Draft NIJ Specifications for “Smart Gun” Released for Comments

Ammoland ^ | 20 July, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In January of 2016, the office of the press secretary of the White House issued a memo directing the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security to promote research into “Smart Gun” technology. From the memo:

The Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security (departments) shall, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, conduct or sponsor research into gun safety technology that would reduce the frequency of accidental discharge or unauthorized use of firearms, and improve the tracing of lost or stolen guns.

The memo resulted in a report.  The report included a plan to implement the research asked for by President Obama.  The first part of the plan was for firearm experts to develop a draft list baseline specifications for service guns that would incorporate the advanced technologies.  From the report:

(snip)

4.18.12 If the security device malfunctions, it shall default to a state to allow the pistol to fire.

4.18.13 The security device should be easy for an operator to quickly reset or disengage if there is a malfunction.

[marktwain]

These guys did a good job. No manufacturer can meet these specifications. They almost violate the laws of physics, but not quite.

If a manufacturer could make such a devise, the crook need only take out the batteries, because the default for a malfunction is to allow the pistol to fire.

[Gaffer]

I looked at the specifications PDF. It seems definitely wired for a particular modifiable model some current manufacturer has for sale or on the drawing boards.

There are too many characteristics that point to being wired for somebody, IMO. Go look.

[Scrambler Bob]

A Smart Gun has been to college.

It has learned White Privilege and Micro Aggression.

And all sorts of Diversity.

And has a $100,000 debt.

And no job.

[grobdriver]

Released for Comments

My comment:
Any such weapon should be field tested for at least a year by federal agencies such as the FBI, CIA, NSA, BATF&E, EPA, CPS, IRS, INS, DHS, DOT, DOE, DOJ, and the Secret Service.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Any such weapon should be field tested for at least a year...."

One year is WAY to short a time....absolute minimum five years, and preferably 20. Faults due to materials aging failures will NOT show up in a one-year test.

[Scrambler Bob]

Rather than an RFID tag on the gun owner, put an RFID tag on the catch-and-release crooks.

Program gun to only fire at the crooks’ RFIDs.

[phormer phrog phlyer]

I am sure all of us would love to go to war with one of these things.

[TheNext]

Permanently, not a year.

Alphabet Feds like ATF, BLM are smart folks who would use Smart Guns.

The little people are dumb folks who would use Dumb Guns, the old dumb ol mechanical only guns.

[bgill]

No thanks.

[Red in Blue PA]

Once the Secret Service, FBI, DEA and other organizations this gun for a few years without failure, I will consider it.

Who might I kidding, there is no way I would touch one of these things.

[Pollster1]

This is just another backdoor tax on guns. Normal people will immediately disable the “Smart” feature, whether that requires removing the batteries or significant work with a Dremel/soldering iron, making the guns more expensive but no different in function.