannot even comprehend the truth of safety, even if it walks up and slaps them.
 
ctdonath,

I just joined TFL and didn't realize it's been beat to death. The magazine photo of the SIG with the keypad below the barrel got me started, and being a business guy I wondered if the makers knew that they were signing their companies' death warrants by supporting this research.

Have any makers publicly said that the idea is nonsense and they won't play? If so, who are they? I'd like to buy their products.


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Dave
Deep in the Florida Swamps
 
Slightly off topic, but... With all this work on "smart guns" is there any possibility of diverting a few R&D dollars to my "dream gun?" It'd be at least a 10 round .45, laser sights, no felt recoil, use heat-seeking rounds, weigh no more than about 6 oz. (loaded), be no larger than a pack of smokes, and in a pinch could use either of my index fingers as a barrel. Or am I being unreasonable? :rolleyes:

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by David Scott:
... I just joined TFL and didn't realize it's been beat to death ...[/quote]
Dave,

Welcome to the board from another Florida swampper. Feel free to post any topic you like even if it's been covered before. If it's not acceptable, the Moderators will remove it. If people aren't interested in it, no one will post a reply.

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Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD.

[This message has been edited by FUD (edited February 17, 2000).]
 
It's my understanding that the Sig won't work if the battery is dead. The Colt is supposed to work if the battery is dead.

So if you have a Sig, you die if the battery dies.

If you have a Colt, in order for a thief or other "unauthorized person" to use your gun, all they have to is yank out the battery.

Beretta has come out opposing "smart" guns.
 
Mercator,

I wrote the governor and the Lt gov. and they still haven't gotten back to me. No surprise there. I currently reside in the state of Md.

The Governor's state of the state 2000 was interesting to.

"We have it in our power to protect our children from tobacco . . . and from other deadly threats as well. If we have the courage, we can pass our proposal that every handgun sold in Maryland must be child-proof. The gun lobby will say that this cannot be done reliably or affordably. Nonsense. Whether it is air bags or child-proof aspirin bottles, we know that the industry will not do what is right until we make them do what is right! And we can make them do it. By working together we can make Maryland the national leader in the fight against gun violence. We must stand together and say "no more!" No more children accidentally shot to death after finding a gun in their home; No more emotionally troubled teenagers taking their own lives or unleashing their anger with gunfire upon classmates, teachers, or others; And no more guns illegally obtained being used to kill innocent victims.

Four years ago, we came together and stood up to the gun lobby to make our families safer and our neighborhoods more secure. Together, we passed one of the nation's strongest anti-gun violence laws. And gun-related crime has dropped dramatically as a result. We can take this success further and do even more to protect our families and children. We can tell the NRA and the gun manufacturers that Maryland is setting the agenda now. We can tell them that we are putting our children's lives ahead of their profits. We can stand together and say: "It is time to stop killing our children!"

I am pretty sure he is referring to smart guns

I cant wait to get out of this state.

nate

glock also is working on the smart gun tech.
 
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