My Idea to Make Guns Safer (legal, weapons, death, cost)

[Adric]

First of all, I don't own any guns or have any desire to. However, I also live in the real world and realize that you're not going to recall every single gun sold through to a firearms ban. Some people out there will fight tooth and nail to keep their guns and I would hate to see more bloodshed.

So maybe we should try and make guns safer? I know, it sounds stupid but I recently had this idea:

It would be called "RFID Safeties" (radio frequency ID safeties). Basically it would "pair" the firearm to it's owner through a RFID chip inside the gun. Once the gun has been paired, it can be fired.

The owner of the gun would be given the gun's "key" at the time of purchase in the form of a small device that would broadcast the RFID for a radius of something like 3 or 4 feet. The owner could input a little 4 digit code to start the broadcast and keep it in his/her wallet or purse (or wherever - as long as it's well hidden). If the gun were within range of this broadcast, the safety would be able to be turned off and the gun could be fired. If the gun were out of range, the safety would be stuck in (or reverted back to if taken out of range) the "on" position no matter what.

Benefits:

• guns could only be fired by their legal, registered owners. Stolen guns would be useless without the key (and the passcode to start the broadcast)
• it would be more difficult to black market firearms - though not impossible

Detriments:

• more things to break and key could potentially get lost
• batteries would be required for the key
• gun would take longer to ready in an emergency if the key were not already turned on.
• guns would cost more due to the additional tech inside of them (maybe that's a benefit though)

RFID chips are already in use in other industries so this isn't science fiction here. Old guns could be phased out.




Thoughts? Concerns?

[hoffdano]

The concept is similar to the biological key required to operate the weapons in the movie District 9.

I think if it worked instantly like this - many people would agree it has merit. However the drawbacks you listed could be a deal breaker for many.

I think the cost is not so important. Because it is electronic the costs should be very low on a large scale. But you cannot escape that a firearm is still a very mechanical device. So a stolen gun could probably be modified relatively easy. For example if there was a pin or latch that was controlled by the RFID chip - a person could remove the locking pin.

No one who acquired a gun for self defense would want to worry that the gun wouldn't fire because of a dead battery.

[hamellr]

RFID chips can be hacked in less then 30 seconds.

You can build your own reader pretty easily: Colligo Mentis » Blog Archive » HID Reader + Arduino = RFID Card Catcher

[rbohm]

biometrics are being experimented with so prevent someone who is not the owner, or otherwise authorized, to use a firearm. there are issues though, one being what happens if two people, say to friends, are out on the town and are attacked. the owner of a firearm has a new biometric sensor on his firearm, but he is wounded and cant use the firearm, so he tosses it to his friend to defend them, but the friend hasnt been authorized to use the firearm yet. now they have essentially NO gun between them. without the biometric safety, the friend colul use the firearm as needed to defend themselves.

its something to think about.

[Mac_Muz]

I will refuse any chip in my body Or in my guns period.

I have lost family to the liberal's pet vermin spawn, stab STABBING me elderly father In Law and his 2nd Wife To DEATH.

No more of your stupid liberal ways or LAWS. I know the LAW and I know my Rights.

Any one caught violating my rights will be shot on sight, a legal act of self defense...

The Left made this exactly the way it is...

The left made Killing Zones of the schools and the slums..... it is high time to arm teachers and ban the left.

Gun Expert Lott: Let Teachers Carry Arms, Ban Gun-Free Zones to Halt Mass Shootings

BAN GUN FREE ZONES