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Fingerprint-activated 9mm handgun coming to market

Kurt Knutsson171.6K views

The Biofire smart gun is expected to hit the market in 2024.  Some believe that when it does, it could significantly help curb the gun crisis we’re facing in this country. One of the main advantages of Biofire’s smart guns is that they can dramatically reduce accidental shootings at home.  Last year, the New England Journal of Medicine report revealed that firearm-related accidents, homicides, and suicides are the primary cause of death for children and teenagers in the US.

In addition, smart guns can also help reduce gun theft. Traditional guns can be stolen and easily sold on the black market, contributing to crime and gun violence. However, smart guns that require biometric or electronic authentication are much harder to steal and use illegally by criminals.

Smart guns can also help reduce the use of firearms by criminals. Since smart guns can only be fired by authorized users, they can prevent criminals from using stolen firearms to commit crimes. This can make it harder for criminals to obtain firearms and reduce gun violence in our communities.

Credit: Biofire

How does the new smart gun work?

This new $1499 smart gun just hit the market for pre-order.   The Biofire 9MM handgun has a fingerprint unlocking system, which basically means that anyone who is not “authorized” cannot shoot the gun. The smart firearm is equipped with technology that requires the owner to register their fingerprint on the gun, allowing only the authorized user to unlock it. This will prevent children or anyone else who is not the gun owner from using the weapon.

The fingerprint lock system can unlock with the owner’s fingerprint in under a second, using either a fingerprint or facial recognition sensor. It then quickly locks again when it’s no longer being used. You can pre-order it with a refundable $149 deposit, and orders are expected to be completed early next year.

I tested out a similar smart gun back in 2015, and the iGun technology was pretty impressive.  It uses a paired ring to unlock the firearm.  Only the person wearing the special iGun ring can fire the gun.

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Who made the smart gun?

The idea for the smart gun came from Kai Kloepfer, the CEO of Colorado-based gun-making firm Biofire. Kloepfer was inspired to make a gun with this level of safety when the shooting at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, happened back in 2012. At a screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises, 12 people were killed by a mass shooter. Kloepfer was in high school at the time and lived close to where the shooting happened. This tragedy inspired him to submit his idea to a local science fair the following year, and he then founded Biofire in 2016.

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How will this affect mass shootings in America?

It is unlikely that this smart gun alone will effectively prevent mass shootings in America since it can still be obtained by anyone who wishes to use it for harm. However, this new smart gun’s locking mechanism could have stopped school shooters, such as Adam Lanza, who used his mother’s firearm to murder 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

According to a medical journal article published in the JAMA Network in 2021, over 40% of American children claimed they could access their parents’ “secured” guns within two hours in a recent survey.

Nonetheless, this technology can benefit responsible gun owners by increasing safety and reducing the likelihood of tragic accidents, especially with young children who may not understand the dangers of firearms.

Credit: Biofire

Bottomline

The introduction of this new smart gun by Biofire could offer a solution to some of the issues surrounding firearm safety and gun violence. Its fingerprint and facial recognition sensor can absolutely help reduce accidental shootings, gun theft, and the use of firearms by criminals. While this new technology may not solve the issue of mass shootings, it can still benefit responsible gun owners and increase safety for everyone especially at home with kids.

What are your thoughts on Biofire’s new smart gun?  We want to hear from you.

 

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17 comments

Jeff April 17, 2023 - 5:41 am
I liked the article and I believe it will work fine on the range, as a retired Police Officer I have concerns about real life confrontations. In the real world you may be in rain or snow, what if its cold and your wearing gloves? Your hands may be covered in dirt, mud, or blood which does occur. The handgun would need to be functional with left, right and both hands in addation you may not have a secure shooting grip on the weapon. Add to this you may be wrestling with an attacker over the gun you may be holding the grip but the attacker may have the trigger I had a friend you was killed with his own handgun while wrestling with two murder suspects he happened upon. Will the face recognition work in a struggle when the gun may be seeing your face, bad guys face, arms, fist, knees, or sky? Someday the tech may get there until that day keep it on the range where your life is not in jeopardy.
edi April 19, 2023 - 8:03 am
It pisses me off when you say we have a "gun crisis ". We more likely have a mental health problem . Enforce the laws already on the books.
Bill S., April 19, 2023 - 8:21 am
I totally agree with the retired Policeman. When you need a gun the most, when you or your family is in danger, you don't want inadequate tech to prevent saving a life. As for children dying by accident - the parents should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. My parents had guns in the house, and I always have too - and no children were in danger, because the guns were properly stored (although easily accessed by the adult) and the children were trained about the danger as soon aw we/they were old enough. Other than sheer stupidity and negligence, there should NEVER be an excuse for an accident.
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