'Smart Gun' Firm Wants You To Fund Its Prototype 558
Lucas123 writes "After striking out at getting private investors to fund a new prototype, Safe Gun Technology (SGTi) is hoping it can generate $50,000 through a crowdfunding effort to build an assault-style rifle with fingerprint biometrics technology. Handgun and shotgun prototypes would follow shortly thereafter, the company said. SGTi, which is using the Indiegogo crowdfunding site for its Fund Safe Guns campaign, has so far raised just over $1,600. Several companies are working on developing smart gun technology, which can identify an authorized user through fingerprint, handgrip or RFID recognition techniques. Last week, a Massachusetts congressman submitted a bill that would require all U.S. handgun manufacturers to include smart gun technology in their weapons." I'm looking forward to the best car analogy that anyone can come up with on this topic.
Re:Hmmm ... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:This solves ? (Score:5, Informative)
"Most gun-related deaths are due to improperly stored guns being mishandled by someone"
Totally inaccurate. In the USA, MOST gun-related deaths are suicides. Roughly 20K in 2012. Another 10-11K gun-related deaths are homicides.
There were fewer than 1K deaths by "unintentional discharge" and some fraction of those are obviously due to mishandling by the rightful owner.
I don't see how this solves anything. Very few people are going to buy a firearms with the anticipation that their weapon is going to be found by a kid or an irresponsible adult.
Re:Hmmm ... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The danger is real. (Score:4, Informative)
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool leftist, but I'll be the first one to say that there is not hate like liberal hate.
Re:Safety Tools are too expensive (Score:4, Informative)
Woodcraft carries sawstop table saws. They're gaining popularity. The main turnoff for me is that it can be triggered by cutting wood with high moisture content. The brake can be disabled, but if you forget, a new brake cartridge costs $70, and the blade will usually be ruined. Carbide blades are fairly expensive. And for a dado blade which requires a more expensive brake - total cost could be around $300
Re:I know of 20 elementary school children... (Score:3, Informative)
And I know even more children who would be alive if the FBI/BATF didn't use incendiary gas grenades. And one rogue LAPD officer too. One can decide if the latter would be beneficial. But the former would have.
RE: ownership decline (Score:5, Informative)
shortages everywhere, and manufacturers / distributors can't keep up with the demand level to the point that they are now unable to build their annual stockpile for the hunting seasons ahead (they usually start stockpiling in the spring/summer months to meet the fall demand) so there will be more shortages later this year