Smart Gun Technology http://www.northjersey.com/news/stat...it_supply.html
they’ve existed only in science fiction and the archives of the New Jersey Legislature: handguns that fire only in the grip of an authorized user.
Michael Recce of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, inventor of a 'smart gun' technology, holding a prototype of the gun with grip recognition technology at a 2004 news conference.
And yet these so-called smart guns soon could be the only kind sold legally in New Jersey under a state law that has languished on the books for a decade.
The law, which requires the state’s gun dealers to exclusively sell smart guns within three years after the first one hits the market, has been largely forgotten since the Legislature adopted it in 2002. But it could be dusted off as early as this year as technology finally catches up to the vision of lawmakers at a time when the debate over gun control is more combative and divisive than at any time in recent history.
After years of stalled and inconclusive research — hampered in part by political resistance from groups like the National Rifle Association — a German company called Armatix says it will introduce the first gun equipped with a user-recognition system within 45 days.
It is unclear whether that model, which will fire only within range of a sensor embedded in a wristwatch, will trigger the New Jersey regulations. But advocates predict that the first sale is likely to create a domino effect as other companies and publicly funded groups — including one at the New Jersey Institute of Technology — are spurred to bring their own prototypes to the market.
After that, it’s probably just a matter of time before the technology becomes standard, said Stephen Teret, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
“Who is going to want to buy an old stupid gun rather than a smart gun?” Teret, who has been working on the issue for 30 years, said. “I am very optimistic about this.”
Critics of user-recognition technology, and legislation that would require it, have said for years that it is not reliable or user-friendly enough for guns kept for self-defense. They say major gun manufacturers would band together to thwart the New Jersey requirement, the only one of its kind in the country, by refusing to sell guns in the state.
The NRA did not respond to requests for comment, but Scott L. Bach, the executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, said the technology is flawed, and could put gun owners in danger when it fails. He also questioned why law enforcement officers are exempt.
“New Jersey’s smart-gun law is as dumb as it gets,” Bach, of West Milford, said in a statement. “It forces you to use an unproven technology to defend your life, and then exempts the state from liability when the gun goes ‘click’ instead of ‘bang.’ If it’s such a great idea, then law enforcement shouldn’t be exempt, and the free market should be allowed to determine its viability.”
Advocates for the law predict that such resistance will fade as consumers become more comfortable with fingerprint locks on laptops, keyless ignition sensors in cars and other user-recognition technology in personal electronics and home-security software.
They say putting the same kind of safety features in handguns would significantly reduce suicides and accidental shootings, particularly those involving children. They could also protect gun users from having their own weapons used against them and reduce illegal firearm sales.
“People are starting to realize that it’s just another gun industry line, where they’re refusing to put safety over profit,” said Nicola Bocour, project director of Ceasefire New Jersey, a group that was instrumental in getting the New Jersey bill passed.
But so far those discussions have been purely hypothetical.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/stat....BB4NBAsM.dpuf
they’ve existed only in science fiction and the archives of the New Jersey Legislature: handguns that fire only in the grip of an authorized user.
Michael Recce of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, inventor of a 'smart gun' technology, holding a prototype of the gun with grip recognition technology at a 2004 news conference.
And yet these so-called smart guns soon could be the only kind sold legally in New Jersey under a state law that has languished on the books for a decade.
The law, which requires the state’s gun dealers to exclusively sell smart guns within three years after the first one hits the market, has been largely forgotten since the Legislature adopted it in 2002. But it could be dusted off as early as this year as technology finally catches up to the vision of lawmakers at a time when the debate over gun control is more combative and divisive than at any time in recent history.
After years of stalled and inconclusive research — hampered in part by political resistance from groups like the National Rifle Association — a German company called Armatix says it will introduce the first gun equipped with a user-recognition system within 45 days.
It is unclear whether that model, which will fire only within range of a sensor embedded in a wristwatch, will trigger the New Jersey regulations. But advocates predict that the first sale is likely to create a domino effect as other companies and publicly funded groups — including one at the New Jersey Institute of Technology — are spurred to bring their own prototypes to the market.
After that, it’s probably just a matter of time before the technology becomes standard, said Stephen Teret, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
“Who is going to want to buy an old stupid gun rather than a smart gun?” Teret, who has been working on the issue for 30 years, said. “I am very optimistic about this.”
Critics of user-recognition technology, and legislation that would require it, have said for years that it is not reliable or user-friendly enough for guns kept for self-defense. They say major gun manufacturers would band together to thwart the New Jersey requirement, the only one of its kind in the country, by refusing to sell guns in the state.
The NRA did not respond to requests for comment, but Scott L. Bach, the executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, said the technology is flawed, and could put gun owners in danger when it fails. He also questioned why law enforcement officers are exempt.
“New Jersey’s smart-gun law is as dumb as it gets,” Bach, of West Milford, said in a statement. “It forces you to use an unproven technology to defend your life, and then exempts the state from liability when the gun goes ‘click’ instead of ‘bang.’ If it’s such a great idea, then law enforcement shouldn’t be exempt, and the free market should be allowed to determine its viability.”
Advocates for the law predict that such resistance will fade as consumers become more comfortable with fingerprint locks on laptops, keyless ignition sensors in cars and other user-recognition technology in personal electronics and home-security software.
They say putting the same kind of safety features in handguns would significantly reduce suicides and accidental shootings, particularly those involving children. They could also protect gun users from having their own weapons used against them and reduce illegal firearm sales.
“People are starting to realize that it’s just another gun industry line, where they’re refusing to put safety over profit,” said Nicola Bocour, project director of Ceasefire New Jersey, a group that was instrumental in getting the New Jersey bill passed.
But so far those discussions have been purely hypothetical.
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/stat....BB4NBAsM.dpuf
Comment