If you've been paying attention to the news lately, you no doubt have heard that the first so-called "smart gun" has gone on sale in California. (Did you really think it would appear anywhere else?) While this piece of news was prominent on the major news outlets for a day or so, I was very much surprised that the liberals and the gun-grabbers weren't all over this like white on rice, trumpeting the the arrival of the much-awaited "smart gun" technology that they all seem to think will transform our nation into The Land of Unicorns and Rainbows.
In case you didn't hear about it, here's the short version: a German company has produced and is marketing a .22cal automatic pistol that contains an electronic device which prevents it from firing unless a wristwatch that contains a transmitter set to the same frequency as the pistol is within three feet of it. Sounds good, right?
That's exactly what the liberals and the gun-grabbers want you to think. Of course, everyone knows that new technology is always expensive as hell, and this pistol/watch combo is certainly no exception to the rule. The pistol sells for $1,399.00, and the required wristwatch - sold separately, of course - sells for $399.00.
That's a whopping total of $1,798.00 for both. A new Glock .40 pistol sells for around $600, which means that this new "smart gun" in the smallest caliber available and the required wristwatch sells for three times as much as a regular pistol.
That fact is important; keep it in mind because I'm coming back to it shortly. But right now, let's talk about why this "smart gun" will fail, shall we?
First and foremost, it's too expensive. Even the most ardent gun enthusiast will balk at the staggering price tag of this pistol/watch combo, especially since it's only available in .22 caliber. And anyone who knows guns knows that the bigger the caliber the bigger the cost, so when this pistol finally becomes available in larger calibers it's a sure bet that the price will go up accordingly. If the current market prices of weapons is any indicator, if this "smart gun" is ever offered in .40 or .45 caliber, I would be that the price tag would top out at around $2,000.00 for the pair. And since this pistol/watch combo is too expensive for the average shooter to afford, they won't sell. And when a product doesn't sell, the company stops producing it. So it won't be long before it's gonna be "bye-bye, smart gun."
The next reason why this "smart gun" will fail is because it isn't as "safe" as some might have you think. Anyone who knows anything at all about electronic security systems will tell you that any system can be hacked; therefore, it won't be long before someone out there starts marketing a "master" security wristwatch that will enable the wearer to operate any "smart gun" in existence, thereby compromising the main selling point of the gun.
Next in line is convenience. Simply put, this pistol/watch combo isn't convenient. If you're going to buy this pistol as a "plinker" and intend to do nothing but shoot at tin cans with it, then you're all set - if you want to spend that much money on a "plinker," that is. If you're going to buy it for home defense, you better remember to find and put on your wristwatch in the dark at 2AM when someone breaks into your house before you can fire your pistol. Good luck with that, by the way, because adrenaline is gonna make that little task a bitch.
It also won't be long before the bad guys will learn what that wrist watch looks like, and when they see you wearing it they're gonna know that you're armed. And that kinda defeats the whole purpose of carrying concealed, doesn't it?
Now let's get back to what I said about the price and why that's important.
The liberals and gun-grabbers in this country have long had two major strategies to disarm the American people. The first strategy is to enact more and more gun control laws until they can finally achieve their supreme goal, that being the repeal of the 2nd Amendment. But anyone who has an ounce of common sense knows that any plan requires a back-up, and this is no exception. The back-up plan has always been that if they couldn't legislate guns out of existence, they'd price them out of existence. They'd jack up the price of guns and ammunition so high by means of taxes and legislation that it would be too expensive for Joe Citizen to purchase, and would thereby accomplish their goal. And the main subject of this plan to price guns out of existence is now and has always been - you guessed it - "smart gun" technology.
You'll never get any of them to admit this, but I firmly believe that there's not a liberal or a gun-grabber out there who truly believes in their hearts that "smart gun" technology will work and is the answer to the nation's gun violence problem. The one and only reason they tout this technology is that for all of the reasons I just listed, the price being the major one, "smart gun" technology is their best hope at achieving their goal of repealing the 2nd Amendment.
But like I said, you'll never get them to admit it. To do so would immediately kill the anti-gun agenda nationwide and with it, the political career of the person who admits it.
So now we get to sit back and see what happens next. I kinda think I already know how this is going to turn out, but I guess only time will tell. But it sure is gonna be interesting to see how many of those pricey "smart guns" have sold out there in the Land of Fruits and Nuts in a month or so, don't you think?
IHC
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