“I’m usually an early adapter,” said Wiesen, 46 years old. “It might be the gadget part of me that made me buy it, but it’s also the safety aspect.”
Weisen is self-aware enough to know that it’s a novelty.
Proponents tout smart guns as a way to reduce accidental shootings and firearm thefts. Gun-rights supporters have been wary, in part over concern that governments could outlaw sales of weapons that don’t have smart-gun technology.
When I was installing automation in auto plants, I was warned that, “If it’s shiny, they’ll steal it.” Meaning, if something looks posh, someone will steal it even if they don’t know what it is. A burglar will certainly steal a smart gun, assuming that it can be jail-broken or at least stripped for parts. A smart gun is less likely to be kept in a safe, so more likely to be stolen
The primary advantage of a smart gun is that the owner is less likely to be murdered with their own gun. Law enforcement are the people who could have a realistic use for this. When the police all use these, then a typical homeowner might consider it.
Many gun owners remain skeptical about a firearm with high-tech features, said Michael Schwartz, executive director of San Diego County Gun Owners, a local gun-rights group.
“For most of our members, the primary purpose for owning a firearm is self-defense, so simple is better,” he said. “It has to be 110% reliable.”
A person owning a firearm for self defense will almost certainly never need to fire it at an intruder. That means that if the opportunity arises, everything that can go wrong, probably will.
Wiesen, who previously worked in law enforcement, said he was drawn to the Biofire Smart Gun’s customizable aesthetics as much as its safety features. He ordered his in all-white.
“There’s something when you’re at the range and shooting your gun, there’s a cool factor involved,” he said.
The guy we started with reiterates that he bought the gun because it’s a novelty. The “cool factor” is probably right up there with bringing Bud Light to a conservative picnic.