Smart Gun Technologies (Pros & Cons)

[Geno]

I just read an article on-line regarding "smart gun technologies". It was interesting. I will provide a link to the article. Due to copyright laws, I don't want to paste it...wouldn't be lawful. The link, however is.

I am asking that you read the article, and see what you think, then post here. What are the pros, and what are the cons to smart gun technology as presented in the article. I placed the thread here, because as discussed in the article, the technology can compensate for even shooter error, and render the most common rifle a precision firearm assuring first-shot hits at considerable distances. The expressed push seems to be geared toward the common hunter, and the commonly held hunting rifle. But, of course there is more (in my suspicious mind).

What do I think?! I will hold my own opinion for the present time, and will not post beyond this point until others have had an opportunity to read the article and post here. I will post my thought pointedly after we get the ball rolling. As always, I have opinions. A link to the read follows:

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/07...s-transform-hunting-tracking/?intcmp=features

This should be fun!

Geno

 

[GJSchulze]

I understand the attraction of a gun shooting only for authorized people, but anything less than perfect (and not 99.9999%) isn't safe when facing a bad guy.

"We are pleased to say that we have achieved 90% reliability"

Or as we know it, Russian roulette.
A true crap shoot.

 

[Art Eatman]

"...a geo-location system that tracks a gun and can remotely lock it (or fire it).

“Suppose you and your family are on vacation in Las Vegas, and your firearm is back at home. Wouldn’t you want to know in real time if an intruder, or worse a child, is handling your gun?”

So this smart gun is the only gun I own? Duh? How about all the other guns of whatever sort: Plinking .22s, collectibles? They'll be in the gun safe. If I have a gun safe, who needs the "tracker"? Why spend the money?

From the picture at the link, as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to carry all that bling around with me. Weighs a bunch more than I want to tote.

$22,000? Sorry, but I'll eat all the deer meat I want for a helluva lot less. The military might see the need, but not me. Hey, an M1 Abrams is a neat deal, but I don't need one of those, either.

 

[Geno]

I agree, Art. For me, it seems a push from gun control, and tech companies. I ponder, too, perhaps a little NSA (or other) wink wink going on? Can you imagine the power of a government that could track 100% of your firearms 24/7, and even control if you can or cannot fire it?! It might sound a bit 1984, but wow, 2013 has presented some eye-opening discoveries thus far.

For me, too much technology is not a great thing. Anything breaks and/or wears out. I can't imagine what it would cost to get one of these repaired.

For my likes, a straight optic, illuminated reticles are nice....I guess. For most hunting experiences, if a person knows their cartridge, their rifle and the wind, what more is needed? I've never shot beyond 525 yards, and wouldn't even with an optic as detailed herein. A deer has to be close enough to see if it's a spike, or a doe. Too, how many points, what quality of trophy.

In terms of long-distance target shooting, it seems to remove the purpose of developing and applying (showing) one's ability. But my mind keeps going back to the "wi-fi", and the ability to monitor from off site. As I drove into and back from Detroit today, how many off-site views were there of my life via the road cameras? Now I'm going to trust some possible anti with my firearms data too?! Oh I know. We only collect meta-data. Or how about the TSA that couldn't take pictures with their security machines, couldn't store them, and it was impossible to share them...but they did.

Nope. When Hades freezes over, I'll rush right out and buy such technology and allow .gov to monitor my every shot. Until then, I see more creepers, and their creeping ways trying to gain access to the 2nd. In truth, I don't see any pros to civilian use. Perhaps it has application for the military, as in outside of the USA, but here too, as we have seen with drones, whatever the military gets, within 5 years, homeland insecurity and the SWAT has to have it too. We have those pesky retirees we have to keep in check.

So, why did I place the thread in hunting, when I see it has no genuine or appropriate application to hunting (as far as I am concerned)?! For that exact reason. The very implication that American hunters could apply these in the field of something conjured-up by a non-hunter. Put another way, and as Art said, just because something exists doesn't mean I would use it. What's next? a .416 Barrett with one of these scopes for 1,000 yards varmint hunting?! Try as I may, I am unable to see a single "pro" for hunting, or daily use. For military (non-USA-based) fine, but that's it. Perhaps subsequent readers (posters) can point out any pros that I have over-looked.

Geno

 

[GJSchulze]

Geno, I have never hunted, but when I saw the article about that smart tracking rifle my first thought was "that's not hunting, that's just killing." There's no sport in that. For a sniper, that rifle is perfect because that's what a sniper does: kill.

 

[jim243]

M1 Abrams is a neat deal, but I don't need one of those, either.

Yah, but all those looks you'd get driving it to church on Sunday would be worth it. (LOL)

I hate to say it is another piece of worthless technology, because someone will find a use for it. Now if you could plug in the coordinates for work and have it drive your car to your parking space there, that would be worth considering.

My understanding of the trackingpoint is that it locks out your being able to pull the trigger until the firing solution is perfect. Well nothing in life is perfect, not the wind, not the temp, not the deer sitting perfectly still. It will save you a lot of ammo by not letting you fire, but then who's the brains behind the trigger, me or the trackingpoint.

Well I guess it's the trackingpoint, cause I lost my mind when and if ever I should buy one.

Jim

 

[Centurian22]

I do find the technology very interesting and mind-bogglingly advanced. I agree the "linked up-ness" is quite off putting and far more likely to cause problems (or gov control) than solutions. Barring obtaining a disturbingly large sum of disposable cash I would certainly never purchase one. However, take out the wifi/cyberdyne uplink component, leaving just the advanced target tracking perfect shot capabilities and it would make a great millionaire 'toy'. I'm not sure where I stand on the hunting application: on one hand as mentioned it can't read the dear's mind and know if it will move (especially with a long flight time at distance) and it does take the "sport" out of it; but on the other hand there are many poor impropper shots taken on many animals by rich 'fair weather' hunters who take the gun out of the rack once a year, don't sight it in and go for a 400 yard shot because "the gun is capable" of doing it. I could see a potential improvement to that senario, though it is true you can't fix stupid so it's doubtful there would be a positive net effect.

Just my $0.02 of late night ramblings on the subject.

P.S. I wonder how well it can track long distance fast flying objects and account for extreme shot angles? ..... Cough cough dr0n£ cough cough.....

 

[Art Eatman]

I recall reading that on one of those 2,000-yard sniper kill shots in the sandbox, the guy hit was standing next to the guy aimed at.

Wind. Always the wind.

Purely my opinion and attitude, but things like this for any civilian use seem like the comment about cocaine: It's God's way of telling you that you have too much money.

 

[Geno]

Interesting fact, Art. And yet it counted as a "hit"...kind of.

Gosh. For $22,000.00, I could order a custom-built rifle, a beauty of a scope, seek out some professional training at Gunsite, and buy between 10,000 and 20,000 rounds of centerfire ammo (depending on caliber of course). I could sign up for a firing range, and likely have enough money to enter some shooting contests to apply my developing skills.

I do have to take issue with driving a tank though. It would likely solve the problems of road-rage. Seriously?! You're flipping me off?! Really?! Splat. But how to conceal that cannon. I'd take a powerful-big holster.

Geno