Posted on 06/24/2019 8:36:36 AM PDT by Black_Rifle_Gunsmith
In keeping with the theme of talking about ridiculous gun control, let's take a look at what Joe Biden recently suggested on the campaign trail. At a fundraising event last Monday, Biden invoked the science-fiction technology of the James Bond universe, calling for guns in America to be made operable only by scanning the shooter's DNA and fingerprints.
"If I get elected president of the United States of America with your help, if that happens, guns, we have the capacity now in a James Bond-style to make sure no one can pull a trigger unless their DNA and fingerprint is on it". Biden continued, disregarding current technology and facts: "We have that capacity to do it now. You know it."
Except this technology is neither proven nor readily available. In fact, most smart gun prototypes have failed spectacularly and it's little surprise as to why. One model, the Armatix iP1, uses a radio-frequency-controlled sensor to activate or disable the gun. The shooter must wear an electronic wristwatch to operate the gun. But the moment the wristwatch goes out of distance or loses power, the gun becomes useless. Would you trust your life to an electronic wristwatch operating on a tiny battery? To illustrate how fallible the current technology is, one savvy shooter hacked the iP1, using magnets to make it shoot even when the control watch was more than 10 feet away. He even disabled the gun entirely when it should have been connected and able to fire.
There are inherent problems with making this technology reliable and easy to use under stress. When a gun needs to be used for self-defense or in a threat situation, adrenaline begins to rush. Cognitive function goes out the window and fine motor skills turn into, well, gross motor skills. The technology has to work immediately, 100% of the time, and without any user input -- lest the user face possible injury or death while he or she tries to make the trigger work.
Even the most well-built firearms, including service rifles and pistols issued to police and the U.S. Military, experience malfunctions and failures. The military and law enforcement anticipate and train for these situations: When a round jams, open the receiver and clear it. When a cartridge misfires, rack the slide and pull the trigger again. But when an electronic DNA or fingerprint scanner goes bad, there is no quick "field repair" that can be made. That shooter is out of the fight. That shooter could be you, in your living room, at 3:00 A.M.
Beyond mere logistics and technological issues, requiring every gun to have a DNA or fingerprint scanner poses serious issues for the Second Amendment and Americans' rights to have access to readily-available guns, bought or built. Biden claims that gun manufacturers are against the technology, and he's right on this point. Except manufacturers are likely opposed because of sheer cost and manufacturing concerns. Armatix, for example, charges around $1,800 for a basic "smart" handgun with no other features.
Further, many Americans have gotten into the hobby of building their own guns at home. The tactical market has exploded with the AR-15 taking the top spot as one of the most popular firearm models sold and built in the country. And over the last few years, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs have started using receiver blanks (usually called 80% lowers or 80% frames) to build unregistered, un-serialized guns for personal use (the ATF has long held this is legal to do). Requiring all guns sold or made to have DNA and fingerprint scanners would greatly curtail this now widely-exercised right and it would also likely raze the U.S. firearms manufacturing industry to ashes for some years to come.
Nonetheless, companies and start-ups are pursuing smart gun technology. Many also think Biden has a good chance of securing the Democratic nomination for 2020, setting up what's likely to be a heated gun control debate. Do you think Biden would ever have a chance of passing legislation as extreme and industry-changing as this? I would hope the rest of our legislators would realize how destructive and ineffective such a bill might be.
Bidumb
Since we’re going there...I think we need a death star while we’re at it. That way we could blow away places like Iran with the push of a button. And they are no match for the power of the dark side of the force. ;)
Slow Joe’s idea is not approved by John Wick, who makes a habit of using others’ weapons.
Describing in sored detail, the sorry state of your genitals in a tell all book!
What about your wife’s double-barrel-shotgun-bad-guy-deterrent weapon?
Hey Joe!
How about putting CRIMINALS in JAIL?
Keanu Reeves gives his movie fans what they want.
He has found ways to keep essentially the same character he was in the Matrix movies fresh and interesting as John Wick.
Even at 54 years, Father Time has not caught up with him just yet.
There is a strong illegal-gun trade in this country. Same as for drugs. Those guns will not ever pass through the hands of a legal gun dealer. Those guns will not have any fancy-a$$ technology. Violent criminals will have those guns.
If this a$$hole idea is implemented, non-violent honest citizens will conform to it.
End result: violent criminals will have their guns and non-violent citizens won’t be able to use theirs.
It is already a violation of the constitution that, if I own a gun, and my neighbor is having trouble with an abusive boyfriend and needs protection, that I can’t just lend her my gun. She has an absolute right to a gun for self-defense.
Why stop there? Let all guns have the Judge Dredd identification system. Heck let all guns be laser guns from Star Wars and Biden is part of the Imperial forces and us conservatives are the Rebel Forces. Because Biden doesn’t look too far from the Emperor. /s
All those ‘sordid’ details would make such a book an instant bestseller, but for all the wrong reasons.
Even worse for Joe, he would not get a penny of the royalties.
James Bond hell. Judge Dredd had them first. And if you don’t match the bullet comes out the back.
My guns are all dumb guns, they don’t think for themselves.
I like it that way.
Joe is retarded.
There is no such thing as a portable DNA scanner. The DNA PCR setups I have seen take at least 20 minutes to run after sample prep and introduction into the device.
Seems like truth simply does not matter in some circles.
Finally .... common sense gun control. The gang bangers will never figure out how to get around this brilliant idea. Thanks, Joe.
Remember LICENCE TO KILL (1989)? M went down to some Latin American country to help out Bond. He gave Agent 007 a special gun. He programmed the gun to make sure that only Bond could use it.
Later, Bond was attacked by a bunch of Ninjas while he tried to shoot Sanchez. Sanchez is the drug kingpin. A ninja grabbed Bond's gun. He pulled the trigger. Gun did not work. Did Biden watch LICENCE TO KILL?
By the way, I liked LICENCE TO KILL with Timothy Dalton as 007. There is an exciting chase scene with big tanker trucks.
“It is already a violation of the constitution that, if I own a gun, and my neighbor is having trouble with an abusive boyfriend and needs protection, that I cant just lend her my gun.”
Is that a state law?
Creepy, dumbass Joe.
People who support him should have “dumbass” branded on their foreheads.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.