• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • skorpFull-Auto Fun — Shooting the full-Auto vz. 61 Škorpion
        • p320-full-leftSIG Sauer M17/M18/P320 Pistol Just Can’t Seem to Escape Safety Controversies
        • TISAS_10100520_1__98179Tisas 1911A1 U.S. Army Review: Best Budget .45 ACP WW2 1911 Clone?
        • Photoroom_20250531_143432Pyramyd AIR’s Springfield Hellcat Pro CO2 BB Pistol Is the Ultimate Dry-Fire Trainer
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • Hunting in TexasThese 5 ATV Dealers Will Get You Ready For Hunting Season in Texas
        • ac65a540-2ef3-4598-8d11-afdf53f46e94.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount HL-X: A Thoroughly Bright Review
        • Bluetti 2 handsfree power backpackBluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
        • The Gallagator 10 day pack on the shoreline next to a hiking trail.Day Pack – Mystery Ranch Gallagator 10 – The Best Yet?
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • Tom and Blake Sell TeaHow Sasquatch Tea Is Revitalizing a Stagnant Tea Market With Veterans and Outdoorsmen in Mind
        • redcat-blackwidow-articleheaderWar of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
        • Photoroom_20250525_074933Juggernaut Tactical Frame Review: The Best Upgrade for Your 365
        • craft holstersCraft Holsters Makarov Tuckable IWB Holster Report
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Buying Guides
  • Shop
  • Advertise
Firearms

Gun control: The case of the ‘smart gun’

June 19, 2019 by Loadout Room Guest Authors Leave a Comment

Could so-called smart guns be the solution to gun control and fewer mass shooting incidents? A new study finds that while there is widespread support for smart guns, the considerable additional cost and questionable efficacy demotivates people from purchasing such weapons.

According to the study by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, smart guns hold considerable potential but have yet to proselytize large numbers of American gun owners.

With respect to the research method, in 2016, the team conducted an online, nationwide survey of American gun owners, inquiring about their concerns on smart gun technology, costs and the possibility of buying such a weapon. In 2018, the team analyzed the results to determine which attributes were linked to people who were more likely to buy a smart gun.

The results are revealing. The Johns Hopkins team found 48% of gun owners were — to varying degrees — familiar with smart guns and that 79% believed firearms shops should be selling both traditional and smart guns. However, only 5% were likely and 13% very likely to purchase a personalized gun with features that added about $300 to the price tag. Furthermore, 70% questioned the efficacy of the technology, and 56% believed that the price was too high. Finally, those who reported they safely stored their current firearms were 50% more likely to purchase a smart gun.

Smart guns, also known as personalized guns, are safer because of their personalized design, which is specifically tailored to the user. For example, a smart gun’s pistol grip — utilizing biometric sensors — would only recognize the person for whom the gun was manufactured, thereby making it harder for other people to purposely or accidentally discharge the firearm.

Another popular technology is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID connects a weapon to a small wearable device (for instance, a ring, bracelet, watch, or necklace) and allows only the wearer to fire the gun.

Smart guns, however, have a number of disadvantages. To begin with, they are more expensive given their tailored nature. Second, they can’t be resold to other gun owners. Third, they can’t be used by other people in case of an emergency. This point might seem counterintuitive but consider the case where an intruder has stormed a house in which the smart gun’s owner is absent or incapacitated. The personalized nature of the gun wouldn’t allow other members of the family to defend themselves with it.

The team concluded: “Current gun owners expressed modest interest in purchasing personalized guns with radio frequency identification technology. Because gun owners interested in personalized guns appear more safety conscious, the potential benefit of personalized guns in these homes may be limited.”

 

Feature image: A prototype of a smart gun that NJIT spent more than a decade developing. The gun uses sensors to measure a user’s hand grip so only authorized users can fire. Courtesy of the New Jersey Institute of Technology

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Share This

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Read

  • Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
    Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
  • West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
    West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
  • Vakarian Plate Carrier Review: Elite Comfort and Modularity for Under $300
    Vakarian Plate Carrier Review: Elite Comfort and Modularity for Under $300
  • SIG Sauer M17/M18/P320 Pistol Just Can't Seem to Escape Safety Controversies
    SIG Sauer M17/M18/P320 Pistol Just Can't Seem to Escape Safety Controversies
  • Bluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
    Bluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers

Find Us on Facebook

Recent Comments

  • Winston Smiths on Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
  • Jared Mize on The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife: A Commando Blade That Changed Special Forces Forever
  • GomeznSA on MAC-10: The Wild History of America’s Most Iconic (and Overrated) Submachine Gun

Latest From SOFREP

News

Evening Brief: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Orders Expanded US Military Coordination as Trump Resumes Arms Deliveries

Aviation

Italian Man Sucked Into Jet Engine, Killed

Security

A Navy Veteran’s Guide to Staying Armed and Ready for Anything

World

Delta Force Tales: Geo Hand Explores the Dark Web

Military Content Group

© Copyright 2025 Military Content Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers