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Gun With Wireless Arming Signal Goes On Sale Soon

An anonymous reader writes "Armatix has built a pistol that will disarm itself when it is taken away from a watch that sends it a wireless arming signal. The .22 caliber guns will go on sale in the US within months, and the initial price is 7,000 euro. Higher caliber models will follow. To activate the gun, users must enter a pin code on the wristwatch, and then keep it within roughly 20cm of the gun. If the person is disarmed, the gun can't be used against them. Also coming soon this year, civilians will also be able to buy three-shot Tasers, rubber bullets, as well as Heckler and Koch black rifles." This might not be good news for the citizens of New Jersey.

457 comments

  1. Wait hold on mugger... by Shikaku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I gotta enter the pin so that I can use my gun to defend myself.

    1. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ebonum · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Better yet. Sell a small device that jams the signal! Disarm him without firing a shot. Then you can take your time to aim.

    2. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      The idea is that the PIN will be entered when the watch is put on. Then you can put the gun where you can quickly get it, knowing that your kids can't use it even if they find it. Obviously the watch should disable itself when the wrist band is opened or torn. I'd worry about the battery life: What good is a gun that you can't use when you need it?

    3. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Jaden42 · · Score: 1, Informative

      I believe the target market here is peace officers; so their guns cannot be taken from them and used against them. Not you and me.

    4. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by happyslayer · · Score: 5, Interesting

      And on the opposite side--send out a signal that authorizes any weapon!

      If the authentication takes place only within the watch, then the weapon's mechanism is just looking for an arming signal--probably something simple--and you could mass jam or arm weapons with a strong enough transmitter (I'm thinking of those shopping-cart brake systems that people have been pranking...). Heck, you can even get your own watch, put in your own pin, and steal any weapon and it will work!

      OTOH, if the weapons' system is tied to a specific watch, then the failure rate will be through the roof! And, of course, you can disarm everyone easily because the systems are so strict.

      As an aside, this would make locating weapons extremely easy--all you have to do is walk around with an RF scanner, searching for watch and/or weapons signals.

      I see a big market for jammers, spoofers, RF scanners, and a multitude of other mini-electronic RF products. I better go take some spectrum-analysis classes soon.

      --
      Never confuse movement with action. --Hemingway
    5. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ascari · · Score: 1

      Not necessarily: You could always whack the assailant in the teeth with the gun, forcefully throw it at him etc. Of course you could do that with any number of objects that cost much less than $7K. But maybe the robocop factor is worth the price tag to some?

    6. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by terraformer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You're an idiot if you believe this. This company is actively counting on and courting the hoplophobes in order to legislate their products into existence.

      --
      Who are you? The new #2 Who is #1? You are #617565. I am not a number, I am a free man! Muhahaha.
    7. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      People in this thread seems WAY to obsessed about the scenario which almost never plays out "someone tries to take my gun" vs the scenario that is all too common "children playing with their parents guns".

    8. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Neoprofin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      One is a minor problem in need of a solution, the other is negligence which cannot be defeated by any mechanical means.

    9. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by jesseck · · Score: 5, Informative

      Read the article... law enforcement is specifically exempt. This is because the technology is too unreliable for defense / offense, and sometimes people don't have time to enter a PIN or may need to shoot with their other hand. This is for you and me, so we're no longer effective at defending ourselves.

    10. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about gun locks, or better yet, a SAFE?

    11. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I believe the target market here is peace officers; so their guns cannot be taken from them and used against them. Not you and me.

      It's a .22. Peace officers really don't have much use for a .22. This is aimed at the loons who think that the phrase "safe guns" means something (as opposed to "safe gunners").

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    12. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by naz404 · · Score: 1

      Parent is correct. The primary market of this kind of weapon is for military and law enforcement because there's a lot of fatalities/serious injuries caused by the bad guy grabbing the weapon from the police officer.

      This tech/concept has been is more than a decade old and I used to see it get featured on Discovery Channel/National Geographic every so often for years now.

      Here's a paper on it from way back in 1994.

      Here's an article on it from WIRED back in 2002

      If you Google around, you'll get a lot of results of press releases about similar products since 2000.

    13. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by thrillseeker · · Score: 1

      What could go wrong? ... It would give some meat to the expression "blue screen of death".

    14. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by e3m4n · · Score: 4, Insightful

      what if, instead, the gun isn't just listening but also the transmitter making the watch is a passive RFID tag? you could still steal the data much the same way passport rfid collection works, but the likelihood of knowing which tag to use within the short time you disarmed someone and tried to use their weapon against them is unlikely. I don't see much civillian or military use for this. When I need a weapon to fire it needs to be as simple and straight forward as possible. One of my home defense pistols is a .357 revolver simply because there is so little that can possibly go wrong with them.

      I do see this being marketed to police who have the highest risk of having their service weapon taken and used on them. I'm not so sure about the whole watch/pin-code concept though. Most people are right handed and wear their watches on their left hand. 20cm is not an overly large distance and while 2-handed shooting is more accurate, there could be cases where the officer has to shoot 1-handed. If they used a passive RFID, maybe fingerless gloves or, if possible, sub-dermal implant would make more sense. I bet these designers got their idea from the 1995 Judge Dredd movie where the gun was bound to the owners DNA

    15. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by theguru · · Score: 1

      Yeah, when someone takes my gun away to use it against me, they'll have to use it as a blunt force weapon, because it'll be empty.

    16. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by e3m4n · · Score: 1

      children playing with their guns is easily solved with quick access gun vaults; either keypad, biometric, or that finger button hybrid. If they are smart enough to circumvent that then they are smart enough to borrow your watch when you are sleeping, showering, working on the car and dont want to ruin it, etc.

    17. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by DangerFace · · Score: 1

      Great - while you install the gun locks your kids can fall out of the window! Y'know, since you let them just wander around and haven't bothered teaching them basic safety and responsibility. The point Neoprofin was trying to make was that if you're a crappy parent your kids are going to get in trouble, whether it's crossing the street without looking or shooting themselves in the face. And, as far as I'm aware, in most places isn't it currently illegal to put your kids in a safe?

    18. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, I gotta hand it to you; you guys nailed pretty much everything wrong with this idea in the first three posts. The only people who could love this idea are liberal gun grabbers who are afraid somebody might get hurt with a gun. The idea that it would be good for police is equally silly - the added layer of complexity can only further muddy the waters at times when speed and reliability are paramount. I already mourn for the police officer who will be killed when this system fails.

      Guns aren't supposed to be safe, they're supposed to be dangerous as hell and for a very good reason. The entire mindset that spawned this abortion ignores the most basic natural right to self defense. Said mindset also has an unconscionably low opinion of people's judgments in such situations. It's the same mindset that recommends "passive resistance" for rape victims, as if a woman lying dead in an alley, raped and strangles with her own pantyhose is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to a cop exactly why she had to shoot her attacker.

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    19. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If that were really the case you would not be permitted to post this comment.

    20. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Unfortunately you are probably dead on in your statement, but it won't be muggers you have to worry about disarming you, it will be government agencies.

      This type of legislation / device is a wet dream for those who do not understand the premise or need for the 2nd Amendment.

      Civil unrest? The serfs don't agree with you? No worries when they try to resist your commands and actually attempt to revolt, disable their means of meaningful resistance!

    21. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by sskinnider · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There is no way in hell any law enforcement or military organization would ever go for this!

    22. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Neoprofin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Would you let your kids play with a locked gun?

      The problem is not that the gun can be fired, it's that if children are old enough to find and play with reasonably stored guns they're old enough to be educated that guns aren't toys.

    23. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by sskinnider · · Score: 4, Insightful

      All too common?? I think you have it fairly wrong. It is still not very common for a child to be killed by his own parents gun. Does that small number justify the expense of forcing every citizen to shell out 100X more for a weapon to defend themselves. Education is so much cheaper and way more effective.

    24. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by LordKronos · · Score: 1

      Did you even click on the last link in the article...the link about New Jersey? The first sentence in that article:

      New Jersey on Monday became the first state to enact "smart gun" legislation that would eventually require new handguns to contain a mechanism that allows only their owners to fire them.

    25. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...which cannot be defeated by any mechanical means.

      Why not? Heck, a safety on a firearm is a mechanical means, and probably saves hundreds or thousands of lives per year.

    26. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Fred_A · · Score: 1

      The idea is that the PIN will be entered when the watch is put on. Then you can put the gun where you can quickly get it,

      And that is less than 20 cm away (barely an arm's length) from the watch or you'll have to reenter the pin. Basically you have to keep the weapon holstered on you, and even then should you grab for something on a high shelf, it might move the watch far enough to deactivate it.

      --

      May contain traces of nut.
      Made from the freshest electrons.
    27. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can't legislate away stupidity.

    28. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      No, when the gun comes within 20cm of the "armed" watch, then it is automatically armed as well. When the watch is not "armed" (PIN not entered after putting it on) or the gun is not within 20cm of the watch, then the gun is locked. You don't have to enter the PIN whenever the gun comes within range of the watch.

    29. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably. Why buy a .22 for self defense? Why get a pistol with a freaking LED that highlights where you are? I'm not even sure on wearing a funny looking watch that highlights you're the owner of a $1200 gun - plusses and minuses there as it's great until someone figures out it's worthwhile to sneak up on you and get you before you can defend yourself. I can't see a big market for this product - but as a concept introduction or encouragement to legislate it's great.

    30. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by markdavis · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If it were "reasonably stored" as you say, then children would not be able to get their hands on it. Period.

      You can get an in-wall gun safe that fits between the studs, has a quick code-release, will lockdown and alarm with more than 3 wrong code entries, and even presents the gun to you in a ready-to-fire orientation, for less than the price of most guns. And it has been around for many, many years.

      I will agree that it doesn't negate the need to talk about gun safety with children, just like any other kind of safety. But a gun is NOT SAFELY STORED if children (or anyone else for that matter) can access it.

    31. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      When was the last time a liberal expected people to take responsibility for themselves and their choices/actions? We USED to be a country where common sense and personal responsibility prevailed. Now we're full of a bunch of pussies who are terrified of their own shadows.

    32. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      I gotta enter the pin so that I can use my gun to defend myself.

      Man, when -I'm- mugging people, I shit myself at the sight of a gun, and run away. I don't bother inspecting it closely. I'd also assume that if you didn't enter the pin on the watch before hand (and, uh, if you're carrying the gun and the watch, why would you not have already entered the pin?), there isn't a big sign that says "Harmless" on the gun.

      You must have some very determined/observant muggers where you live.

    33. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

      >>I gotta enter the pin so that I can use my gun to defend myself.

      On a wristwatch, no less. Forget about it if you don't have tiny pixie fingers.

      At least they could have done all of us Shadowrun players a favor and linked it to an app on our smartphones or something.

      Also - why did they list the price in euros? It's not like European governments trust their citizens enough to own wristwatches or anything.

    34. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There is no way in hell any law enforcement or military organization would ever go for this!

      While I can see why the gun banners want this, I can not see why anyone would want one for themselves. I get disabled and can not hand my gun to my wife to defend us? I have to sleep with my watch on, and gun within 20cm, or type in a pin in groggy half sleep? My "watch" battery goes dead?

    35. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      As an aside, this would make locating weapons extremely easy--all you have to do is walk around with an RF scanner, searching for watch and/or weapons signals.

      It's early, maybe I'm just slow, but what would be the advantage of that for the person who would be doing the scanning?

    36. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The only people who could love this idea are liberal gun grabbers who are afraid somebody might get hurt with a gun.

      And we all know how utterly stupid it is to expect something like this. I mean, when was the last time in the US someone got hurt with a gun?!

      You miss the point. Not that people get hurt with guns, which is the intent, but that some people are afraid that people will use guns as they are intended.

      Frankly, I trust my neighbors with guns more than I trust the politicians trying to "regulate" them.

    37. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by The+Archon+V2.0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      While I can see why the gun banners want this, I can not see why anyone would want one for themselves.

      And I think that sums up this invention quite nicely: It's something you want everyone else to have.

    38. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My kids know better than to play with guns. Toy guns are for play, real guns are tools. Like hammers, kids are smart enough to know not to pound the walls with real hammers, and to play with the toys. A respect for firearms begins early, and continues to grow with the children. Pretending guns don't exist is the easiest way to ensure your children will hurt themselves with them

    39. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ryturner · · Score: 5, Informative

      And yet the most common firearm for police officers doesn't have an external safety. Glock pistols have some internal safety's that prevent mechanical failures or dropping it from causing the gun to fire, but there is no external mechanical safety. When you pull the trigger it fires, when you don't pull the trigger it doesn't fire. Exactly the way it should be.

    40. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ryturner · · Score: 2, Informative

      Parent is correct. The primary market of this kind of weapon is for military and law enforcement because there's a lot of fatalities/serious injuries caused by the bad guy grabbing the weapon from the police officer.

      That may be true, but the police unions will never let this happen. The NJ law referenced in the article exempts the police from this requirement.

    41. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by timeOday · · Score: 1

      Frankly, I trust my neighbors with guns more than I trust the politicians trying to "regulate" them.

      Well, that sounds nice. But what are the statistics regarding homicides by neighbors vs homocides by Senators?

      I am about fed up with all "arguments" that sounds suspiciously like plotlines of "24", or any Mel Gibson revenge flick. At the same time, like all guys I occasionally fantasize about protecting my family by gunning down the evil bad guys.

      Does somebody have some hard data on fatalities in households with vs without guns in them, where households are compared to others in the same neighborhood?

    42. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1

      Frankly, I trust my neighbors with guns more than I trust the politicians trying to "regulate" them.

      And that, of course, depends on where you live.

      I support the RKBA; but I also understand how people living in high-crime areas, where their neighbors may be gang members, drug dealers, etcetera, might trust politicians more than their armed neighbors.

      It seems very simple: Adam and Bob got into a fight over some crack deal gone bad. Adam shot Bob. If Adam hadn't had a gun, he wouldn't have shot Bob. So let's ban guns.

      The problem is, that gun ban is about as effective as the ban on crack.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    43. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 4, Informative

      Let's look at actual implementation, when Washington DC implemented its recently overturned strict gun laws, violent crime rates rose. The same is true of other localities. When states have passed laws making it easy for anyone without a criminal record to get concealed carry permits, violent crime rates fell.

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    44. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by darkpixel2k · · Score: 2, Funny

      I see a big market for jammers, spoofers, RF scanners, and a multitude of other mini-electronic RF products. I better go take some spectrum-analysis classes soon.

      Forget that, just rob them when they are in the middle of making microwave popcorn...

      --
      There's no place like ::1 (I've completed my transition to IPv6)
    45. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by groslyunderpaid · · Score: 1

      20cm is less than 8 inches. Who do you know who has an 8 inch arm? Forearm maybe, but not arm...

    46. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Funny I grew up with guns. I never played with them, perhaps the parents doing the proper thing like; educating their kids would be a better solution.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    47. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 1

      The mistrust is with politicians crafting effective firearms regulations. The last great hurrah of that crowd banned bayonet lugs. Seriously. Banning things is about as ugly as it gets for modern western governments, and they should take a little more care than that.

      I shoot a whole lot. Recreationally, competitively, I hunt, I often carry a pistol. I'm as pro-2A as anyone. But I don't want people who've demonstrated they can't be trusted with guns to have guns, and I'm all for government taking steps to make that happen. What I don't want is 'the shoulder thing that goes up' type grandstanding. It is provably ineffective. Gun crime statistics before the 1994 AWB, during, and after it sunset, show that it had no impact.

      We shouldn't apply this just to firearms, it should be demanded of all legislation. If it can't be shown to be effective it should be thrown out.

      --
      "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
    48. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kreigaffe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It might me a small sample size and anecdotal evidence, but I have had many neighbors over the years and in that time, the collective number of homicides committed by every person I've ever lived nearby.. is less than the number of people killed by Ted Kennedy. Senators are far more dangerous.

      I'd suggest you not even try to find any info on your last question, that's worded almost exactly like some of the shit put out by the antigun lobbies and they use so much bad reasoning in those things.. I'd cite an example but I gloss over them after finding a few mistakes, but I can cite a few mistakes. I recall one from the past few years where they included as "deaths in the household" occasions when an intruder was shot and killed. Yes. They included "SAVING YOUR FUCKING FAMILY" into the "people killed by guns inside your hosue!" number, while implying the whole time that "people killed by guns inside your house" meant "your family is more likely to die!". They often also don't discriminate between legal and illegal gun ownership, though i don't think any reasonable and sane person would expect anything but a higher rate of shootings when guns are owned illegally by felons -- most shootings are drug related, full stop, and painting them as being caused by guns instead of a violent black-market culture is akin to blaming cars for drunk driving fatalities.

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
    49. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> Well, that sounds nice. But what are the statistics regarding homicides by neighbors vs homocides by Senators?

      Ask some Iraqi and Afghani civilians about this.

    50. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Sulphur · · Score: 1

      Education is so much cheaper and way more effective.

      I am thinking of better locks to educate the local thugs in training.

      --

      Sausages are like laws, it is best not to see them being made.

    51. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      On the contrary, I think it's is the wet dream for those that DO understand the Second Amendment, but don't want it.

    52. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "What about gun locks, or better yet, a SAFE?"

      Pretty useless. I knew how to pick locks at age 8. Safe Cracking with a proper stethoscope is rather trivial, if it's mechanical.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    53. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by irright · · Score: 1

      "Well, that sounds nice. But what are the statistics regarding homicides by neighbors vs homocides by Senators?"

      Murders by neighbors vs murders by a government gives a different perspective.

    54. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by mjwx · · Score: 2, Insightful

      While I can see why the gun banners want this, I can not see why anyone would want one for themselves. I get disabled and can not hand my gun to my wife to defend us? I have to sleep with my watch on, and gun within 20cm, or type in a pin in groggy half sleep? My "watch" battery goes dead?

      Hmmm...

      Lets analyse this shall we. So you're asleep, We can assume the assailant has already gained access to your house. Is already in your bedroom all whilst you are asleep. Now in a self admitted state of grogginess you are expected to be able to operate a firearm with decent accuracy and efficiency that you are able to disable a fully alert assailant before they are able to react.

      What kind of fantasy world do you live in?

      With a regular firearm, in your scenario you are already screwed. An assailant will have attacked and disabled you long before you are able to grasp the firearm, let alone use it.

      Lets ignore the fact that at your state of grogginess in near darkness you aren't capable of telling the difference between an assailant and your own wife.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    55. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      The problem is not that the gun can be fired, it's that if children are old enough to find and play with reasonably stored guns they're old enough to be educated that guns aren't toys.

      The problem is that many adult people treat their guns as toys and wonder why their kids do the same. A gun that is unloaded and kept in a safe is perfectly harmless which is how guns were kept around my place. Crow bars were kept for personal defence and were only ever used against snakes.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    56. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by scromp · · Score: 1

      That and cops are notoriously opposed (and rightly so) to the addition of any cumbersome tech that makes it harder to fire under duress. They'd be the last to adopt something like this.

    57. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Plus it's a lot more expensive. Lose-lose, methinks.

      --
      No sig today...
    58. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by irright · · Score: 1

      Hitler, Stalin, etc., etc., etc..

    59. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by cyn1c77 · · Score: 1

      I'd worry about the battery life: What good is a gun that you can't use when you need it?

      Most people with kids keep their guns in electronic gun safes... so they are already worrying about batteries.

      Personally, as a firearm owner, I think this is an interesting device. It's always nice to not have to worry about being shot with your own gun when you get home from work. I think the watch is a little kludgy and the price is ridiculous, but it will be interesting to see how this evolves.

    60. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by altan · · Score: 1

      Nevermind firing a gun in that groggy half-sleep then?

    61. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by happyslayer · · Score: 1

      As an aside, this would make locating weapons extremely easy--all you have to do is walk around with an RF scanner, searching for watch and/or weapons signals.

      It's early, maybe I'm just slow, but what would be the advantage of that for the person who would be doing the scanning?

      For an individual...not much at all.

      For a group, though, it would make life much easier.

      • Building security (court houses, concerts, football games....)
      • Bodyguards (Secret Service, rich folk, etc)
      • Law enforcement serving warrants
      • Lynch mobs serving complaints
      • Jack-booted storm troopers "protecting" the citizenry
      • Anyone who wants to make sure anyone else doesn't have a weapon

      Because of this, I believe there will be a brief, frenzied effort to make these things mandatory...and it will fail miserably in the long run.

      --
      Never confuse movement with action. --Hemingway
    62. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by timeOday · · Score: 1

      I'd suggest you not even try to find any info on your last question, that's worded almost exactly like some of the shit put out by the antigun lobbies and they use so much bad reasoning in those things..

      As you say, I would not want to include deaths of intruders. On the other hand, it's too easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "well I don't need to worry about children shooting each other either... other kids do it but I'm such a good parent and my little Johnny is so responsible!"

      I ride motorcycles and see this sort of thing all the time, whenever a group of motorcyclists hear about somebody dying in an accident, they always start saying how dumb the person was, implying that could never happen to them; it's only other people who make mistakes like getting distracted or losing their temper.

    63. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does somebody have some hard data on fatalities in households with vs without guns in them, where households are compared to others in the same neighborhood?

      Most members of my church have guns in their homes. The only in-home unnatural death we've had in my lifetime was a woman who was stabbed with a screwdriver. Can someone give me hard data on fatalities in households with vs without screwdrivers?

    64. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ScentCone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We can assume the assailant has already gained access to your house

      Why should we assume that? A lot of people will wake up while hearing someone in the middle of trying to gain access to their house. There's a brief period of time between hearing some glass break, or a screen being cut, etc., and being able to arm yourself. That time has to be a lot longer if you have to fiddle with your magic wristwatch, and make sure that it never gets farther from your gun than eight inches from it. It would be a shame, wouldn't it, if you had to put the gun in your other hand while you grabbed your phone to dial 911, or reached for a lightswitch or flashlight or to restrain a dog, and had your gun disable itself. What an absurd thing.

      With a regular firearm, in your scenario you are already screwed.

      Sure, not counting all of the times that people in home invasions are not screwed, and are in fact saved because they reached for a gun. Not counting the number of people who simply turn and run when someone brandishes a gun, or who are held at gunpoint until the cops arrive. We slowed down a crazy guy trying to breack through our back door in the middle of the night, and did so by quickly displaying a gun. Still took the cops a long time to show up... and he would have been through that glass and into the house if not for even his drug-addled brain recognizing the deterrent being showed to him at 3:00AM. I'm very glad that no magic battery-powered wrist transmitter was required. I would never rely on such a device. It's crazy.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    65. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 4, Insightful

      *cough* Britain *cough*

      They are busy legislating away all forms of self defense.I've seen several news reports of guys getting arrested because, oh noez! they fought back against their attacker. Many of them used a knife or other household item to save their own or a family members life, only to be incarcerated later. There was even one report of a military vet who found a shotgun in a park or something. He turn it in to the cops and was arrested for illegal possession. Now keep in mind that the police station he took it to had passed out flyers a short while before telling citizens it was their duty to bring any illegal weapons they find to the police.

    66. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by edwardsdl · · Score: 1

      You completely made up a story and then used it to generalize all home break-in scenarios. Some analysis - that was straight out of CSI! ENHANCE!

    67. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 1

      Its a 22. If you really need to defend yourself you are actually probably better off using a sharpened pencil. They both are only lethal in a very small portion of your body, and you are more likely to hit with a pencil.

    68. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 1

      The trick to not getting shot with your own gun is to just freaking shoot them when you can instead of standing there warning them as they inch close enough to grab it like they do in the movies.

    69. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by modecx · · Score: 1

      Well, that sounds nice. But what are the statistics regarding homicides by neighbors vs homocides by Senators?

      Senators don't have a habit of going out and killing people themselves. With the exception of Ted, they tend to use other people to do this sort of thing. However, if it were possible to total the number of deaths attributed to some US congressional action, I'm sure it would be quite embarrassing indeed.

      Does somebody have some hard data on fatalities in households with vs without guns in them, where households are compared to others in the same neighborhood?

      Well, more than half of the ~30,000 firearm related fatalities each year are suicides. If you ignore those, you'll surely come to a number which is not better than statistical noise--because even if people don't have guns, they'll find other ways of offing themselves.

      More than twice as many people are unintentionally poisoned to death each year than are murdered by someone with a firearm. I don't have sources offhand, but It's something I remember from somewhere--probably the CDC statistics.

      Not that I'm trying to be racist, but I'm sure you'll find a much stronger correlation between firearm inflicted homicides and the ratio of non-caucasians living in the area... Or in overwhelmingly white parts of the country, you'll find a strong correlation between firearm homicides and the number of poor living in the area.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    70. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by ZeroPly · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure this law will not apply to regular police officers, SWAT, military, guards at Federal buildings, or contractors doing physical security for the government. You know, the people who the government feels actually need to defend themselves.

      --
      Support microSD: in a post 9/11 world, it is unwise to carry your data on media that you cannot comfortably swallow.
    71. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by edwardsdl · · Score: 2

      I'm about as pro-gun as you can get, but when I hear stories about how Britain is locking up people for defending their families I get very suspicious. Do you have any links to one of these incidents? I imagine there is more to the story than is being told.

    72. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no way in hell any law enforcement or military organization would ever go for this!

      You are so right. If you read the Fox News article linked, you will find that law enforcement is specifically exempt from this requirement.

    73. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

      "Wait hold on mugger... I gotta enter the pin so that I can use my gun to defend myself."

      Wait some more. It gets even better: "Look guys! I'm gonna spend over $10,000 on a .22 handgun!"

    74. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you: "I already mourn for the police officer who will be killed when this system fails."

      some website: "the FBI says that of the 616 law enforcement officers killed on duty by criminals from 1994 through 2003, 52 were killed with their own weapon, amounting to 8 percent."

      if the system evolves to being fool proof then cops even more so than civilians would want this system.

    75. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm neither a gun banner or an NRA member. Given where I live, I've often considered having firearms available as a weapon of self defense for myself and wife to be kept in our house. But given the temperament of some of our children, the risk of accidental discharge hasn't made it past the risk of having personal protection close at hand. This select protection *concept* is interesting to me, and it makes me consider a scenario when I'm out of town, my wife would wear the wrist-band and have the firearm close at hand. I say *concept* as 7K euros is a little steep.

    76. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Golddess · · Score: 1

      So get into the habit of replacing the watch battery twice yearly like the PSAs are always talking about for smoke detectors? Presuming of course that the battery should normally last for much longer than ~6 months.

      That said, I worry about it for reasons already stated in other posts.

      --
      "I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
    77. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      Well, when I caught my wife in bed with the mailman, he got hurt with a bullet.

      She, on the other hand, was pistol-whipped.

      TL;DR - Last night.

      (disclaimer - SATIRE)

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    78. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by timothy · · Score: 1
      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    79. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by timothy · · Score: 2, Informative

      Check out the big "smart gun" effort in NJ (see the entry for "smart gun" on Wikipedia, for one), and you'll notice an interesting thing:

      For the animals more equal than others (police), such guns are intended to fail smart (that is, operable); for jes'
        plain folks (unblessed citizens), to fail broke (that is, inoperable).

      So the only guns that *would* work if taken in that scenario are the cops' -- which neatly removes one of the most common arguments that handwringing hoplophobes bring to the table on this.

      timothy

      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    80. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Cruciform · · Score: 1

      Shouldn't you have been using them on crows? Anything else is just asking for trouble.

    81. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by pitje · · Score: 1

      sure it can! Stop being paranoid, and don't have a gun in your house!

    82. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the rate at which Senators can be said to have been responsible for someone's death is greater than 1 in 100, I seriously doubt that your neighbors are decimating your community, or worse.

      An aluminum baseball bat is a very effective weapon if employed as one, and in general is marketed to children. It is probably more effective than using and unloaded shotgun for the same task.

      The point is though, for either of these to be effectively employed, you need to be willing to let your attacker get close enough to you that he becomes equally able to employ a similar weapon against YOU.

      But there is of course the issue that if an attacker brings a ranged weapon, you are fucked.

      I was a Boy Scout, the motto was "Be Prepared". Today I am absolutely dumbfounded at the number of people I see day to day who couldn't do any of the following:

      -Start a fire
      -Cut a rope, etc
      -Determine what direction they are traveling
      -Build a shelter
      -Perform even the most basic first aid
      -Defend themselves or others

      Humans, at least those here in the US(I haven't seen the rest of the world), have become a laughable joke of a creature that would probably be dead inside a week if "civilization" vanished or they were put to any type of test.

    83. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Jeremi · · Score: 1, Troll

      The only people who could love this idea are liberal gun grabbers who are afraid somebody might get hurt with a gun.

      I don't know, there might also be a market amongst conservative gun enthusiasts who want to keep a gun around the house, without worrying about their kids getting to them and blowing each other's heads off.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    84. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Guns aren't supposed to be safe, they're supposed to be dangerous as hell and for a very good reason.

      So why even have a safety on a gun then? After all, if guns aren't supposed to be safe then doesn't having a safety kind of violate that?

    85. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by turbidostato · · Score: 1

      "I believe the target market here is peace officers"

      I don't know what's the target for the company but it's obvious what's the target for *this* product: sportive shooters. Nobody would even *think* to use a .22 cal for self defense and given its current limitations (people normally aim a short gun with the arm *without* the wristwatch, which automatically comes out of range) just think not how it can fail but where can it be safely used: a shooting gallery where you will shoot always the standard way (two handed), where there's no danger of being taken by surprise and where the real danger is for a gun to be misused, not being aimed with one for lethal purpouses. And once you get off the firing standing the gun becomes a safe device (you just need to wear it with the other hand and this only for the time while you inactivate the device) so it works like an advanced locking device.

      It is still too expensive, but for the above scenario is indeed an advancement over current solutions.

    86. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by turbidostato · · Score: 1

      "One is a minor problem in need of a solution, the other is negligence which cannot be defeated by any mechanical means."

      How can this be modded up "insightful". It says nothing to nobody the fact that children shooting their parents' firearms *is* in fact defeated by mechanical means (from gun secures to gun locks, to safe boxes to disasemble the arm when not in use)?

    87. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by blackbear · · Score: 1

      I can not see why anyone would want one for themselves.

      Worse, It's a .22. I presume .22LR and not some more capable .22 like 5.7x24. The article didn't say, but called it a plinker.

      I can barely understand my wife wanting a .380 auto (Ruger LCP) instead of a 9mm. But at least she'll carry it, and it's better than pepper spray or harsh language.

      This sounds like a novelty to me.

    88. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Bartab · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Gun enthusiasts who keep guns in the house teach their kids about guns. Conservatives or not.

      Note, IMO, darwinistic outliers that do meth, pop out the occasional sickly underweight baby, and keep a few AK47s are not proof of violations of the rule. Some people are simply so screwed up that they don't follow any standards of practice.

      Maybe it should be "Gun enthusiasts who keep guns in the house and care about their kids, teach their kids about guns."

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
    89. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

      What hand do most people shoot with?* Their dominant hand, of course. What hand to most people wear their watch? The other one. Ergo, in any one-handed shooting, the watch is likely going to be outside the 20cm range of the gun. Stuuuuupiiiiid.

      * Yes, ideally you should use a handgun in a two-handed grip, which would put the watch and gun close together. But in many self-defense situations, that simply isn't going to be practical.

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    90. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Haeleth · · Score: 1

      I get disabled and can not hand my gun to my wife to defend us?

      Are you and your wife often wounded in desperate firefights? If so, might I cordially suggest you consider moving out of the war zone?

      Perhaps you could move to a civilised country where you don't need a lethal weapon by your bedside in order to feel secure.

    91. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Bartab · · Score: 1

      It's early, maybe I'm just slow, but what would be the advantage of that for the person who would be doing the scanning?

      Seriously? This is a question?

      "Hey Joe, that guy over there in the blue suit coming out of that bar..."
      "Yeah?"
      "No gun."
      "Niiiiceeeee."

      Much of the benefit of concealed carry laws is the fact that nobody knows if you, yourself, right then and there, are carrying. If somebody can determine, particularly without error, if you are currently carrying, then that benefit goes away. It also means you -must-always-carry-. Including on nights you go out drinking.

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
    92. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Haeleth · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And yet, for some reason, living in Britain I feel perfectly safe at home alone without a gun. I feel perfectly safe walking down dark streets alone without any kind of weapon at all. Even the police don't bother to carry lethal weapons unless they are actually responding to a specific incident which requires it.

      Turns out that when guns are outlawed, outlaws don't need them either.

    93. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by jecblackpepper · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In Britain you are allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself and your family and property from attack; and the important part is that it must only be reasonable to you at the time of using that force. If in the cold light of day it might seem unreasonable, if you thought it was reasonable (and can get a jury to agree with you that you thought it was reasonable) then you should not be found guilty.

      The problem comes when someone uses clearly unreasonable force, then they cannot claim self-defence. In the case that has recently been in the news, the householder, once he'd driven off the attackers went on to chase them down the street and when he caught them he smashed a cricket bat over his head inflicting permanent injury on him. Pursuing an attacker once the threat to yourself and family is clearly over is no longer self-defence.

      From what I heard of the case, I would agree that he went beyond the use of reasonable force to defend himself and his family and so should not have been able to use the self-defence defence. However, I do agree with the appeal judge also that this was an exceptional situation and given the extreme provocation of the attackers, he should not be significantly punished for going beyond self-defence.

      The main debate in Britain at the moment is whether the law should be changed so that people won't be guilty if they go beyond "reasonable" force; only if they use "grossly disproportionate" force. If this proposal from the Tory's gets into law then it will be legal to use unreasonble force to defend yourself, and legal to use disproportionate force to defend yourself. Personally I like the term the reasonable force - there haven't been any cases that I heard of in Britain where someone used anything like reasonable force in their defence where they've been convicted, so to me it feels like the law is working as it stands (but then I'm not a Daily Mail reader who thinks it should be justifiable to kill someone who has trespassed on your property).

    94. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by i.r.id10t · · Score: 1

      I don't let my kids play with guns period. No toy guns, etc.

      I explain that guns are real and have the ability to kill and destroy - they are not toys.

      Of course, I take 'em shooting once every few weeks anyway....

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
    95. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by blackbear · · Score: 1

      You'll never convince hoplophobes with logic. Their opinions are an emotional reaction derived primarily from fear of themselves.

      I used to suffer from a benign form of this condition when I was in college. I had never tried to control my temper and saw no reason to. I viewed firearms as extending the range and destructive force of my temper. I assumed that everyone else was like me. They are not.

      Both conditions were cured for me when I inherited my father's police service pistol and after educating myself on its safe and effective use, began shooting it. That led me to the conclusion that I had a lot more to learn about myself and about other people.

      Now I carry daily, and only worry about the damage of ignorant and fearful politicians. I also try to take as many people as I can shooting. After some instruction in safe handling and proper technique, and about $20 worth of ammo, something changes and they begin to reassess their views.

      Most completely change their views. Some never come around completely but understand more than they did. For the rest there's organized political action.

    96. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since when was a handgun a means of meaningful resistance against a modern military?

      Observe that when, for example, the Taliban try to fight Coalition forces using guns, they invariably get slaughtered. That's why they're relying on improvised bombs. The only recent terrorist success involving guns was an infiltration job.

      Even if you subscribe to the wingnut batshit crazy fantasy that the 2nd Amendment is not actually about well-regulated militias at all, but is somehow secretly all about leading a bloody revolution to overthrow an oppressive dictator -- the fact remains that going up against tanks, Predator drones, and air strikes, with a fucking personal-defence handgun, is not going to win you many prizes for sound military strategy.

    97. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by mysidia · · Score: 1

      Lets ignore the fact that at your state of grogginess in near darkness you aren't capable of telling the difference between an assailant and your own wife.

      This is what security systems and X10 are for.

      Many emergency lights and cameras automatically turn on, if an alarm condition occurs, and they have suitable backup power.

      Actually, lights can turn on due to motion outside. Giving you a fighting chance to get the watch and put in the pin.

      You will NOT be groggy after the adrenaline rush of having a proximity buzzer go off.

    98. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Guns will protect you from shadows and many other illusions of danger. Liberals would *feel* safer with a gun.

    99. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you seem to live in a strange country, if you feel/are only safe with a gun.
      Other countries with a lot more restrictive gun laws seem to have less crime. So guess you're doing something wrong.
      It's more a culteral/historic thing in the US that people only feel safe with a gun, I guess. And the high crime rates are probably just a result of the american way to deal with social problems. Give young people something meaningful to do, a perspective for their lives and some social security and you'll have less criminals tomorrow, who you might need to defend against with a gun. Seems to work in other countries at least.

    100. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have seen this time and time again. It seems to be in Gun Control Propoganda 101. Make up some example requiring very specific events that happen so suit their cause, then use their made up example as a reference to prove their argument. The made up reference usually has the added implication that no intruder will perform any harm on you if you leave them alone.

    101. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by HazE_nMe · · Score: 3, Informative

      Here are some examples for you

      Man shoots, kills intruder who broke into his home

      Resident Shoots Home Invasion Suspect

      Three held in Palmview home invasion

      Home invasion suspect recovering

      I know they are just anecdotes, but they are good examples of what can happen in a home invasion.

      If I were in any of these situations I would not want anything getting in the way of my firearm working.

    102. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 1

      Ok, what's the alternative? Begging Mr. Armed Housebreaker to leave witnesses? You're implying that this man isn't competent to decide his own course of action in an emergency. Isn't that his decision and his alone? Especially inside his own house? What makes you so fucking smart?

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    103. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Like the UK with it's rising violent crime rate now that the entire population has been relegated to "Sheep" status?

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    104. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure it's possible to gather accurate statistics on this. The liberals love to cite a made-up statistic that people are more likely to be harmed by the guns in their own home. What this cost benefit analysis lacks is the benefit part - the number of crimes deterred by the firearm. There's a statistic that says 9 out of 10 confrontations involving a firearm do NOT involve shooting, i.e. the deterrent value alone defused the situation. The vast majority of these encounters are not reported to the police - who really wants the hassle? There are daily incidents where people successfully use firearms to defend their homes and themselves, but these rarely make it into the news because good news doesn't sell. It also goes counter to the anti-gun bias in the mainstream media.

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    105. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 1, Troll

      Would you feel safe anywhere at all? I doubt it. I feel safe in my American suburban neighborhood, too. There are certainly places I would never venture armed or no. I'd like to know how in your perfectly safe gun free world. a 98 lb female is supposed to defend herself against being raped by a 250 lb assailant? Pepper spray? Or should she just lie back and "think of England"? If it were my daughter I'd rather she put a bullet in the bastard's eye.

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    106. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Will there be a back door code for the Feds?

    107. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Digicaf · · Score: 1

      I understand your point here, but to me it's irrelevant.
      Maybe the outlaws don't need guns because there's a great chance the people they're going to assault won't have them, but what does it matter? If a person is going to assault someone else (mug, rape, hurt, etc...), then the tool they use to do so isn't the issue. Do I think that someone in the state of mind to hurt some random stranger won't try to acquire a gun because its "wrong" or "illegal"? I don't know, but I doubt it. By the definition of their actions, the person undertaking the assault has a weaker moral backbone than someone just walking down the street. That is what needs to be addressed.

      This is just my opinion, and I know people will disagree with me, but when someone is being assaulted for whatever reason the person being attacked in that engagement may be shot, stabbed, or beat with a pipe but the pulp of what goes on there doesn't really change. When someone has a mind to take violent advantage of someone else, the person being taken advantage of has every right to defend themselves with whatever means.

    108. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by russotto · · Score: 1

      I ride motorcycles and see this sort of thing all the time, whenever a group of motorcyclists hear about somebody dying in an accident, they always start saying how dumb the person was, implying that could never happen to them; it's only other people who make mistakes like getting distracted or losing their temper.

      So? Perhaps they're right. Perhaps they never would have done whatever the person did who got killed. It's one thing if the guy was just riding along minding his own business and gets hit by a car who didn't look, but if the guy was lane splitting at 100mph through heavy traffic or something equally risky, others might rightfully discount the chance of that happening to them.

    109. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by modecx · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'll bite.

      Back in WWII, the US government developed a neat little piece called the FP-45 Liberator. It was a .45 ACP single shot pistol, made very crudely of mostly stamped metal, which was to be dropped into axis occupied territories. Included with it were ten rounds of ammunition, and a wooden dowel which was used to manually extract the spent case.

      Most of the ammunition was intended to be used for practice fodder, perhaps in the basement of a ghetto building. But you'd go up to a lone nazi (or perhaps a small group, if you had some friends), ask him if he had a light for your cigarette, or distract him somehow, and then you'd blow his brains out. Then you'd take his weapons. Perhaps a rifle from a guard, then a sub machine gun from an officer, and so on--and soon enough you've got a real life Maquis unit.

      The government made a million of them at $2.40 per copy, but unfortunately the OSS didn't really distribute them in Europe. Pity. It might have had good effect.

      Anyway, the point is: there's millions of vastly more functional, but equally concealable pistols running around America--and some potentially very concealable rifles. Unless they pen everyone up, a handgun designed for defense can become a keystone in obtaining weapons more useful for offense. Any tank commander would be pretty nervous to know a squad humping around an AT-4s or Javelins (or whatever) got shot up the day before.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    110. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Eil · · Score: 1

      The only people who could love this idea are liberal gun grabbers who are afraid somebody might get killed with a gun.

      fixed that for you

    111. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by IronChef · · Score: 1

      I would never want the police to be encumbered with this.

      However, I would like it if the police's lethal and less-lethal weapons had little cameras on them...

    112. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by russotto · · Score: 1

      People in this thread seems WAY to obsessed about the scenario which almost never plays out "someone tries to take my gun" vs the scenario that is all too common "children playing with their parents guns".

      There's cheaper and better solutions for that second scenario, namely, a gun safe of some sort in which the gun is kept when not under the direct control of the parents. And teaching the kids not to play with it, but it's probably best not to rely on that alone, especially if other kids are sometimes in the house.

    113. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by waimate · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I have to sleep with my watch on, and gun within 20cm, or type in a pin in groggy half sleep?

      Compared to just picking up your gun and pointing it at someone in a groggy state?

      You are more likely to be shot if you own a gun, and that's just talking about you, the gun owner. How about your hapless wife or child who happens to be sneaking around trying not to wake you in "your groggy state", in which you want to become instantly fully armed.

      Frankly, I think the idea that you have to pass some sort of non-groggy-state test before your gun enables is a damn fine idea.

    114. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by russotto · · Score: 1

      Pretty useless. I knew how to pick locks at age 8. Safe Cracking with a proper stethoscope is rather trivial, if it's mechanical.

      For the occasional criminal prodigy child, a Group 1 lock might be required. Cracking one of those is NOT rather trivial. Electronic locks equally secure against manipulation of the lock are also available. Said prodigy might be able to defeat the mechanism on the gun as well.

      For the child who has managed to build his own thermal lance... just let him have the gun. He's probably safer with it than he is with the lance.

    115. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Only partially right on the last one, he was apparently supposed to call the police and tell them to pick it up:
      http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html

      FTA:

      Quizzing officer Garnett, who arrested Mr Clarke, he asked: "Are you aware of any notice issued by Surrey Police, or any publicity given to, telling citizens that if they find a firearm the only thing they should do is not touch it, report it by telephone, and not take it into a police station?"

      To which, Mr Garnett replied: "No, I don't believe so."

      Prosecuting, Brian Stalk, explained to the jury that possession of a firearm was a "strict liability" charge – therefore Mr Clarke's allegedly honest intent was irrelevant.

      Just by having the gun in his possession he was guilty of the charge, and has no defence in law against it, he added.

    116. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by gangien · · Score: 1

      lol..

      i live in the US, and i feel pretty safe walking down just about any street too. Granted, I wouldn't if i was in compton or gary indiana, but gun laws, wouldn't make a difference in those places anyways.

      Turns out that when guns are outlawed, outlaws don't need them either.

      There's probably some truth to that, but who loves gun laws? the outlaws of course. a lot less of a worry to mug someone if they won't pull out a gun and shoot you. Of course, the statistics say that gun control laws don't work as well. See Switzerland. (Not that i advocate mandatory gun ownership either).

    117. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Links or it didn't happen.

    118. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      "Lets analyse this shall we. So you're asleep, We can assume the assailant has already gained access to your house. Is already in your bedroom all whilst you are asleep. Now in a self admitted state of grogginess you are expected to be able to operate a firearm with decent accuracy and efficiency that you are able to disable a fully alert assailant before they are able to react.

      What kind of fantasy world do you live in?

      With a regular firearm, in your scenario you are already screwed. An assailant will have attacked and disabled you long before you are able to grasp the firearm, let alone use it."

      I dunno about you, but I tend to wake up if the slightest unusual noise happens in my house. Especially in an old house with squeaky wooden floors and all, not likely someone can get in and make it upstairs before I'm awake. My guns are places strategically around the house, I'm never far away from one.

      So, that being said...it isn't likely the scenario you put forth would happen to me. I'll be awake and ready to fire at most any given break in scenario. But even if someone made it into my bedroom with me waking up...often I have one under the pillow...Beretta 9mm with 15 shot clip, and one in the pipe. I'll grab it and start spraying bullets around me...likely I'll hit the fucker. At least...I'll have a fighting chance against the intruder.

      I certainly would rather have any chance at all..than NO chance.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    119. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by TempeTerra · · Score: 2

      This was in the news recently, probably what a lot of people are vaguely thinking of. I remember reading a few different reports over a couple of days, and the story changed a lot with who was spinning it.

      The Guardian report above seems to be on the he-was-just-defending-his-family angle; the other side I remember is that the defender and one of his mates chased down a fleeing burglar, beat him with a cricket bat, broke the bat from beating him too much, beat him some more after he was unconscious and left the burglar with permanent serious brain damage.

      The court case wasn't so much over a man defending his family as a man getting some of his mates and with a degree of premeditation beating the living shit out of somebody who was incapable of defending themselves. It was a matter of "yeah, defending your family... but whoa, seriously?" Logically there must be a line between defending your family and going unacceptably psycho; this case was on the line and they still let him off with a suspended sentence rather than actually locking him up.

      --
      .evom ton seod gis eht
    120. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by RLaager · · Score: 2

      From the article you linked to:

      Lord Judge said: "This trial had nothing to do with the right of the householder to defend themselves or their families or their homes.

      "The burglary was over and the burglars had gone. No one was in any further danger from them."

      This wouldn't be legal in the U.S. either.

    121. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      Hey...as long as it is my choice and not yours to make...

      If you don't want guns in your house...that's cool, just as long as you don't interfere with my right to be prepared to defend myself if needed.

      My feelings are that the police are NOT there to protect and defend you. There is no way they can really, there are not enough of them to be everywhere at once to do this. It is up to you to defen yourself if someone attacks you...the cops are there merely to try to solve the crime and apprehend the criminal after the fact.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    122. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was an article a while back on how US soldiers were picking up and using the AK-47 and using them. One reason was most US guns use the Nato .223, which tops out at 4.1g the AK-47 uses a round that tops out at 10g (.22 tops out at g, 9mm at 9.5). People would keep coming after the first shot. Now if I have a suicide bomber running straight for me I want something that I know will make him stop.

      The whole "stopping power" thing is a tub of shit.

      As I was recently told by a lady friend (who is a volunteer rangemaster at a nearby county rifle range), "A couple of shots in the face with a .22 will change anyone's mind about attacking you."

      Another factoid: An ER nurse once reported that juveniles (especially) had little idea of what it means to get shot. They think what they see on TV is reality. She said that nearly every Saturday night, she heard at least one kid say, after being wheeled into the room with a gunshot wound, "Damn, that hurts -- I thought you could just keep on going after getting shot."

    123. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Moridin42 · · Score: 1

      No, you didn't. This technology can't protect you from being shot with your own weapon. If an attacker can take your sidearm away, they now have a couple pounds of metal with which to pistol whip you. Then they can leisurely take your watch, put it close to the weapon, and shoot you.

      Any failure mode that would lock the pistol in that case, will also lock the pistol in many other cases where you will want to fire. But can't, because you've got to do something to unlock the pistol again.

      --
      I don't expect morality, equality, consistency, or justice from the law. I expect only legality.
    124. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by timothy · · Score: 1

      "The burglary was over and the burglars had gone. No one was in any further danger from them."

      Until the next day, say.

      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    125. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Except that Glock 17 was designed as an army pistol. A prime example for a pistol designed for police and security needs in mind is the HK P7 which has a grip cocking/safety lever.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    126. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by BikeHelmet · · Score: 1

      I agree. Until you're in one of those situations, you don't know how your brain will fail. I can just imagine being in a dark room, trying not to get noticed, and having to flip a light on to enter a PIN. -_-

      My brain fail moment was when a car flipped over right in front of me. I didn't hit them, but after stopping I noted that I had forgotten how to use my cellphone. :P

    127. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Jeremi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Gun enthusiasts who keep guns in the house teach their kids about guns. Conservatives or not.

      No doubt. But kids are known for doing stupid things, even when they have been carefully told not to. Given that, I don't see anything wrong (at least in principle) with a gun that can only be fired by its owner, and won't fire for anyone else.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    128. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 1

      http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html

      That is the original article, but it looks like there has been a happy ending since I read it last. Looks like he has been released. I'm a bit surprised, but gratified. There was a lot of publicity at the time and it looks like it had an effect.
      I read crime reports from all over and occasionally see similar stuff from across the pond. I dont have any others off the top of my head though.

    129. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 1

      Ignorance is bliss

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5712573/UK-is-violent-crime-capital-of-Europe.html

    130. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by DaleSwanson · · Score: 2

      I feel perfectly safe at home in the US too. Unless you are arguing that outlawing weapons is good because it makes people feel safer than it doesn't matter. Instead the question is if outlawing weapons makes people actually safer.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate
      According to that page the homicide rate in the US is 5.4 per 100,000, while the UK is 2.03. The US has 2.66 times more homicides per person than the UK. However, the US state of New Hampshire has only 1.4. NH probably has the least restrictive gun laws in the US.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States

      In other words there isn't much correlation between gun laws and homicide rates.

    131. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by RLaager · · Score: 1

      "The burglary was over and the burglars had gone. No one was in any further danger from them."

      Until the next day, say.

      I knew someone would reply with this. Yes, we can all cheer personally that the bad guy is off the street and they're not going to tie anyone else up. But from a legal point of view, once the immediate threat has ended, you can't use force in self defense.

      My point was that this is not an example of "Britain locking up people for defending their families", especially with the implied contrast to the United States. Legally, they locked this guy (and his brother) up for chasing, beating, and permanently injuring a guy in the street. Had the same beating happened while they were still in immediate danger, the legal situation would've been entirely different.

    132. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by starbugs · · Score: 1

      Now in a self admitted state of grogginess you are expected to be able to operate a firearm with decent accuracy and efficiency that you are able to disable a fully alert assailant before they are able to react.

      Maybe somepeople wake up groggy, lazily aiming for the alarm clock when it rings, then stumbling to the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine whilst your eyes are still glazed over... going on your Daily routine.

      Would you be accurate with a firearm?
      Maybe not.

      But imagine that you have an important business meeting at 7:00 and your job depends on it. You wake up and are shocked as you see it's 6:45 and you know it takes you 10 minutes to get to work. Your heart beats at 150 bps, your adrenaline rises, you get dressed faster than ever before. You're decisive, do only what's necessary, and you have a far higher state of awareness than the day before.

      Would you be accurate with a firearm?
      That depends, some people are never accurate.
      Myself?
      Absolutely.

      What kind of fantasy world do you live in?

      Why do you think that the state of mind/accuracy that you have(or think most people have), applies to everyone?

      With a regular firearm, in your scenario you are already screwed. An assailant will have attacked and disabled you long before you are able to grasp the firearm, let alone use it.

      Again, you are making assumptions that while they may be applicable to some, will not be applicable to everyone.

      Lets ignore the fact that at your state of grogginess in near darkness you aren't capable of telling the difference between an assailant and your own wife.

      The assailant would be the one on the floor.
      My wife would be the one holding the gun.

    133. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by aurispector · · Score: 1

      One thing for sure, a "gun free zone" is also an "easy target zone".

      --
      I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
    134. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by sootman · · Score: 2, Informative

      > Pursuing an attacker once the threat to yourself and family is clearly over is no longer self-defence.

      Right, because having been chased once, criminals immediately become law-abiding citizens. No chance at all that they guy was running away to get some more buddies to come back and finish the job. I have no problem at all with someone who wants to ensure that crooks are available for the police to deal with.

      Oh dear, a criminal getting a "permanent injury" from a victim. My heart is bleeding for him. Dude: you break the law, you're taking a chance. You'll get NO SYMPATHY if someone strikes back.

      I assume the case in question is this one: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timcollard/100020129/the-criminal-justice-system-is-just-not-cricket/

      Munir Hussain found his family home in High Wycombe being burgled in a rather painful way. His wife and three children had been tied up and threatened with death. [emphasis mine] Munir himself, rather bravely, escaped by throwing a coffee table at the men, putting them to flight, and then chased after them. Thinking, understandably, that he might not himself be able to overpower and capture them, he armed himself with a cricket bat, and got hold of his brother Tokeer and, apparently, a couple of other people as well. There is no point in trying to apprehend criminals if you don't bring along the power to overcome them. [emphasis mine]

      Don't know about you, but the last line makes a lot of sense to me.

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    135. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      There is one and only one technology which should be added to cop guns. Every time the gun fires, it also takes a picture. If the picture doesn't justify the shot to a citizen's review board, the cop goes in front of a court. I would not be against this technology being added to all guns, but it's most needed as a control on police.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    136. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kelbear · · Score: 1

      As an aside, this premise is similar to American History X.

      The guy shoots a robber in the leg, makes him put his teeth on the curb, and then stomps on the back of the robber's head to split it in half.

    137. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pursuing an attacker once the threat to yourself and family is clearly over is no longer self-defence.

      And in what modern fantasy world is the threat "clearly over" once the attacker retreats, humiliated by you and knowing where you live, potentially to regroup?

      As an attacker, the way to stop being a threat is to surrender, not retreat.

      Even Britain used to know this. There's a reason why the Allies didn't stop at the German border in World War II. "Well, we couldn't possibly chase them! That wouldn't be self-defense!"

    138. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your logical explanation does not account for adrenaline and one's self-preservation instincts to compensate for "grogginess." Given the freedom to choose, I would prefer the option on relying on my own ability to keep myself and my family alive during a fight or flight moment. I don't need electronically calculated counter-measures to determine what I can or cannot overcome, "grogginess" be damned.

    139. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by darth+dickinson · · Score: 1

      True, they'll just beat you over the head with a 2X4 and be done with it...

    140. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by TheTyrannyOfForcedRe · · Score: 1

      The only people who could love this idea are liberal gun grabbers who are afraid somebody might get hurt with a gun.

      There are gun haters on both sides.

      My city is full of gun loving "liberals". Ok, they're Democrats but that's as close as you get in America. There are practically no boys in school on open day (first day of deer season for you non-hunters). The average guy has a few rifles and a pistol or two and we're a very liberal city by US standards.

      Meanwhile, a conversation about deer season springs up at work. Most of my Republican coworkers are aghast! GUNS? OMG! How can you have those in the house? Aren't you afraid you'll shoot someone? Aren't those things for dumb ass Joe Sixpack? You're smart! Why would you own GUNS?!?!

      About 80% of my conservative and/or Republican coworkers think guns are scary and only dumbasses own them.

      --
      "Liechtenstein is the world's largest producer of sausage casings, potassium storage units, and false teeth."
    141. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "Like the UK with it's rising violent crime rate now that the entire population has been relegated to "Sheep" status?"

      Nah, try Australia, here the home invaders have been relegated to lunatic ninja kangaroo status.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    142. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by holygoat · · Score: 1

      I moved from the UK to the US about 5 years ago. I feel perfectly safe at home with a gun. Objectively, subjectively, and statistically, I am safer here with a gun, and I'd like to keep it that way.

    143. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by holygoat · · Score: 1

      Many guns don't have safeties: neither of my wife's guns do.

    144. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't need a gun for self defence you stupid hick.....

    145. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I am a police officer, and I'd love to see this, if it works properly and cannot be jammed/subverted. One of the biggest dangers to police officers is the gun they carry to the scene...many felonious murders of police officers involve their own firearm or the firearm of another cop which is stripped from the officer during a confrontation. It is why many of us throw away the level 1 holster our departments give us and upgrade to level 3 holsters...we may not be able to win a gun draw (though I've gotten pretty fast at drawing my weapon from my level 3 holster) but when we are fighting on the ground with a criminal intent on stripping our gun, that level 3 holster is a life-saver.

    146. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Dan541 · · Score: 1

      Just get one of those wallets that needs a thumbprint to open. Keep a small GPS tracker inside then you can track him down while he's still trying to hacksaw his way in and set fire to his house. Much more satisfying revenge.

      --
      An SQL query goes to a bar, walks up to a table and asks, "Mind if I join you?"
    147. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Dan541 · · Score: 1

      The burglar is the victim in at least 3 of those.

      --
      An SQL query goes to a bar, walks up to a table and asks, "Mind if I join you?"
    148. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      "the cops are there merely to try to solve the crime and apprehend the criminal after the fact."

      Yep, and when they try and apprehend someone in the wrong house they are much more likeley to blow your head off when they know everybody has a gun in the side draw. Sure it's your counrtry, your rules but be aware that there are plenty of societies where citizens can keep peace with their neighbours without the threat of armed retaliation.

      It's a "when in Rome" situation, not many people want to live in a Somali style free for all and even less want to live in a N. Korea style big brother. I'm an Aussie and like the majority of people here I'm in favour of our gun laws, the majority in the US want to be able to own a handgun.

      I don't see what the problem is, nobody is forcing a US citizen to put their family in danger of an accidental shooting. Darwininan selection is ruthless, offspring with "less fit" parents are at a disadvantage and there's nothing anyone can do about it, kids die in avoidable accidents all the time, here in Oz avoidable drownings are common.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    149. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't they have this in Tom Clancy's Netforce?

    150. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by nightfire-unique · · Score: 1

      I couldn't deal with that myself. While I've never actually fired a real firearm, I play a lot of milsim paintball, and I get totally freaked out walking around with a charged gun without the safety on (unless suited up). The first thing I reach for when I've executed a mission is the safety, and I only go off safe when there's a possibility of danger.

      I always keep my finger off the trigger unless I'm preparing to engage a threat.

      I guess, needless to say, it's different in the realworld, where you just don't know when/where those threats will come from.

      --
      A government is a body of people notably ungoverned - AC
    151. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by modecx · · Score: 1

      How about this as yet another example of the UK's failing sanity: Myleene Klass warned by police after scaring off intruders with knife

      The youths approached the kitchen window, before attempting to break into her garden shed, prompting Miss Klass to wave a kitchen knife to scare them away.

      Miss Klass, 31, who was alone in her house in Potters Bar, Herts, with her two-year-old daughter, Ava, called the police. When they arrived at her house they informed her that she should not have used a knife to scare off the youths because carrying an "offensive weapon" - even in her own home - was illegal.

      I half expect that sometime in the near future, some poor person will be provoked into defending themselves, and they'll be hauled off to town square, where they will be placed into a pillory so the townsfolk can pelt 'em with rotten fruit. And I'm positive the original assailant will be free to join in.

      I'm convinced the crooks in Britain have some sort of union, and a very effective one at that.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    152. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Well, I know lots of people that have committed a homicide. My grandpa did, back in 1918 or so, gunning down Germans. An uncle in Korea. More than one that has done time in the Gulf. To imply that you know no one who has killed a human either indicates that you don't understand the word, or that you know few (if any) people that have served in the military.

    153. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      I ride motorcycles and see this sort of thing all the time, whenever a group of motorcyclists hear about somebody dying in an accident, they always start saying how dumb the person was, implying that could never happen to them; it's only other people who make mistakes like getting distracted or losing their temper.

      Hmmm, the ones I hang around with say things like "that could have been any of us." And all will tell about their close calls and the fact that they all know they are 1/10th second from death on a regular basis. Perhaps you are hanging with the wrong motorcycling crowd. I know there are lots like you describe, but they aren't the ones I hang out with.

    154. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      I always keep my finger off the trigger unless I'm preparing to engage a threat.

      You've mastered the toughest rule for most people to apply consistently, that the most effective safety any gun has is the operator. If you don't pull the trigger the gun wont fire, it's as simple as that. I have nothing against external safeties. but they're no substitute for responsible handling.

    155. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      The 1911, Beretta 92, and the Luger P08 (just to name perhaps the three most notable autoloading military sidearms of the century) all had external safeties.

    156. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The burglar is never the victim.

    157. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Shikaku · · Score: 1

      I think you're familiar with the saying "don't bring a knife to a gunfight."

      A mugger only needs to be more armed than you to mug you.

      (BTW, I'm a black belt in karate. So yes, while that's true, I don't think that would be very useful in a GUN FIGHT. Maybe a knife fight, if you can disarm him easily.)

    158. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by PingPongBoy · · Score: 1

      I gotta enter the pin so that I can use my gun to defend myself.

      Ergo, entering the pin before leaving home will become second nature. Like, um, loading it.

      The concept does have merits. A design for the paranoid: a 1 digit pin in a 3x4 keypad or a 10 digit strip will not cost that much time - about the same time as it takes to undo the safety - while if said mugger takes the gun it will be less lethal.

      While this is not an entirely foolproof system, it does offer an added level of confidence, and that can be scary. You might actually encounter more people with concealed guns if they think the odds have tipped in their favor.

      --
      Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
    159. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Kattspya · · Score: 1

      I think you're mixing up cause and effect there. Which is more likely: that owning a gun magically causes you to be more at risk or that you already are at risk and thus get a gun?

    160. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Bluesman · · Score: 1

      "You are more likely to be shot if you own a gun"

      You're also more likely to be stabbed to death if you own a knife, but that's not a logical argument against knives.

      --
      If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
    161. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Bluesman · · Score: 1

      This is why you have a dog, too.

      --
      If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
    162. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by toddestan · · Score: 1

      Are you nuts? In two of the cases, the burglar was inside the home, was armed with a gun, and shot at the occupants. One of the other cases the burglar had broken into the house, and had threatened to kill an elderly man. All three of those cases, the use deadly force is completely justified. The only one that is questionable is the one where the burglars were still outside the house and the occupants opened fire, and even then I would say it's justified as the occupants certainly would have felt threatened.

    163. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you sleep with your watch on? All you need to do is have the gun, already armed, in the gun cabinet (you do have a gun cabinet, right, so burglars won't steal your guns, right?) , with the watch next to it. Then when your home is invaded just toddle off to the gun cabinet, and grab the watch and gun, and you are in business.

    164. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Our peace officers are at war with all of society don't you know, if we don't issue them military equipment how can the heavy hand of justice wield powerful blows for freedom.

    165. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Lunzo · · Score: 1

      I'd like to know how in your perfectly safe gun free world. a 98 lb female is supposed to defend herself against being raped by a 250 lb assailant?

      She could run away. I think she'd win that race given the weights of attacker and victim you just listed.

    166. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      All pistols you mentioned are pretty old (Beretta 92) and VERY old (the rest you mentioned). In case of both Colt M1911 and Luger P08 both were often primary weapons for their bearer. Glock 17 was meant as a backup weapon in case the assault rifle jams or is out of ammo. Thus the need to draw and fire quickly. The sleek form helps the first, "safe action" the second, but at the price of accuracy (you need to apply more force to the trigger for each shot). The somewhat lower accuracy is neglible for a weapon that will be used in emergency situation only.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    167. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Not always. For example the TT pistol - cocked and locked - can shoot if it falls on a hard ground. An well-used Uzi also can, which is the reason for the Bundeswehr joke that an Uzi can be used as a hand grenade replacement.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    168. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      Clearly that is the case.

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27399337/

      This was at an actual gun club. At a gun fair. With his parents. They gave him a loaded Uzi and he shot himself in the head. Seems perfectly responsible to me.

    169. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I've seen several news reports"
      "Many of them"
      "found a shotgun in a park or something"

      Links - or it didn' t happen.

    170. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by IndigoDarkwolf · · Score: 1

      Turns out that when guns are outlawed, outlaws don't need them either.

      You mean it turns out that when you live on a sufficiently small island such that the government can effectively disarm the entire population, outlaws turn to other, more easily accessible implements. Not including the IRA, of course, which had access to firearms anyways.

      Your country is 2.5% the size of mine, and doesn't share 1,950 miles of its border with a major avenue for drug smuggling that is also just this side of a third-world country in most places.

    171. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by nurd68 · · Score: 1

      +1. From experiences from back in my volunteer firefighter days, I can go from fully asleep to fully alert and pulling on my trousers in about two seconds. Then again, I've always been a light sleeper.

      That said, I already DO enter a pin when I need access to my bedstand gun, as it is secured by a lockbox. However, *I* chose the method of securing my weapon, not some idiot congresscritter.

    172. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by nurd68 · · Score: 1

      I was sorting range pickup brass one day while watching a movie with my wife, and came across a 9mm. My wife exclaimed "what the heck is that?". I told her that it was a 9mm.
      Her: And cops actually shoot that at people and expect it to do something?
      Me: Yep.
      Her: I think I'll stick with the .45.

      I love my wife.

    173. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by nurd68 · · Score: 1

      My wife and I are both software engineers. We live in a nice house on 5 acres in a rural area. This means that fire and EMS response is about 10 minutes (because we have fire and ems in town), and police response is about 20 minutes (because all we have is a county sheriff (far) and state police (farther)).

      We have smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a chemifex chimney fire suppressor stick and a hose.
      We have first aid kits, plus all the household goods which can be pressed into service if necessary (old linens, etc.)
      We have a variety of household firearms suitable for all manner of varmints, both large and small.

      I don't see what the difference amongst all of these things is. They are all part and parcel for self-sufficiency and dealing with the realities of where we live.

    174. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by nurd68 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, because the Aussies who wanted to keep guns all moved to the US.

    175. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by waimate · · Score: 1

      You're also more likely to plunge to a messy death if you take up base jumping. Oddly enough that *is* a logical argument against base jumping.

      As a matter of fact, not wishing to be stabbed to death *is* a logical argument against brandishing a knife to resolve a disagreement.

      It's always intriguing to non-americans how passionate americans are about guns, and how guns are placed in a category all their own, wrapped in a little bubble and self-referential belief. The argument as presented is equally valid for knives, guns and base jumping.

      The difference with knives is that people keep them in the kitchen draw and use them to eat their steak. They tend not to sleep with a big bad motherplucker under their pillow awaiting some feared attack that will probably never come. I don't even *think* of the contents of my kitchen draw as a weapon. But if I slept with a knife in my bedside drawer, I think I'd qualify as a sick puppy. But that's just me.

    176. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by rabbit994 · · Score: 1

      In fact, when they passed smart gun laws in New Jersey, they exempted the police from it. Apparently it's good enough for civilians but not good enough for the police.

    177. Re:Wait hold on mugger... by niftymitch · · Score: 1

      But wait is it my watch battery that is toast or is it the battery in the gun. Now how do I test it......BANG yep it is working.
      Heck how does a law enforcement officer test it?
      Shock and vibration specifications might be hard to deliver....

      --
      Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't. Mark Twain.
  2. Jam their guns! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    so how long until someone builds a jammer for this??

  3. You want a perfectly "safe" weapon? by BlackPignouf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You want a perfectly "safe" weapon?
    Just don't buy one.

    There! Can I have 7000?

    1. Re:You want a perfectly "safe" weapon? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Guns don't kill people, dangerous minorities do!

    2. Re:You want a perfectly "safe" weapon? by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 1

      Ah, but you see, not having a weapon is not a safe option, since all the criminals have guns. And it's not smart for criminals not to have guns since every civilian is also packing heat. And it's not safe for cops not to have guns, since every criminal has a weapon. And it's not safe again for civilians not to have weapons, since the government, public enemy number 1, now has an armed presence on the street...

      ... etc, etc, etc, round and round it goes.

      --
      You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
    3. Re:You want a perfectly "safe" weapon? by CAIMLAS · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not a matter of not having a weapon; it's a matter of not having a significantly better, or at least equal, weapon than the criminals.

      A weapon can be anything: your arms, a knife, a baseball bat. Chances are that violent thugs are going to come up-armed: they're going to have one or more of those things and/or a gun, and they're going to come in numbers greater than your own.

      By having a gun, you greatly increase your own odds. You keep the enemy at greater-than-arm's-length, and you are reduced from being at their whims to being in control in your own home.

      Every now and then you see about an armed robbery going horrifyingly right, with the criminals in question staining the homeowner's carpet. Not so often do you hear about a homeowner shot by criminals with their own gun - at least not that I have seen.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    4. Re:You want a perfectly "safe" weapon? by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      This is not as clear as you think it to be.

      First, if the attackers are in greater numbers, one of them can come behind you and smack you on the head or stab you with a knife while you are busy trying to frighten off others. Happens even to policemen. Especially the knife is a very dangerous tool if the knife bearer knows how to handle it. A former mercenary I know is way more afraid of knives than of firearms.

      Second, if the attacker suspects that you are able to defend yourself, he might chose to shoot first (AKA Han Solo defence).

      There is actually a meme in Russia about people absolutely need having a handgun for self defence: file off the iron sights (so it wouldn't hurt that much when the attacker takes off your pistol and inserts it up into your butt).

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  4. better not use your other hand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    it could easily be more than 20cm from the watch.

  5. When disarming someone . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3

    . . . remember to take his watch, as well as the weapon.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    1. Re:When disarming someone . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And his credit card. The pin-code is probably the same.

    2. Re:When disarming someone . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yes: 1234

    3. Re:When disarming someone . . . by happyslayer · · Score: 2

      What! I better go change the combo on my luggage!

      --
      Never confuse movement with action. --Hemingway
    4. Re:When disarming someone . . . by theguru · · Score: 1

      Don't most muggers take peoples watches anyway?

  6. the gun can't be used against them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unless the attacker holds it next to the victim's wrist, or knocks the victim out with the gun.

  7. Thank goodness by StormyWeather · · Score: 2, Funny

    I was getting really sick of the Heckler and Koch purple rifles. That's progress!

    1. Re:Thank goodness by Asclepius99 · · Score: 1

      I thought that was really weird too. Why have the summary tell us this is coming to the United States and here's how much it costs in Euros. Also though it was funny that they give the distance in centimeters rather than inches.

  8. Signal jammer? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So what if happens if someone uses a signal jammer? Bye bye armed gun?

    1. Re:Signal jammer? by mikael_j · · Score: 2

      That was my first thought as well, somehow I doubt this will be used by the police or military...

      /Mikael

      --
      Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
    2. Re:Signal jammer? by Asclepius99 · · Score: 1

      Somehow I doubt this will be used by anybody. Seems too risky for the police/military and I don't see many people that own guns for self-defense wanting stringent conditions imposed on when they can use their gun even if they're already in danger.

  9. My H&K 91 has always been black by east+coast · · Score: 1

    What's the big deal?

    --
    Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    1. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by Neoprofin · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Black rifle" in this context is slang for a weapon built on the AR-15/10 platform.

    2. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by east+coast · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Slashdot has completely lost it's sense of humor.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    3. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by hitmark · · Score: 1

      never knew it had one in the first place...

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
    4. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by AlexCorn · · Score: 1

      "Black rifle" is a misquote of "Evil Black Rifle" which is any semi-auto rifle that is painted black and has a large magazine, like an AK-47 or an AR-15 or an AR-10 or an HK91 or an SKS (with fancy furniture) or a FAL or an M82 and so on. Such rifles also have other scary features like muzzle breaks, flash hiders, pistol grips, and barrel shrouds.

    5. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ya, subtle anti-gun marketing by the media, to subconsciously perpetuate the 'evil nature' of a particular class of guns.

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    6. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by carp3_noct3m · · Score: 1

      Well mine have always been blue(d). =)

      --
      "It's ok, I'm completely secure as long as my iron is off"
    7. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 2, Informative

      Some of us from non-US countries aren't quite as up on the gun slang as you guys.

      --
      You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
    8. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, in fact, Slashdot used to have a really functional AI in the past.

      Then the upgraded to this web 2.0 crap and everything has gone to hell in a handbasket.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    9. Re:My H&K 91 has always been black by hitmark · · Score: 1

      i guess processing all the ajax eats up to much cpu cycles to really have the AI parts working.

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  10. Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Neoprofin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Great.

    If I go target shooting I have to play "Pass the Wristwatch" to enjoy it as a communal activity and pay 10x as much for the privileged. If want to use it for self defense I have to wear the watch at all times and go through an extra layer of complications. Better yet in that situation if the gun is taken from me as we wrestle on the ground it's entirely likely that the gun will never move far enough to deactivate before I'm shot repeatedly in the chest and the watch and gun are taken.

    Sounds like a lot of money to acquire a possibility of safety as well as making previously safe activities more complicated.

    1. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by arielCo · · Score: 1

      I had the same thought about the inconvenience for self-defense ("someone's out there - now let me put on the damn wristwatch...").

      Then I figured it must be really good for law enforcement, where you already wear a lot of paraphernalia for the whole day. When I first read about the idea some years ago, the problem addressed was cops getting shot with their own guns.

      --
      This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
    2. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Neoprofin · · Score: 2

      I'm still curious how effective it will be given the close quarters nature of an officer having his gun taken in the first place, and just how many departments are willing to take up a system that could leave their officers with an expensive rock in their holsters potentially.

      That said, $10,000 is an awfully expensive solution when most departments can get Glocks with a volume discount in the $300-400 range.

    3. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Nadaka · · Score: 1

      Thats right. No one is going to wrestle the gun out of a cops hands, then walk away and shoot him from a distance. I would put good money that most instances of a cop getting shot with his own gun, he is still trying to wrestle it away from the assailant, and most likely has both hands on or near it in order to apply sufficient force.

    4. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by markdavis · · Score: 2, Interesting

      >and just how many departments are willing to take up a system that could leave their officers with an expensive rock in their holsters potentially.

      Oh, but of course the POLICE, CIA, FBI, and MILITARY would be exempt! And, oh... the murderers and robbers and such would be exempt too, since they won't have to purchase legal guns like we law-abiding citizens do.

      I am not anti-technology... I think such research is a GOOD idea. But wireless? No. Mandated by law???? No.

    5. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by bencoder · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well of course, if the gun can't be remotely disabled then it is safer to try and get it off them(gender-neutral singular them) as soon as possible.

      In this case however, if they've got a hold of your gun then you can simply back off and then the attacker may attempt to shoot, before discovering that it's disabled and that will give the LEO an advantage.

      It makes sense that police officers would behave differently with a weapon like this.

    6. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by nurb432 · · Score: 1

      Just strap the watch to the gun :)

      But i agree its a ludicrous concept, and just one more step towards world disarmament of private citizens.

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    7. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I go target shooting I have to play "Pass the Wristwatch" to enjoy it as a communal activity and pay 10x as much for the privileged.

      Well if you're that much of a moron to use this for target practice then I guess that's what you deserve. Most of us normal people that aren't trying to find something to whine about like a little faggot would realize that a $300 target pistol would be a better way to go. Of course, don't let common sense or logic interrupt your little whiny bitch party.

      I can always count on /. to have a bunch of computer chair know-it-alls to tell me exactly why their 20 second skimming of an article reveals fatal flaws that years of R&D by research scientists didn't find.

    8. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

      You joke, but that's just what people will do to circumvent the inconvenience of this stupid thing.

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    9. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An interesting note might be that when someone points a gun to your head at point blank range, a typical reaction in a struggling situation would be to either freeze from fright or to attempt to bat it away. Most self defense courses cover some sort of "escape a gun held to your head" scenario which involves batting the gun away or somehow attempting to redirect it. People carrying guns for safety, whether for professional use like with LEOs or private citizens, will have had some self defense training.

      In the case of the later, the safety would be overridden by the cop/defender moving his wrist watch close enough to the gun to allow it to fire. In the previous, it allows the attacker to simply pistol whip someone to death. I see no close quarter combat benefit to this at all. The cop would stand a better chance at having their bullet proof vests absorb much of the impact of punches and other blows the attacker is throwing in the struggle to outlast in a fight. But then again, the vests restrict mobility which might give the attacker the upper hand if they have much experience fighting.

    10. Re:Product in Search of a problem, creating more by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I go target shooting I have to play "Pass the Wristwatch" to enjoy it as a communal activity and pay 10x as much for the privileged. If want to use it for self defense I have to wear the watch at all times and go through an extra layer of complications.

      Aha! -- simple solution to convert this insanity back into a safe, usable weapon -- cut the watchband off and duct tape the watch to the gun.

      Sometimes the simplest solution is best. At least until they pass "anti-circumvention" laws.

  11. don't worry, though... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you still don't need a code to beat the disarmed person to death with the gun.

  12. You can take my gun out of my cold dead hands by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But you can't use it against me now! Ha!

  13. Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by hellop2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wouldn't a fingerprint scanner on the grip be more reliable and safer in case you were disarmed?

    --
    How many more years will slashdot have an off-by-one error on your Score in your profile?
    1. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by Neoprofin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Unless you're wearing gloves, or your hands are dirty, or the battery dies...

    2. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No. Fingerprint scanners are not reliable, and would be useless if you're wearing gloves.

      I can actually see this for crowd control weapons, hostage negotiations, and other law enforcement firearms, where the gun would be activated as the officer goes on duty much as they'd release the safety when drawing their weapon.

    3. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't a fingerprint scanner on the grip be more reliable and safer in case you were disarmed?

      Sure, as long as all of your activity takes place in a clean room, with climate control to prevent sweat or glove wearing, and nobody who might need a gun even eats fried chicken. I can see you've never actually talked to someone who carries are relies on a gun in the real world.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    4. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by rmushkatblat · · Score: 1

      FYI: They make more money then you and as such don't eat at KFC.

    5. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      They make more money then you

      Really? So, your argument for fingerprint-based life or death gun reliability is to guess how much money I make, and to ignore how little most patrol officers make? You're thinking this improves your credibility ... how?

      Regardless, I think that a lot of those underpaid cops probably know (unlike you) the difference between "then" and "than."

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    6. Re:Why a complicated transmitter/receiver combo? by rmushkatblat · · Score: 1

      You were implying that the average gun owner ate at KFC (and, by extension, not very wealthy). I was correcting that notion.

  14. Just what I needed by OpenSourced · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Just what I needed, a gun that will stop working when the batteries run out (I suppose that will be the behavior). Anyway, I suppose that can be useful for prison guards and similar. Till the inmates learn to take the watch with the gun, of course.

    --
    Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
    1. Re:Just what I needed by pruss · · Score: 1

      Actually, the product site says that the gun deactivates when the watch is removed, and the watch has a fingerprint scanner for reactivation.

    2. Re:Just what I needed by OpenSourced · · Score: 1

      Actually, the product site says that the gun deactivates when the watch is removed, and the watch has a fingerprint scanner for reactivation.

      Sorry, then the inmates have to grab the gun, the watch and a finger too. Ah, of course, there is the PIN too. Then you have to take the whole arm with you, watch and all, so it doesn't deactivate. OK, OK, I admit the thing can be useful in some setups :-).

      --
      Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
    3. Re:Just what I needed by Renraku · · Score: 1

      I couldn't imagine a civilian having a real use for it unless it was just for target shooting. Even then, it would be a hassle. A police officer, though, I could envision it being useful for. Maybe instead of a ring, they could wear a necklace or something. Something that wasn't immediately visible to a criminal, and the police could be trained to back the fuck off if their gun got taken away from them.

      --
      Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
  15. price? by confused+one · · Score: 1

    7000 euro seems a little steep for a handgun. Especially a .22lr. You can buy a S&W 22A or Beretta U22 Neos for under $300, even at today's elevated prices.

    1. Re:price? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1, Funny

      7000 euro seems a little steep for a handgun.

      Hell, here in the US, you can buy a stolen piece for the price of a bag of rock cocaine.

      I think it's in the 2nd Amendment.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  16. Sorry but how? by skirmish666 · · Score: 1

    At the end of the day how is this a bad thing for the people of New Jersey? Any person except the owner of said gun is unable to use it (yeah, unless you steal his watch as well) - children and home intruders included. Worst case scenario: there are less handguns in New Jersey because of the price of these new weapons. Sorry, I really don't see the downside here.

    --
    Sigger than your average
    1. Re:Sorry but how? by Neoprofin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because now someone might actually try to enforce the idiotic legislation.

    2. Re:Sorry but how? by e3m4n · · Score: 1

      if its for the purpose of home defense then its the equivalent of suffering a severe asthma attack but having your inhaler disassembled and locked in a medicine cabinet. You might not have the extra 3-5 min to arm your weapon. Its not any safer than locking your weapons in a quick access vault. If they really want to get to it they will sneak your watch when you take it off to shower or whenever. Safety is a multilayer process including education. As far as home intruders, its already been mentioned that 2 persons wrestling for the weapon would leave it within range or working even if the assailant prevails in obtaining it.

      I hope its not all about 'think of the children' because there are much more realistic solutions out there. Honestly who is making sure the damn liquor cabinet and medicine cabinet are equally protected. More children are killed by abuses of these locations than firearms.

    3. Re:Sorry but how? by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The range (20cm) is so short that keeping the gun ANYWHERE other than in your hand (such as a holster) means it needs the pin entered to work. The Heller decision already said that a nonfunctioning gun is not a gun for purposes of the second amendment, so thiere's a good chance this won't fly. Hint: read the part of the transcript where the DC attorney says that a disassembled gun is ok because the city won't prosecute for assembling the gun when faced by an intruder (which is wrong; the city HAS prosecuted for that crime), and one of the justices says ok, so first he has to turn on the nightstand light, get his reading glasses, put the gun together, load it, and now he's ready to use it ...

      I do not think you understand the purpose of guns. You only understand that they scare you and you don't think anyone should have anything which scares you.

    4. Re:Sorry but how? by Kreigaffe · · Score: 1

      Obviously you don't see the downside, because it would lead to fewer guns, and you are anti-gun. You have tunnel vision, and anything that moves towards an end you believe good -- no guns! -- is itself good.

      Thing is the world doesn't work like that, and you have nothing but faith that your stance is in fact correct and good and through that faith anything that moves closer towards your goal is also worthwhile and holy.

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
    5. Re:Sorry but how? by entoke · · Score: 1

      you arm the watch with the pin, it stays armed even if gun goes out of range (gun stops working) and if the gun comes in range again the gun gets rearmed no pin needed. Still it would have to be a pretty damn perfect system for me to trust it to work when i pull the trigger.

    6. Re:Sorry but how? by PPH · · Score: 1

      Because the incidence of cops being shot with their own guns, or losing them in a scuffle is rather high. For this law to be worth anything, the New Jersey cops are going to have to adopt the technology as well.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  17. Even more useless... by Boogaroo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At 20cm the average person WILL move their hand/watch past the authentication range. Will they need re-authentication.
    The gun will fire if the attacker has twisted the gun to face the victim because the watch is within range.
    The victim will need to fire with their off-hand because they used their good arm to defend against the initial attack. (This happened recently here.) The gun will not fire because it isn't close enough to the watch.

    This setup is a recipe for disaster. In the name of safety, we will give up everything that gives us a chance against the bad guys.

    1. Re:Even more useless... by johnshirley · · Score: 3, Informative

      All fine points. And don't forget that it's only a .22. One would need to achieve a series of headshots to effectively stop a violent criminal actor. Center of mass with a .22 won't stop a violent actor intent on killing you. And at the 7000 euro price point, they're not going to sell many of these except to maybe a few government agencies or people with more money than brains.

    2. Re:Even more useless... by Ogive17 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The way I interpret it, once you punch in the pin on the watch the gun will work any time it's brought within 20cm of the watch until you turn the watch off. So even if you holster the weapon, when you bring it back out it's automatically "initiated"

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    3. Re:Even more useless... by nine-times · · Score: 1

      At 20cm the average person WILL move their hand/watch past the authentication range. Will they need re-authentication.

      Especially since, conventionally, if you're right handed you wear your watch on your left wrist.

    4. Re:Even more useless... by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Mod Parent Up!

      I understand slashdot is full of people with different backgrounds, but it becomes easily apparent when people get outside of what they're comfortable with.

      A .22 is a very very useless hand to hand weapon and I don't know of any law enforcement in the world that would use the gun powder equivalent of a pea shooter. Unless you get a Boom Headshot.

      There was an article a while back on how US soldiers were picking up and using the AK-47 and using them. One reason was most US guns use the Nato .223, which tops out at 4.1g the AK-47 uses a round that tops out at 10g (.22 tops out at g, 9mm at 9.5). People would keep coming after the first shot. Now if I have a suicide bomber running straight for me I want something that I know will make him stop.

      For hunting they're mainly used for squirrels and the such. People hunting larger game go for larger guns.

      The other being that our guns were in such tight tolerance that in the field they had great range and accuracy ... if you kept them clean. The AK-47 could be buried in a pile of sand. picked up, brushed off and fired.

      *And the awesome 30-06 topped out at 14g. And you knew it. I spent an entire day shooting nothing but that at a friends once. The next day I had a palm sized bruise in on my shoulder. Oh but it was fun.

    5. Re:Even more useless... by timeOday · · Score: 1
      Sure it's possible somebody might need to fire with their other hand, but that must be weighed against the everyday occurrence of kids hurting themselves in gun accidents, and guns being used against their owners. Of course responsible users can use e.g. trigger locks to reduce the risk, but that slows down your reaction far more than having to wear an rfid bracelet, or whatever this is.

      It would be nice if this could become a deterrent to gun theft, but I can't imagine it's too hard to circumvent with tools and time.

    6. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell ya' what: if a .22 is so useless against people, I'll shoot you a bunch of times with a .22, and we'll see how comfortable you are when you're vital organs are bleeding from 5 holes. I'm not saying you'll drop dead on the spot - you won't - but it'll be a lot of surgical work to repair the damage.

    7. Re:Even more useless... by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Interesting

      it is useless if the attacker bleeds to death half a hour later or more after stabbing you you death.

      My cousin was shot in the head with a .22 pistol, died over twelve hours later in surgery, was able to talk before then to relate details of circumstances

    8. Re:Even more useless... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "And don't forget that it's only a .22. One would need to achieve a series of headshots to effectively stop a violent criminal actor."

      Not true. One shot through the eye is all it takes. Or one shot through the throat, or one shot directly underneath the sternum.

      I can do worse damage with a .177 Varminter round. That'll blow through your skull without thinking.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    9. Re:Even more useless... by Khyber · · Score: 0

      "A .22 is a very very useless hand to hand weapon"

      Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha.

      Only because of the small amount of gunpowder behind the projectile. Let me get a .22 handgun chambered for .22-LR rounds and I'll bet you're singing a different story when the first slug tears through you from front to back.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    10. Re:Even more useless... by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 1

      And read my examples. It IS useless to people in that situation. If a suicide bomber or guy high on meth is coming straight for you with a knife. You don't want something that will 'hurt him' and let him bleed out over the next few hours. You want something that will STOP them. The same goes for animal hunting. I don't want to walk 3 miles tracking a deer. I want something that is going to make a large enough hole bleed out soon and to knock it down.

      People, kids, etc die from .22 all the time. I'm not saying they don't. It's just useless for immediate situations.
      -
      Relating to the sibling post, we were told in our gun courses that a .22 would sometimes only have enough energy to make it into the brain, but not to break through the skull again, so it'd just rattle around.

    11. Re:Even more useless... by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Um, yes, except that AK-47 rounds come out the other side taking a bunch of energy with them. Nato .223 doesn't - it tumbles and delivers all its energy to the target.

      --
      No sig today...
    12. Re:Even more useless... by johnshirley · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If your target were stationary, with good light, and several seconds to steady yourself, with no stress -- sure, one could hit a target an inch across.

      Now do that under stress, in poor light, with a very small moving target, covered by clothing and hair, and don't forget that you have about half to two seconds in which to land that shot.

      Every moment that ticks by is another moment that the assailant has to kill you. A violent criminal actor is not going to stop because you've shot him in the chest with a .22 -- odds are pretty good that even if you hit his aorta, he'll still have about 20 to 30 seconds more to do what he's going to do to you.

      There's a reason that people who carry a handgun for self defense often go for larger calibers. Primarily because they're more effective than smaller calibers.

    13. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A .22 is a very very useless hand to hand weapon and I don't know of any law enforcement in the world that would use the gun powder equivalent of a pea shooter.

      If only there were plans to introduce higher-caliber models.

    14. Re:Even more useless... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You realize that LR (Long Rifle) is the most common designation of for .22 and in fact the assumption is that unless specifically mentioned otherwise (like Magnum, not very common) it is LR?

      Given the choice between being stabbed and shot with a .22 I would take the .22 anyday.

    15. Re:Even more useless... by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 1

      It actually has a pretty good chance of deflecting off the skull if the angle isnt just right as well. However, a direct shot in the eye is rather difficult and highly unlikely. You have to be a very very good shot or very very lucky to kill someone with a single 22 round.

    16. Re:Even more useless... by edwardsdl · · Score: 1

      Actually this video shows that the AK-47 is much more susceptible to failure when it gets dirty.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo5WhVvtYak&feature=related

    17. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      everyday occurrence of kids hurting themselves in gun accidents...

      Some of us refer to that as "natural selection"...

    18. Re:Even more useless... by Cruciform · · Score: 1

      There's a reason professionals shoot for center mass.
      You try pegging someone through the eye while pumped full of adrenaline and not in the comfort of a firing range.

    19. Re:Even more useless... by modecx · · Score: 1

      A .22 is a very very useless hand to hand weapon

      Actually, .22LR is a fantastic killer. It's probably taken more people than most other handgun cartridges combined. I think the killing power of a .22 is wholly underestimated.

      As a defensive weapon, yeah... It pretty much sucks compared to others. It doesn't do you any good if your attacker dies two minutes, two hours or two days after he's done his damage to you. But I'd take it over a rock or a pointy stick.

      There was an article a while back on how US soldiers were picking up and using the AK-47 and using them. One reason was most US guns use the Nato .223, which tops out at 4.1g the AK-47 uses a round that tops out at 10g (.22 tops out at g, 9mm at 9.5). People would keep coming after the first shot. Now if I have a suicide bomber running straight for me I want something that I know will make him stop.

      For hunting they're mainly used for squirrels and the such. People hunting larger game go for larger guns.

      Most of the inefficacy of the 5.56x45 cartridge comes from the bullet of choice. The FN SS109 bullet that NATO adopted and standardized (called M855 for the US troops) pretty much sucks. It's a 62gr steel tip bullet, and it was designed to enhance penetration at long distances (500-600M), which it does well enough.

      The problem is: in the type of war were fighting, it's rare for a rifleman to engage the enemy at that distance. The second problem is that we are migrating to shorter barrel carbines (14.5 inch vs 20 inch rifle barrel), to make the weapon easier to maneuver in tight areas/house searching. The short barrel just can't launch the bullet at a velocity fast enough to make it fragment at closer ranges, and it just pokes a hole through the enemy instead of liquefying their organs.

      There has been an explosion (literally) of development for better 5.56mm bullets in the last few years. The 75-80 grain bullets don't rely so much on velocity for their wounding ability, making them better suited for carbines--and they extend the fragmenting distance even further for longer barreled rifles--and they're exceptionally accurate.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    20. Re:Even more useless... by turbidostato · · Score: 0

      "Tell ya' what: if a .22 is so useless against people, I'll shoot you a bunch of times with a .22"

      It is useless when you use it not to kill the other party but to avoid him killing you... which happens to be the case for so called "self defense".

    21. Re:Even more useless... by s122604 · · Score: 1

      22 is definitely not the first second, or third choice in a defensive firearm, but it will still kill a human being deader than crud on a stick. Plenty of folks in your local cemetary could probably attest to this, if they could speak... And no, it doesn't take a "series of head shots". At short range .22 particularly from a longer barreled pistol, or better yet a rifle, will go through a human skull at all but the shallowest of angles. Factory slaughterhouses use bolt guns, but the .22 is still used as a slaughter tool for pigs in small operations and family/side business farming situations..

    22. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hi. I assume you're talking .22 LR? .22 Long? .22 Short? .223 Remington? .22 Magnum? I'm sorry, caliber references are ignorant. Only a fool would stand at the end of a muzzle for either. My AR-15 shoots .223, and while arguments can be made that 7.62x39 is superior, are you really willing to say that because .223 Remington is .22 in caliber it's inept? What about .22 Magnum?

      The best safety device sits between your ears. Barring that, it's your trigger finger. There's a reason why you index that.

      A wise man once said "Don't be unwise, judge me not by my size, you won't believe your eyes, watch your X-Wing rise".

      -Golden Eagle FTW.

    23. Re:Even more useless... by FCAdcock · · Score: 1

      That's not exactly true. The .22 is far more dangerous than most people suspect because of it's LACK of power. A .22 will not break bones and will bounce. One shot to the rib cage and the round may bounce through 3 or 4 times before coming to rest. It's a small hole, but it's a really long, small hole.

      Also: The US Army does not use the .223. We use 5.56mm. It's close and a .223 will fire a 5.56, but a 5.56 will not safely fire a .223 because the round is too light.

      Personally, I carry a .45 and own a HK91 and Mossberg 500 for home defense. 7.62 is a great round, but nothing will beat a 12 guage in the dark.

      --
      --Forest C. Adcock--
    24. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was an article a while back on how US soldiers were picking up and using the AK-47 and using them. One reason was most US guns use the Nato .223, which tops out at 4.1g the AK-47 uses a round that tops out at 10g (.22 tops out at g, 9mm at 9.5). People would keep coming after the first shot. Now if I have a suicide bomber running straight for me I want something that I know will make him stop.

      NATO rounds were also designed to PREVENT fragmentation; thereby limiting lethality. (thank the Geneva convention)

    25. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I was working on the volunteer fire department in my township a few decades ago, we received an emergency call for an ambulance for a gun shot injury. I didn't go on the run but the story around the firehouse was that someone shot themselves in the head at point blank range 4 times with a .22 cal handgun in an attempted suicide and managed walk 200 yards to a payphone some 3 hours later and called 911 (actually the operator as 911 wasn't implemented in our area yet) complaining of a severe headache. One bullet actually passed through the skull and was lodged in a non-critical part of the brain but the rest of the shots appeared to enter the skin and strafe around the skull to end up on the other side of his head in varying degrees of success.

      The guy later ended up dying about 10 months later when he grabbed a knife and charged some cops that showed up on a domestic disturbance call. Some people say he was crazy from the gun shot wounds but I think it's a little deeper then that. I would hate to run into someone attempting to kill me armed with only a .22 cal weapon. You would have to be a damn good shot and know which joints to take out to immobilize the attacker. But then your likely to maim them for life which seems a little harsh.

    26. Re:Even more useless... by joshki · · Score: 4, Informative

      Fail.

      No Soldier, Sailor, or Marine I've ever known "picks up an AK-47" to use.

      There is absolutely no advantage to using an AK-47 over an M4 or M16 -- in fact there are significant disadvantages. Logistics is one -- where are you going to get ammunition for your battlefield pickup AK? Are you going to pick up some old left-over 1970's ammo the bad guys use? Ball ammo that doesn't fragment like XM-193 does, nor penetrate like M855 or SS109 does? Also, the legal jeopardy a person who did that unnecessarily would put themselves in would be an issue as well.

      The M4 actually has a dust cover -- wonder why? It's so that dirt and sand don't get in the action. The AK has none of that -- and will certainly fail if it has sand and dirt dumped into it. Either weapon will fail if dirt and sand get into the action.

      The weight of the bullet has very little to do with the performance of the bullet against the human body -- trust me, you'd far rather be hit by an old 7.62x39 ball round than a modern XM193, SS109, or 77 grain TAP round in 5.56 (any of which will cut right through IIIA body armor, while 7.62x39 will not).

      And btw -- there's no such thing as "Nato 223" -- the spec is 5.56x45 NATO, and there is a significant difference between .223 and 5.56 -- such that firing 5.56 ammo from a weapon chambered in .223 may result in the weapon failing. The diameter of the bullet is the same (.224"), but the chamber specifications are different.

      Ironically, you posted that people get outside their comfort zone, then you posted outside your realm of knowledge.
      The one thing you did get right is that .22LR is not generally considered adequate for a self-defense round.

      --
      I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
    27. Re:Even more useless... by joshki · · Score: 1

      There's no such thing as "Nato .223" -- and it normally fragments, creating multiple wound channels, rather than tumbling. The proper name for the spec is 5.56 NATO.

      --
      I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
    28. Re:Even more useless... by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Sigh: http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118133

      In addition, the NATO round was designed off of the .223. It's like saying that Ubuntu isn't Debian because some of the packages won't work in it. .223 is a whole lot faster to write out and that's how it was originally designed.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56x45mm_NATO

      With the U.S. military adoption of the ArmaLite AR-15 as the M16 rifle in 1963, the .223 Remington was standardized as the 5.56x45mm. However, the .223 Remington was not introduced as a commercial sporting cartridge until 1964.

      Or for the Car Analogy. It's like arguing that the Hummer H1 isn't the same as the Humvee. Even though they were designed and built by the exact same company. I'm sure a few parts aren't interchangeable, but for the most part they're the same damn vehicle.

    29. Re:Even more useless... by joshki · · Score: 2, Informative

      No -- if you put a 5.56 round into a .223 chambered weapon, you run the risk of blowing up the weapon. The chamber specs are different.

      The bullet is the same diameter (.224"), but the chamber is different, which means it is dangerous to interchange them -- and incorrect to state that they are the same, which is why I called you on it.

      Citing Wikipedia as an authoritative source on anything firearm related destroys your credibility, btw, as does all the other errors you made in your post.

      Citing a "physicsforum" article as authoritative on what US Soldiers do overseas (I've spent time carrying an M4 over there, just fyi -- I speak from experience, not an internet forum) also destroys your credibility.

      FAIL.

      --
      I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
    30. Re:Even more useless... by modecx · · Score: 3, Informative

      Also: The US Army does not use the .223. We use 5.56mm. It's close and a .223 will fire a 5.56, but a 5.56 will not safely fire a .223 because the round is too light.

      Wrong. The .223 and 5.56 case is close enough to ignore the difference. 5.56 cases may be built more thickly in certain areas to handle higher pressures, but on the outside they're dimensionally exactly the same.

      The one important difference follows: the 5.56x45 chamber was designed to handle longer or heavier bullets, or bullets with more pronounced ogives. i.e. the cartridge can be loaded to a longer overall length, to accommodate steel tipped and tracer rounds, so that bullets with the same (or similar) ballistic profiles can be used.

      When loaded into the chamber, these bullets may impact the rifling on a .223 chamber, and when fired this can lead to a pronounced pressure spike as the bullet is swaged into the bore. It could rupture the case and damage your rifle. In other words, the 5.56mm NATO chamber has a longer leade. That's the bulk of the difference. The 5.56mm chamber is also slightly bigger, to accommodate fowling, gunk and inconsistently manufactured ammo.

      It's safe to fire .223 Rem rounds in a 5.56mm weapon, but it may not be safe to do the opposite.

      --
      Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
    31. Re:Even more useless... by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      Well, I would pick getting stabbed with the .22
      It's really poor as a hand to hand weapon, and not much better as projectile one.

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    32. Re:Even more useless... by StoopidMonkey · · Score: 1

      I've heard stories of large game being taken with a .22LR. It's all about shot placement apparently. That said, I would not want to count on a .22 to stop a large human predator coming at me in full aggression mode.

    33. Re:Even more useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually this video shows that the AK-47 is much more susceptible to failure when it gets dirty.

      More susceptible than what?

      Is there some particular make of rifle that is less susceptible to failure when dirty?

    34. Re:Even more useless... by Clueless+Moron · · Score: 1

      No -- if you put a 5.56 round into a .223 chambered weapon, you run the risk of blowing up the weapon. The chamber specs are different.

      The bullet is the same diameter (.224"), but the chamber is different, which means it is dangerous to interchange them -- and incorrect to state that they are the same, which is why I called you on it.

      I know nothing about firearms so please bear with me.

      5.56mm works out to .219 inches, so a 5.56mm round should be slightly smaller than .223 or .224, though only by about a tenth of a mm. So getting stuck in the barrel doesn't seem like an issue.

      What is it about chamber design that could risk rupture? As long as the round and associated gas pressure can exit, I can't see what could cause the weapon to blow up.

    35. Re:Even more useless... by c0sine · · Score: 1

      Not particularly true, actually. Yes, 7.62 round can and in many cases will go through a body. However, the bullet delivers about 2KJ of energy at the impact point. Which momentarily creates so called hydrostatic shock... And you, perhaps, know the rest. So, the moral of the story: 7.62x39 caliber is very bad one. And unlike 5.56mm it goes through any bushes, Kevlar body armor and all that crap :-)

      --
      Take care, Cos
    36. Re:Even more useless... by Moridin42 · · Score: 1

      In fact, I've not seen a handgun chambered in .22 other than .22LR. Some revolvers that will fire .22 short, sure. But they're chambered in .22LR and fire .22 short for the same reason that .357 and .44 magnums fire .38 and .44 special rounds, respectively.

      --
      I don't expect morality, equality, consistency, or justice from the law. I expect only legality.
    37. Re:Even more useless... by Moridin42 · · Score: 1

      Calibre numbers don't necessarily have a strict relation to bullet size. 9mm and .357 SIG both fire .355 diameter bullets. .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO both fire same diameter bullets, and I'm pretty sure GP is right, at .224.

      It isn't a matter of the fired bullets being stuck in the barrel. They won't. But a chamber and barrel designed for .223 Remington need not contain the same pressure that the 5.56 NATO round may generate. Also, the 5.56 NATO round is slightly longer, meaning a .223 Rem bolt will not fully close into battery on a 5.56 NATO round. And that means that the case could rupture explosively out of the breech, rather than channel the explosion down the barrel behind the bullet.

      --
      I don't expect morality, equality, consistency, or justice from the law. I expect only legality.
    38. Re:Even more useless... by edwardsdl · · Score: 1

      Haha, good eye. I really botched my response. What I meant to say was that the AK was more susceptible to failure than the AR-15/M-16 when it gets dirty. The video I linked to was one part of a series comparing to two. I can't seem to find the one that compares them side by side. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqRwx4wtmms&feature=related - I think this is it, but it's in black and white for some reason...

    39. Re:Even more useless... by joshki · · Score: 1

      Moridin -- you beat me to it, and you're almost completely correct. The only quibble I have with what you posted is that a 5.56 NATO round will fully chamber and the bolt will fully close on it, even in a .223 chambered weapon (I've seen it done) -- and that's what makes that combination so dangerous.

      --
      I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
    40. Re:Even more useless... by Moridin42 · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected. I've never actually tried to fit a 5.56 nato round into a .223 rifle. I only needed to see the results photo of one overpressured pistol to keep me away from that sort of gamble.

      --
      I don't expect morality, equality, consistency, or justice from the law. I expect only legality.
    41. Re:Even more useless... by joshki · · Score: 1

      Yeah -- it's a bad idea. The 5.56 chamber actually has a bit more "slop" in it to make sure it chambers okay even if it's a little dirty, but the external dimensions of the cartridge are the same. There's a post a bit up the page that explains it in better detail than I did.

      --
      I do not read or respond to AC's. If you want a discussion, log in. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
  18. Plz think of the children. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hope all the kids in schools get at least one of these, that way they can shoot bullies in schools. It would be preferrable if they get two so they can be Bruce Willis cool and shoot em on the side two at a time.

  19. Other Geeky Tech in that article: Automatic scope by telomerewhythere · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Here is another interesting tech that would be very useful in some contexts, and scary in others.

    Burris has built one of the most sophisticated rifle scopes we’ve ever seen. It has a laser rangefinder that can automatically adjust your sights to compensate for the fall of each bullet over long distances. Just point the crosshairs at the target, push a button on the side of the scope, and a bright red dot will show you exactly where the bullet will fall. We were able to easily hit targets at 400 and 700 meters without any experience at long-range rifle shooting.

    Critical weakness: pure black target.

  20. Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad enoug by bsDaemon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Rubber bullets kill, too. In fact, cops shouldn't even be allowed to have them because the perception that they are "non-leathal" just encourages their use -- just like the beanbag rounds. There have been cases where the beanbags come out flat with the edges parallel to the ground, sort of like a frisbee and that the impact at that angle caused severe lacerations. People have died from those, too.

    I'm not anti-gun -- I have many myself. I grew up around them, and I am completely comfortable with them. I also know that if I point a loaded gun with real bullets at a person, I better be absolutely willing to kill them when I pull the trigger. Cops and soldiers are trained to know this, too. But they seem to be more than willing to pop off rubber bullets and beanbags for "crowd control," and death has been a consequence a higher-than-zero number of times.

    The last thing we need is Joe Bob getting ahold of them and shooting at cats, neighbours, or even robbers. You know all those times that burglars have sued property owners over getting hurt while they're there to rob them? Imagine the lawsuits over "he shot me with a rubber bullet, broke my rib, punctured my lung and now just look at me!" I also envision a slew of YouTube videos of drunk-ass morons popping their friends with these to see what it feels like.

    In short, this is pretty much the worst idea ever made.

  21. Security by Obscurity by mbone · · Score: 2

    In a personal defense situation, this is security by obscurity. It will only help as long as the mugger doesn't know what the little red / green light means.

    1. Re:Security by Obscurity by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      It'd really suck if you have to switch hands. Yeah, that's terribly useful...

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  22. Why bother with wireless? by complete+loony · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Why not use a challenge response system that communicates with low voltage current that passes over the skin. Then you can disable the weapon the moment direct physical contact is lost. Of course you'd need to ensure the current was low enough that it didn't cause your trigger finger to spasm...

    --
    09F91102 no, 455FE104 nope, F190A1E8 uh-uh, 7A5F8A09 that's not it, C87294CE no. Ah! 452F6E403CDF10714E41DFAA257D313F.
    1. Re:Why bother with wireless? by MBGMorden · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because the reality is people don't want smart guns PERIOD. Every time you make a gun more complex it becomes more failure prone. The Glocks that almost all police departments use don't even have a safety on it period - because it's an extra point of failure and something to fiddle with. Just like code, a good gun should have SIMPLICITY, both in operation and in design, as a major design goal. Needless "safety" features and ESPECIALLY anything that depends on a battery are needless fluff. A nice semi-stiff double action trigger pull is a perfectly viable "safety" mechanism for 90% of shooters. For the other 10% they need nothing more than a simple manual safety.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    2. Re:Why bother with wireless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not use a challenge response system that communicates with low voltage current that passes over the skin.

      Because cops often wear gloves to protect themselves from the detritus of society. Or maybe you've heard of this "winter" thing.

    3. Re:Why bother with wireless? by Vrtigo1 · · Score: 1

      Mod parent up. A gun being used for self defense should be as simple as possible. The only thing that will happen if this law was enacted was the price for pre-law handguns would skyrocket because nobody would want one of these so-called "smart" guns because you're essentially taking a proven technology and saying, "here, let me see what I can add to this to give it more opportunities to fail". No thanks.

  23. When it comes down to it.. by nanospook · · Score: 1

    Well, if your gun won't fire, I'll just have to beat you to death with it!

    --
    Have you fscked your local propeller head today?
    1. Re:When it comes down to it.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, if your gun won't fire, I'll just have to beat you to death with it!

      Or just shoot me at point-blank.

  24. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Neoprofin · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's already enough to horrify you on Youtube and Myspace with kids who like to play with Daddies Guns to put up badass pictures for their friends to see, and yet people still blame firearms when negligence happens. Every firearm I've ever purchased lays it out plane as day:

    1) Know your target and what's behind it.
    2) Assume every gun is loaded.
    3) Do not aim at or pull the trigger on anything you don't want to kill or destroy.

  25. Not really practical by russotto · · Score: 1

    Looking at their page, it looks like the gun is armed by a fingerprint sensor on the watch, and disarmed when the gun moves away from the hand or after a timeout period. This makes the gun poor in most police and self defense scenarios; you now have to draw the weapon, and put your finger on the watch. Holster the gun for any reason and the gun disarms.

    1. Re:Not really practical by flyneye · · Score: 1

      The only reasonable market I can fathom for it is the competition shooter who has 8 kids in the house and a lazy safety attitude. Assuming the .22 is worth a damn in the first place. I can't picture this demographic financially supporting production.

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
  26. Here's an idea... by wjsteele · · Score: 1, Interesting

    How about pricing it in Dollars and giving the measurements in Inches. That way us US customers (who is, after all, the apparent market) can actually buy and understand it.

    BTW... I'll be damned if I'm going to use a gun that also makes me put on a watch. Imaging having to deal with that in the middle of the night when someone tries to break into your house. Let's see, can I use the watch on my left hand and have the gun in my right? 20cm... let's see... that 2.54 cm per inch, so 20 div... BAM... No, I've been shot!

    No thanks... I'll stick with my Kimber 1911. No measurements required and sold for US $. And I'm pretty sure any would be attacker would notice getting hit with it.

    Bill

    --
    It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
    1. Re:Here's an idea... by jonbryce · · Score: 1

      20 cm ~= 8 inches

      €7000 = $9706.20 at current exchange rates. Call it $10,000 after adding obscure taxes an so on to the total.

      I guess quoting the price in Euros makes it sound cheaper.

    2. Re:Here's an idea... by flyneye · · Score: 1

      I love my Kimber as well. Low velocity bullets are perfect for home protection and less likely to travel outside your walls while the impact shock is absolutely disabling no matter where you hit the assailant. .45 acp, gotta' love it.

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    3. Re:Here's an idea... by Neoprofin · · Score: 2, Informative

      Statistics on actual shooting deaths from the L.A.P.D. would tend to disagree with you.

      There's no replacement for shot placement. The only reason no one has ever been shot 31 times with a .45 in the news is because most of them are single stack.

    4. Re:Here's an idea... by Ragzouken · · Score: 1

      In a life or death situation you'd just put the watch on the same arm you're holding the gun with.

    5. Re:Here's an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm pretty sure the reason no one has ever been shot 31 times with a .45 is because if you hit them with say... the first 3, then you don't have a lot of reason to keep shooting them.

    6. Re:Here's an idea... by flyneye · · Score: 1

      If you don't kill them the first time, at least the shock will take them down, enabling more time for that head shot.
              Publicly released statistics from a skewed organization in the nanny state don't carry much water with me anyway. It falls in the wrong column in the "who can you believe" list.
      Lies, damned lies and statistics, as they say.
      I'm willing to bet most of the .45 shooting deaths around there are by gang bangers who hold the gun in a "fashionable" way, negating much accuracy. Most clips for .45 hold less than 8 shots. If you just had to put 31 into a target you would need a Thompson, 4 clips or 31 armed "gangstas" on a good day.

                 

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    7. Re:Here's an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As well as the fact that a .45 makes large holes that let in a lot of air and let out a lot of blood.

    8. Re:Here's an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Statistics on actual shooting deaths from the L.A.P.D. would tend to disagree with you. .... There's no replacement for shot placement.

      And that, my friend, is why I use a 50cal exclusively, for home defense. Everyone gets antsy when limbs start disappearing..

    9. Re:Here's an idea... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      It's nice to talk on the internet with theoreticians. I'm sad to say I couldn't dig up the California report I was looking for that says you're just as likely to die being shot with a 9mm as a .45ACP (although this leaves wiggle room as to how long a person would live after being shot which has proven harder to measure).

      I can however give you the FBI brief on wounding factors and effectiveness (which can be found on reproduced on various websites and exists on FBI.gov but is inaccessible) which states that a higher caliber rarely makes a difference. You may want to consider some of their other fine reports which cover fun things like over penetration (most shots miss anyway) and "knockdown force" (which is a physical impossibility but still trumpeted as a strength of larger calibers). I'm not saying that most people survive repeated shootings of any caliber, just that the caliber in question being a .45 doesn't make much difference.

    10. Re:Here's an idea... by BlueStrat · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As well as the fact that a .45 makes large holes that let in a lot of air and let out a lot of blood.

      Long story involving a friend back in the '70s with a Class 3 FFL, I ended up with a chance to fire a Thompson 1928 (among a number of other weapons that day) at a hanging wild-hog carcass that weighed around 200 lbs. The entry points were just a bit bigger than the bullet (.45 ACP FMJ) however the exit wounds were anywhere from 2-1/2"/3" up to about 6" or a bit more that I attribute to how the bullet happened to tumble.

      The bottom line was the thing was a mess after 2 or 3 rounds, and after the 5th and 6th, there just wasn't much left to hit except chunks hanging together even using FMJ ammo. I asked about hollow-point and soft-nose ammo, but I was told the Thompsons (and many other MGs and SMGs, and even some semi-auto pistols) tend to experience jams and feed problems with non-jacketed ammo.

      Personally, my home-defense weapon-of-choice is a 12ga pump shotgun like the Mossberg 500. The ability to choose the type of load makes it particularly suited to home-defense.

      I keep 2 rounds of birdshot first, followed up with buckshot for the remaining rounds. At ranges of 25 feet or less as within a typical home or apartment, it doesn't much matter if the shell is birdshot or a slug, it will still put a 2"-3" hole in a person. Birdshot is far less likely to over-penetrate and/or penetrate walls/floors/ceilings possibly causing collateral damage to innocent bystanders.

      If I've fired 2 rounds of birdshot and going for more, I then figure I must be in a firefight so it's buckshot and all bets are off as I'm fighting for survival.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    11. Re:Here's an idea... by BlackHawk-666 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'd just tape the watch onto the gun with duct tape.

      --
      All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
    12. Re:Here's an idea... by wjsteele · · Score: 1

      Now that was damn funny!!!

      Bill

      --
      It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
    13. Re:Here's an idea... by wjsteele · · Score: 1

      Ah... but that's LA... try looking at the statistics from Chicago. I understand the Thompson was used in a few "contracts" that possibly used more than 31 bullets. In fact, Feb 14th comes to mind for some reason.

      Bill

      --
      It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
    14. Re:Here's an idea... by Vegeta99 · · Score: 1

      Or would you? A righty's gonna put a watch on his left wrist, that's much easier than the converse. Then, try to fire with their right hand.

      I guess I'm lucky. I'm a righty, but left eye dominant, so shoot left handed. Guess this wouldn't bother me, if I didn't have to use the shitty-looking watch that comes with it.

    15. Re:Here's an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >If I've fired 2 rounds of birdshot and going for more, I then figure I must be in a firefight so it's buckshot and all bets are off as I'm fighting for survival.
      Just a question, how many people posting (or reading) here have ever been, as a civilian, in a situation where a gun was necessary?

    16. Re:Here's an idea... by mousse-man · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Then go for a 12 gauge shotgun with bird shot. Perfect up to 10 meters, and yes, it can and does kill, even with less-than-perfect shot placement. At less than five meters, you have the same effect as a huge Glaser safety slug that upon impact, transforms from a solid bullet into a frangible one, for a fraction of the cost of that new-fangled bullet and it's legal everywhere where smooth-bore shotguns are legal (which might make it California, Ohio and New Jersey-legal).

      However, there's not much over-penetration, if any. A brick wall will stop the pellets, and at more than 10m, even a wooden door might.

      And most criminals, upon hearing a shotgun being racked WILL rethink their idea to burglarize your home. And if you're against taking life, just do what Marsellus Wallace did in Pulp Fiction on Zed.

    17. Re:Here's an idea... by russotto · · Score: 1

      I can however give you the FBI brief on wounding factors and effectiveness (which can be found on reproduced on various websites and exists on FBI.gov but is inaccessible) which states that a higher caliber rarely makes a difference.

      Uhh, the conclusion of that paper says just the opposite.

      The critical element is penetration. The bullet must pass through the large, blood bearing organs and be of sufficient diameter to promote rapid bleeding. Penetration less than 12 inches is too little, and, in the words of two of the participants in the
      1987 Wound Ballistics Workshop, "too little penetration will get you killed."42, 43 Given desirable and reliable penetration, the only way to increase bullet effectiveness is to increase the severity of the wound by increasing the size of hole made by the bullet. Any bullet which will not penetrate through vital organs from less than optimal angles is not acceptable. Of those that will penetrate, the edge is always with the bigger bullet.

      A .22LR fired from a pistol has poor penetration and makes a small hole. The .45 and 9mm are a different story; one is a big slow round and the other is a smaller faster round; you're trading off penetration for wound size. Both are much bigger than a .22LR.

    18. Re:Here's an idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only reason no one has ever been shot 31 times with a .45 in the news is because most of them are single stack.

      Not sure of the caliber, but, a couple of years back, a mentally disturbed guy was cornered by the CHP in the grassy area at a freeway offramp. He bent over and picked up a rock. He was shot over thirty times. One of the bloodthirsty, testosterone-poisoned, bastard cops actually reloaded his semi THREE times so he could keep firing.

      Then he probably went home that night feeling like a real stallion and fucked his wife's brains out.

    19. Re:Here's an idea... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      Pardon the miscommunication. My point was more directed at the legion of people on the internet who believe the .45ACP to be the smallest acceptable handgun caliber in existence. Among the common calibers which could be expected to reliably penetrate (.38 Special, 9MM, .357, .40, .45, .44) there has been little provable difference in lethality or stopping power.

    20. Re:Here's an idea... by wjsteele · · Score: 1

      In a life or death situation, I'll be grabbing for Kimber, thank you.

      Bill

      --
      It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
    21. Re:Here's an idea... by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      Just a question, how many people posting (or reading) here have ever been, as a civilian, in a situation where a gun was necessary?

      I'm one. No, I didn't kill anyone as the person that attempted to commit burglary at my residence was not foolish and complied with my commands, and was subsequently arrested & then convicted. The person in question had a crowbar (and also outweighed me by at least 50 pounds) so things might have turned out for the worse if I had not been armed.

      There's much to be said for the psychological effect of hearing the sound of a 12ga pump shotgun being racked and then staring down that gigantic-looking muzzle on someone's willingness to peacefully cooperate. :)

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
  27. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Look on the bright side... Eventually the number of Youtube videos containing drunk-ass morons will decrease :)

  28. Re:Other Geeky Tech in that article: Automatic sco by NormalVisual · · Score: 1

    More critical weaknesses - no accounting for muzzle velocity. At 500 yards, a bullet traveling at 4000 fps will not hit the same spot as one traveling at 3000 fps as it's not had time to fall as far. And of course, with any scope there are still the issues of wind and drift incurred by the barrel warming up over repeated shots.

    --
    Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
  29. World's most expensive .22 by HangingChad · · Score: 4, Funny

    The .22 caliber guns will go on sale in the US within months, and the initial price is 7,000 euro.

    A $12,000 .22 is a completely safe weapon because no one in their right mind would buy one. It's useless for defense unless you're being attacked by balloons, it'll pop those.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
    1. Re:World's most expensive .22 by Kozz · · Score: 1

      I know you're joking, but the truth is that a .22 round is more than capable of killing. Years ago, some people used to use them for deer hunting in some areas, but that smaller caliber was banned for deer hunting here in WI -- just not quite lethal ENOUGH (slow death bleeding out) with (frequently) no exit wound.

      And unless you're a gun expert, can you tell the difference between this .22 and this 9mm? If you believe that simply holding a functional weapon is a deterrent, your enemy probably isn't going to have time to inspect the details...

      --
      I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
    2. Re:World's most expensive .22 by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And unless you're a gun expert, can you tell the difference between this .22 [gunshopfinder.com] and this 9mm [tripod.com]?

      Your first link is to a .40 caliber, not a .22. Probably the "Glock 22" name fooled you, but Glock's numbering scheme as nothing to do with caliber.

      In general, you don't have to be an expert to tell the difference between a .22 and a 9mm - the hole in the front is way smaller on the .22

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    3. Re:World's most expensive .22 by Kozz · · Score: 1

      OK, I didn't pay enough attention to my google-fu details... I guess my point is that if you're looking at the business-end of a gun, there are plenty of .22 pistols that look very similar to larger-caliber guns.

      And if you're being threatened with one, you may not really be paying enough attention to determine the caliber, aside from the fact that it could be a deadly encounter, regardless.

      --
      I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
    4. Re:World's most expensive .22 by swillden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I know you're joking, but the truth is that a .22 round is more than capable of killing.

      I can't find the reference at the moment, but I've seen statistics showing the .22LR as the cartridge that kills the most people annually in the US. It's not recommended as a self-defense round because it is less likely to result in a quick stop than heavier cartridges, and the fact that it's a rimfire makes it less reliable than centerfire rounds, but it kills people just fine.

      If you believe that simply holding a functional weapon is a deterrent, your enemy probably isn't going to have time to inspect the details...

      Since 95% of firearms self-defense incidents do not involve a shot being fired, not only is caliber unimportant, it usually doesn't even matter if the firearm is functional.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    5. Re:World's most expensive .22 by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I guess my point is that if you're looking at the business-end of a gun, there are plenty of .22 pistols that look very similar to larger-caliber guns.

      Not unless you're in panic-mode. A .22 is so much smaller than any other pistol caliber (except .25, which is also a weeny round) that it can't be mistaken for much else from the front.

      Now, if it's not pointed at you, you might be forgiven for making the mistake of not recognizing a .22 - there are .22 adapters for the M1911, for example. But not if you're looking down the barrel.

      And if you're being threatened with one, you may not really be paying enough attention to determine the caliber, aside from the fact that it could be a deadly encounter, regardless.

      When you're being threatened with a firearm, it focuses your attention marvelously. That's when you're MORE likely to notice little things like that tiny hole in front.

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    6. Re:World's most expensive .22 by Kozz · · Score: 1

      I guess my point is that if you're looking at the business-end of a gun, there are plenty of .22 pistols that look very similar to larger-caliber guns.

      Not unless you're in panic-mode. A .22 is so much smaller than any other pistol caliber (except .25, which is also a weeny round) that it can't be mistaken for much else from the front.

      And yet, police shoot-to-kill when confronted with something that only vaguely looks like a firearm (squirtgun? cellphone? keys?). It can't always be easy-peasy, can it?

      --
      I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
    7. Re:World's most expensive .22 by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      And yet, police shoot-to-kill when confronted with something that only vaguely looks like a firearm (squirtgun? cellphone? keys?). It can't always be easy-peasy, can it?

      What, and you think that the police never go into panic-mode?

      Note that "shoot first and ask questions later" is a lot easier if you're pretty sure your job description means you'll get away with murder if you make a mistake.

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    8. Re:World's most expensive .22 by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      I want to know who all these people are who consider being shot with a .22 round to be something to brush off. It's still a lethal bullet. It will go straight through you at 100 yards.

  30. With a Guarantee... by flyneye · · Score: 2, Insightful

    All these handicapped munitions come with a guarantee that you will have a higher chance of being killed in a confrontation.
    Gun owners know this.
              The only sensible one is possibly the .22, if it is match grade. Nobody smart keeps one for self defense anyway and the safety feature will help ensure that the stupid have another layer of security against kids screwing with it that is largely taken care of with standard safety practices anyway.

    --
    *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    1. Re:With a Guarantee... by east+coast · · Score: 1

      It doesn't need to be match grade. The vast majority of guys who like to plink with a 22 handgun use a Ruger Mk II and worse. The guy with a Hammerli isn't letting this thing sit out on his night stand or tucked away in his sock drawer.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    2. Re:With a Guarantee... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      It would be more in line with their aesthetic choice though. I'm a little worried by the enthusiasm towards guns that look like space blasters and the toy like enthusiasm that surrounds them. Admittedly none of this is probably from serious shooters, just guys on the internet with a little too much money to burn.

    3. Re:With a Guarantee... by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Dick Heller's gun is a .22.

    4. Re:With a Guarantee... by flyneye · · Score: 1

      Dick who?

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    5. Re:With a Guarantee... by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      He's famous. You could google him. Might even learn something.

    6. Re:With a Guarantee... by flyneye · · Score: 1

      Well, good for Mr. Heller.
      But since the constitution applies to the citizens of the several states and D.C. and federal grounds are not part of the several states I'm sure they're going to give him the same rigmarole given defendants in tax court. Those rights do not apply here , sorry.
            Too bad for Dick, too bad for us all. A .22 is a piss poor weapon against anything bigger than a rabbit anyway.

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
  31. Re:Strange fascination by Neoprofin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Firearms manufacturing is one of the oldest forms of craft and art in the United States as is evident by Pennsylvania's recent push to honor the Pennsylvania long rifle as a storied part of their national history. Furthermore many involve masterful engineering and mechanics as well as providing a fun hobby to enjoy outdoors either in the form of casual target shooting or hunting.

    Oh. You just wanted to register your arrogant distaste? I wont be so bold as to presume you're from a nation on another continent that bans ownership to its own citizens but happily exports them to nations around the world, but I will say you'd be surprised how much more understandable the interest is when they're a common and generally harmless part of your existence rather than an evil bogeyman.

  32. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Kozz · · Score: 1

    I also envision a slew of YouTube videos of drunk-ass morons popping their friends with these to see what it feels like.

    This is also how I've felt about concealed carry laws... that drunk morons will hurt/kill themselves or people around them. But when it comes right down to it, drunk morons seem perfectly capable of hurting themselves or others even without guns (of any kind).

    --
    I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
  33. Re:Strange fascination by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

    Pennsylvania state history, US national history as part of the Revolutionary War, pardon.

  34. Re:Strange fascination by StoatBringer · · Score: 0, Troll

    Don't you know anything? If every citizen is not armed to the teeth, the King of England could just waltz right in, take over and make everyone his slave.

    Is that what you want? 'Cos that's what'll happen!

    --
    Cress, cress, lovely lovely cress
  35. Post may contain sarcasm by just_a_monkey · · Score: 1

    Then you're doing it wrong. You should always fire double-handed.

    --
    How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean.
  36. Summary incorrect - they're not rubber bullets by name_already_taken · · Score: 1

    Civilians can already buy "rubber bullets". If you actually read the article and look at the pictures, you'll see that the projectiles in question are not the things usually referred to as rubber bullets.

    The difference is that the rounds in the article feature projectiles that are designed to be so soft that they are unlikely to kill. They are almost completely unlike rubber bullets.

    Normal rubber bullets are exactly that - bullets made of rubber. These are different because they are not bullet-shaped, and the rubber compound is softer. It's more akin to the difference between being hit by a rubber ball or a wadded up ball of paper.

    The plus side, for someone using the koosh-style shotgun rounds is that they're designed to be less-than-lethal, so even if you do kill someone with them, you can point to the fact that you didn't intend to kill them (otherwise you'd have been using lethal rounds) when it comes time for the wrongful death suit from the burglar's family.

    --
    Putting moderation advice in your .sig lowers your karma!
  37. Re:Strange fascination by witch-doktor · · Score: 1

    What is with you being so close minded, judgmental and groupist? Guns aren't bad and repulsive. Some people are sure, but that's hardly the guns' fault. Unless you are talking about this gun

  38. Another manufacturer down the drain by Theodore · · Score: 1

    "Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson was awarded a $1.7 million federal grant last year to work on developing the technology and has spent $5 million on development since 1993."

    First Colt leaves the civ market, and now S&W is pulling this kinda crap?
    So much for the americans, at least we still have Glock, SIG, and FN.

    I might not have problems with it if police were also limited in the same way.
    Once cops start dying due to this crap...
    Oh hell, I was gonna say that the sheep might be persuaded to change their minds, but they'd probably be rallied into even greater attacks on the 2nd amendment.
    I wonder how loud people in these states would scream if they had to get a "speedy trial permit" to have their case (of any type: traffic, criminal, civil) heard within a year, or a "free speech permit" to complain about their elected officials.

    This kinda stuff brings up the same questions I have with California and cars...
    Instead of capitulating to their demands, manufacturers should say "You want us to follow these crazy fantastical guidelines to sell IN your state? Fine, we just won't sell TO your state... No, not even to govt. agencies. No new parts, no spare parts, nothing."

    As far as "less-lethal" rounds being available to the public...
    OK,,, as long as AP rounds are also as freely available to the public.
    Like someone else has said, "less-lethal" rounds will just lead to dumb-asses shooting each other for fun, they needing care for a burst kidney or spleen.

    The best way to keep the people safe, is for the people to be armed, and trained in the use of weapons (not just firearms).

    1. Re:Another manufacturer down the drain by Leebert · · Score: 2, Insightful

      or a "free speech permit" to complain about their elected officials.

      Ummm...
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zone

  39. Ban guns altogether by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Should just ban guns like done in the UK, worked well enough here.

  40. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This, unfortunately, assumes that the Darwin Award winning rate exceeds the rate at which drunk-ass morons can reproduce.

  41. Re:Strange fascination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am often get confused by the strange idea that other countries do not allow guns, i live in the england and it is perfectly legal a own a gun (although only for rifles and shotguns, handguns were completely banned after Dunblane) as long as you,

    Have no criminal record (traffic offenses dont count)
    Have never failed a psyhciatric evaluation
    Have a safe place to store the gun where minors cant access it (this wil be checked)
    Have a working knowledge of guns and their use (there used to be a course you had to attend, no idea now as i havent owned a gun since i moved to the city)

    If you meet these criteria you will be granted a firearms license 9 times out of 10

    Guns are fine as long as decent control measures are in place, i wouldnt want people failing the first two to get one

  42. Re:Other Geeky Tech in that article: Automatic sco by e3m4n · · Score: 1

    Im sure ballistics is part of the settings. If its smart enough to calculate range, it probably knows altitude based on atmo pressure. Theres probably some setting for cartrige 5.56x45, 7.62x51, .308, .223. That would just leave grain variants, wind, and rifling twists. Still though, thats a lot fewer calculations to deal with than before. My problem is at 500yds even 12" is hard to see, need more practice :)

  43. "This colossal revolver" by lee+n.+field · · Score: 1

    Armatix will eventually offer higher caliber guns, like this colossal revolver, as well as rifles and shotguns.

    "This colossal revolver" Looks about S&W K-frame size to me.

    Wired goes to SHOT show. They should play to their strengths. Don't they have a hoplophile on staff?

    Magnum Research's BFR (official parsing is "Biggest Finest Revolver") might qualify.

    And no, an electronically disable-able gun is not a good idea.

    1. Re:"This colossal revolver" by MagusSlurpy · · Score: 1

      Wired goes to SHOT show. They should play to their strengths. Don't they have a hoplophile on staff?

      Yeah, but they almost made up for that with this statement about the three-round taser:

      It’s anybody’s guess whether armed civilians will abuse their ability to shock people repeatedly, the way that cops do.

      --
      My sister opened a computer store in Hawaii. She sells C shells by the seashore.
  44. Re:Strange fascination by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

    Oh, firearms by themselves are fun, as is shooting. But if you need to be heavily armed for self defence, then there is something very wrong with the society you live in.

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  45. For this price tag... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For this price tag it better be Rolex.

  46. What use is a gun that won't shoot? by littlewink · · Score: 2, Informative

    And a similar system has been available since the 70's: The The Magna-Trigger Conversion is a ring that activates a firearm.

    Costs about $350 + $60 for each ring.

  47. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by johnlcallaway · · Score: 1

    Rubber bullets sometimes kill, too.

    There .. fixed that for you....

    --
    I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
  48. Nothing beats common sense firearm safety... by suprcvic · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...Nothing! This firearm is a dead father waiting to happen. If you can't properly secure your firearm WITHOUT something like this, you shouldn't be handling a firearm.

  49. Pff, that can only stop pussies! by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

    Real men walk up to the cop/soldier, flip his gun upwards under his chin, and push his own finger against the trigger, and blow their head off in the blink of an eye! Just like Riddick in Return to Butcher Bay / that Dark Athena extension. ;) (Really fun game btw! Best movie adaptation ever!)

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
  50. Simple Rules for Everyone (USMC Style) by carp3_noct3m · · Score: 1

    Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot. Keep your weapon on safe until you are ready to fire. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire. And Know your target and what's behind it. (People see too many movies and forget that bullets go beyond what you are aiming at all the time, whether it be ricochets, or going through drywall like its paper) *More lessons upon request =)

    --
    "It's ok, I'm completely secure as long as my iron is off"
  51. Re:Strange fascination by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What is it with you americans that you're so fascinated with this stuff? For a member of a normal civilian society in peace, these things are just bad and repulsive.

    Well, frankly, it's a hell of a lot of fun to take a few targets out into the desert and spend an afternoon shooting holes in them.

    Or down to the range, if you don't have a convenient desert.

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
  52. Defensive firearms must be utterly reliable by peektwice · · Score: 1

    Defensive firearms must be utterly reliable. This firearm, by definition, is not utterly reliable. I can see them being sued because their product didn't function at the one time it was desperately needed. I predict that it will sell a few copies, and then fizzle. However, that won't stop the anti-gun lobby and idiot Democrats from attempting to pass laws requiring that all firearms have this bug (I mean "feature).

    --
    Other than this text, there is no discernible information contained in this sig.
  53. Smart guns... Judge Dredd by jgreco · · Score: 1

    Am I the only one who is reminded of "Judge Dredd", with the Judges carrying smart guns that kill anyone else who pick them up? Is that the next evolution in gun control? I don't remember the exact wording, but I remember the scene in Dredd where Rico is being told "Don't pick that up, it's a Judge's gun!" and Rico grabs it and shoots the guy, saying, "Well, then, I must be a Judge."

  54. Foreshadowed by Judge Dredd by HockeyPuck · · Score: 1

    In the comic book the gun would explode if it did not detect the correct palm print (of the owner) when fired. While in the Stallone movie, the gun would deliver a powerful electric shock. I think the gun would also encode each bullet with the DNA of the shooter for bullet identification...

  55. Gun control is never about making the world safer by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

    This is a monumentally stupid idea and an even more stupid law. No gun control legislation is ever about keeping people safe. There are some 20,000 gun control laws on the books and none of them prevented Ft. Hood, or Columbine, or post-Katrina New Orleans. Gun control law are always (ALWAYS) about giving some politician the ability to say "I did something. Re-elect me." Gun control is always about shifting power from those who have it to those who crave it.

  56. We don't really blame the guns but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm a left wing political activist and for stricter gun control. I can't of course speak for everyone who would like to see more restrictions on handguns but I believe that my opinions reflect most of us.

    We don't blame firearms. Really, firearms are simply small mechanical constructs and can't be held responsible for anything, we most certainly acknowledge this. When a negligience happens, we blame the negligient people.

    So, if it only were possible to uphold a law that restricts firearms from negligient people (and all kinds of odd nutjobs) but would allow responsible people to have them, we would be all rooting for that kind of laws. But such laws aren't possible so the options are to force restrictions on nobody (=no restrictions on negligient people) or everybody.

    It is the same thing with every other aspect of society. For example: drinking and driving. Some people might be able to use alcohol and drive somewhat responsibly, choosing slower speeds, less trafficked roads, etc... But many people won't. So, we make laws restricting drunken driving. Yes, that does force the restrictions on responsible people too and that's a shame. It simply isn't practically possible to differentiate between them and negligient people.

    1. Re:We don't really blame the guns but... by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

      I think the gun laws of CA which feature limits on magazine size (which is only effective in stopping a madman who forgets how to reload or wants to kill more than 10 people) and on mostly cosmetic factors such as pistol grips (because that makes every rifle more deadly?) and bayonet lugs (honestly?) rather than working on tougher enforcement of the rules that are already on the books involving record keeping would argue against the logic of the gun control lobby in general.

      Why ban .50 rifles that cost upwards of $3000 and are are about as subtle as a freight train when a nice .223 or even a .22 can be purchased for a couple hundred dollars by anyone over the age of 18? Why not close the loopholes in certain states that allow "missing" guns to not be reported stolen until after they turn up at a crime scene hundreds of miles away or being more on the lookout for strawman buying? Why not crack down on the record keeping of shops that have a tendency to lose half their inventory instead trying to add more checks and paperwork and permits that only affect people that actually buy guns legally?

      I find myself more on the right than the left of this issue, and some days it sickens me because the NRA is batshit out of their minds, but at least I don't have to watch them on the news here telling me how a new law is going to solve all my problems.

    2. Re:We don't really blame the guns but... by theripper · · Score: 1

      If your options are:

      1. Don't restrict things and punish those that break the law after they've broken it.
      2. Restrict things only for those that would use them in a way that would break the law.
      3. Restrict things for everybody, even those who don't need the restriction.

      The only viable option is option one. Two was stated by you to be impossible and three is repugnant.

    3. Re:We don't really blame the guns but... by strong_epoxy · · Score: 1

      It all depends on your view of humanity. Are we sheep requiring strict shepherding buy our Harvard educated betters, judging what risks should be allowed and forbidden? Or are we free, equal people allow to pursue liberty as we see fit, and being able to defend ourselves, family, neighbors, and property.

      In the former, gun ownership by the citizenry MUST be STRICTLY forbidden. The later, encouraged.

    4. Re:We don't really blame the guns but... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      You forget that as long as you live in a society, your freedom stops right where the freedom of others begins.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  57. Re:Other Geeky Tech in that article: Automatic sco by NormalVisual · · Score: 1

    No, the Burris scope uses the laser diode to find range, and then lets you set a "drop number" that applies a specific offset to the calculated distance. They have drop numbers for several hundred different commercial cartridges, but those cartridges will perform differently in different guns (due to barrel length, etc.), and there's lots of guys that load their own that will have to determine things by trial and error.

    For the same price I think I'd rather have a nice Leupold scope with better optics.

    --
    Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
  58. Arm overloading. by tomhath · · Score: 1

    Now when you're armed you need to wear a watch on your arm to arm your arm.

    1. Re:Arm overloading. by Butterwaffle+Biff · · Score: 1

      Some people take the right to bear arms seriously. You need to watch it with the puns. They might clock you with a hand and then a second hand.

  59. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ........ Every firearm I've ever purchased lays it out plane as day:

    1) Know your target and what's behind it.

    2) Assume every gun is loaded.

    3) Do not aim at or pull the trigger on anything you don't want to kill or destroy.

    I'm glad your kids can read

    If I had kids I could understand the value of this.

    1) Kids do not understand death - The targets mummy after you shoother she will get up and walk again won't she?

    2) Kids see guns as toys - what are bullets? -
                  How do you load a gun?

    3) Ask a child what is death?

  60. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You forgot rule four.
    4) EVERY FUCKING GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED.

    And yes, I saw rule 2.

  61. Forward-Backward Pistol by rdmiller3 · · Score: 1

    There is already an existing, better idea. I don't remember exactly where I saw it, but I think it was in a "Get Smart" episode or movie.

    The forward-backward pistol looks like an ordinary pistol but it can fire either towards the front or towards the rear, depending upon which way the user pushes the trigger.

    The trick is that it's counter-intuitive.

    To fire forwards, you have to get your finger behind the trigger and push it forward. If you pull the trigger backward toward yourself, you shoot yourself.

    Although it was hilarious seeing this pistol's peculiarity in a comedy sitcom, I admit that it may not be so hilarious from the viewpoint of a user under stress.

  62. Re:Strange fascination by lwsimon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I find this system to be completely intrusive and unnecessary, as an American.

    No criminal record is acceptable, I suppose, though here in the US that bar seems to be getting lower and lower over time. When it was limited to felonies, and felonies were violent crimes, that was fine. But now it is expanded to white-collar crimes and domestic assault that results in a misdemeanor.

    No failed psych eval makes sense, but again - that bar keeps getting lower too. I've heard tales of ex-military being denied a weapon because of a decade-old PTSD diagnosis. This only makes it less likely for them to seek treatment.

    Safe storage? Fifth Amendment. No law enforcement officer will ever enter my home unless they have a warrant or are acting on an emergency.

    Working knowledge of guns? How do you propose to measure this? Anyone who can read can have a "working knowledge of firearms and their use" in about 30 minutes. Sounds like an arbitrary test, to me. One that can be manipulated by whomever is responsible for administering it.

    See, we Americans have a widespread cultural mistrust of government.

    --
    Learn about Photography Basics.
  63. Re:Strange fascination by KevinIsOwn · · Score: 0, Troll

    See, we Americans have a widespread cultural mistrust of government.

    Don't go accusing all of us Americans of being as paranoid as you. There are plenty of us who find it perfectly reasonable for the state to ensure that weapons are only owned by people who know how to properly and safely use them.

    And it's not that hard to measure knowledge of guns, especially if you force people to take a course on them (or perhaps test out of the course). You could ask about safe storage methods, situations in which gun use is legal, etc. There's nothing arbitrary about it- we rely on certifications in almost every part of our society to ensure that somebody has the knowledge they claim they have, and there's no reason that gun ownership should be any different, given the consequences to the people around the gun owner should they not properly handle the weapon.

  64. Guns are equalizers by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Guns are the great equalizers: swords and arrows require a heckuva lot more practice to become proficient than guns. It's no wonder governments are afraid of mere citizens having them. What is surprising is the number of ordinary people who have nothing to fear from guns but a lot to fear from governments who have somehow managed to swallow the government anti-gun propaganda. Think for yourself.

    People using guns save far more lives and prevent far more crimes than do criminals using guns. Studies show anywhere from 1.5 million (by the gun hating CDC) to 2.5 million (by a gun loving professor) crimes prevented by the use of guns, usually no more than the criminal seeing it or hearing it, seldom by actually using it. Most gun crimes in the US are by criminals on criminals. Cars kill far more people.

    Considering there are more guns in the US than cars, 300 million of them, one per citizen, they are used incredibly safely. Those who think guns are bad no doubt must think worse of cars.

    And the most fun gun statistic in the US: if you have one neighbor with guns and one neighbor with a swimming pool, your kids are seven times as likely to die in the pool neighbor's pool than from the gun neighbor's guns.

    1. Re:Guns are equalizers by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      There are far too many differences among countries for those statistics to mean anything. You can find any number of interesting correlations, but none of them mean anything; some are blatantly useless, others appear meaningful, and there is nothing to distinguish uesless from meaningful other than preconceived notions of what to expect.

    2. Re:Guns are equalizers by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      What GP wanted to say is that living in a more peaceful society is way safer than being armed to the teeth. Don't treat the symptoms, treat the illness.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    3. Re:Guns are equalizers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What GP wanted to say is that living in a more peaceful society is way safer than being armed to the teeth.

      Until your neighbors need some lebensraum that is.

    4. Re:Guns are equalizers by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Are you afraid of Canadians?

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  65. Funnily Enough by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    I can see those being adopted most heavily in police or military situations, where some PHB is more likely to determine what kind of gun you get. I can see some upper management type in some police department somewhere thinking this is a good idea. None of the police officers I've known personally would go for it though.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  66. Black Koch Rifle by murpium · · Score: 1

    Are the rumors about it true?

  67. 20cm, eh? by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

    Surely, at this cheap price, only thugs on the street will be buying it. Oh wait, that's over 10 times what a nice .22 pistol costs...

    And the 20 inches: how is that going to prevent it from being used against you? If you're struggling with someone over a gun, you're in close proximity. They grab it, pull the trigger: voila, you've got a bullet in yourself - you were well within 20cm from the gun, because you were trying to grab it.

    This, unlike computers, might have a total of 10 interested buyers in the US. Why would I want this hideous, crippled gun (which likely has very little attention put into the actual firearm mechanism compared to even something like an entry-level Ruger) when I can get a uh, Ruger .22 in the $300 ballpark?

    And for self defense, how about something a little bigger than .22? .22 is for gangster thugs, target practice, and shooting rodents. Anyone who would buy a sci-fi gun like that, with such poor ability, and a glowing light on it for the purpose of self-defense deserves to be killed.

    --
    ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  68. The O'Dwyer VLE by Cruciform · · Score: 1

    O'Dwyer had prototypes for handguns that were armed and disarmed by a wedding-band-like ring, which probably contained an RFID tag, a decade ago.

    These are the guys that created Metal Storm, which is probably one of the coolest gun videos on YouTube :)

    1. Re:The O'Dwyer VLE by Kreigaffe · · Score: 1

      The mechanism in those guns never worked right. Smith & Wesson did the same thing. I don't know of any demonstrations where the guns worked right, but I do know of several in which they surreptitiously disabled the electronic locking mechanism in order to demonstrating it firing.

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  69. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by kent_eh · · Score: 1

    Every firearm I've ever purchased lays it out plane as day:

    1) Know your target and what's behind it.
    2) Assume every gun is loaded.
    3) Do not aim at or pull the trigger on anything you don't want to kill or destroy.

    Now all you have to do is find some way of ensuring that everyone in possession of a firearm actually does those things.

    --

    ---
    "I can't complain, but sometimes still do..." Joe Walsh
  70. You know what that is called... by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 1

    A "Brute Force Attack". The name was never more appropriate!

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  71. Re:Strange fascination by medoc · · Score: 1

    Given that I address "americans" it would seem reasonable to deduct that I am from another continent, and I'll give you a point for this (does this make me even more "arrogant"?)

    Most objects in the article are designed to kill or harm human beings, I still think quite reasonable to find them repulsive. We're not looking at hunting rifles here. There is even this nice knife which guarantees an easier decapitation thanks to hi-tech serrations...

    About the exporting question, the exact relevance to the present argument is a bit beyond my reach. My country also exports edible snails and frog legs which I personnally find quite repulsive too.

    Stopping here before my nationality becomes too transparent.

  72. Hey funboys, get a room by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great, a gun that won't work when you really need it.. Not to mention that .22 is mostly used for target shooting and not defense.

  73. Re:Strange fascination by denzacar · · Score: 0, Troll

    See, we Americans have a widespread cultural mistrust of government.

    See... I am not an American, but I have this distinct feeling that you have just insulted a great number of your compatriots.
    AND a whole bunch of Canadians, Mexicans and all those people in South America.

    No criminal record is acceptable, I suppose, though here in the US that bar seems to be getting lower and lower over time. When it was limited to felonies, and felonies were violent crimes, that was fine. But now it is expanded to white-collar crimes and domestic assault that results in a misdemeanor.

    ANY crime record is an indication of tendency towards being a fuckup. It is not a prolonged punishment.
    It is just an indicator that not only does the person in case have a tendency toward breaking the law, but also that he/she has a tendency of doing stupid things - like getting caught and sentenced.
    Such people should NOT be allowed to have guns. Period.

    No failed psych eval makes sense, but again - that bar keeps getting lower too. I've heard tales of ex-military being denied a weapon because of a decade-old PTSD diagnosis. This only makes it less likely for them to seek treatment.

    So what if the person in case is a ten times decorated war veteran who lost 3 legs and four arms fighting for the country?
    If he still believes that Charlies are about to get him he should NOT be allowed to have a gun.
    And any history of mental disorder is again - an indicator towards problems with reasoning. Sorry, no gun for the crazy person.

    Safe storage? Fifth Amendment. No law enforcement officer will ever enter my home unless they have a warrant or are acting on an emergency.

    One - that is not the fifth amendment. You are thinking about the fourth.

    5th: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

    4th: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

    And two - your statement that you want to purchase a gun and be issued a license for it gives police the "probable cause" to INSPECT FOR SAFETY whichever location it is that you will be holding your gun at.
    If you refuse to let them in - then they have a probable cause to come back with a warrant cause there is a chance that you are planning to simply ignore the law.
    In other words - you intend to break the law.
    And I do believe that we all agree that there should be no illegal guns and gun owners out there, right?

    Working knowledge of guns? How do you propose to measure this? Anyone who can read can have a "working knowledge of firearms and their use" in about 30 minutes. Sounds like an arbitrary test, to me. One that can be manipulated by whomever is responsible for administering it.

    Simple. But not arbitrary.

    Holding gun properly - as in by the grip and not like a club. When you are letting people use a tool specifically designed to kill people - assume that they are complete morons.
    Handling gun safely - not pointing it at other people "for fun", understanding the use of the safety.
    Being able to load an

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  74. OP has the facts wrong. by fhage · · Score: 1
    The makers says it uses fingerprints to activate the watch.

    The Armatix SmartGun concept consits of a weapon that requires locking, a biometric radio wrist watch and a system programming device. Each authorized person wears a radio wrist watch giving them access to the programmed weapon. To activate the wrist watch, the authorized person's fingerprint must first be read by the wrist watch. An internal database compares the current fingerprint against stored prints and responds accordingly. The wrist watch is then activated for a definable period - e.g. an officer's work shift or until manually deactivated.

    They do not appear to be marketing these to civilians. They look like they are trying to provide a solution to the risk that a police officer might have his weapon taken in crowd control situations. Perhaps the risk of having the police officer disarmed is greater then the risk of tech failure. The company makes gun locks. This is just another lock.

    Is a holster snap adequate security for a loaded weapon when mingling in a crowd? Perhaps this tech provides an alternative to not carry a gun because of this risk.

  75. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by wxjones · · Score: 1

    I add to this my own rule: - Don't ever be around idiots with guns. I am very careful who I shoot with.

    --
    My SIG is a P226
  76. Re:Strange fascination by wxjones · · Score: 1

    Target shooting is great fun. I recommend you try it.

    --
    My SIG is a P226
  77. Re:Strange fascination by MiKM · · Score: 3, Insightful

    People who wish to kill/harm other people will still find ways to get guns.

  78. Re:Strange fascination by Neoprofin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Over half of those would be suicides and they generally support the sometimes harmful nature of firearms. So would 12.5 Million registered hunters and the law abiding citizens in 1-2 Million "defensive gun uses" every year.

    For the 60 some million people (a rate that increases every year) owning over 200 million firearms 15,000 would be small even if it didn't include police shootings and intentional acts of self defense and is even less if you're cynical and feel that the another third or so shouldn't be counted because the victims were either committed by drug dealers or against them.

  79. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by Kreigaffe · · Score: 1

    If your kids are fucking idiots who don't understand what DEAD means, who don't understand that there are things that are not meant to be played with, well sir you are a terrible parent and shouldn't have had a child in the first place. The only reason a kid could possibly think that dead doesn't mean FUCKING DEAD is if you completely abdicated the education of your child to electronic media. Don't blame an inanimate object for your lackadaisical parenting. Further, a lack of understanding as to how death works and how guns are treated would probably be the least of your problems with that child. If they've picked those up from TV and video games and you have done nothing to instill in them the difference between entertainment and reality they'll wind up with many other issues related to shit they learned from fiction that they think is real.

    --
    ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  80. Re:Strange fascination by SpacePunk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Here are things that we are fascinated by...

    freedom
    the right and ability for self defense
    freedom
    freedom
    self defense
    OH, did I mention FREEDOM?

    You, wherever you are at, are not any more enlightened, civilized, or intelligent than anybody in the United States. If you do not believe that you have an inherent right to self defense, and the right to bear arms which is part and parcel of the right to self defense then I'd say that you are less intelligent, less enlightened, and are actually an uncivilizing force in the world.

  81. Re:Strange fascination by Kreigaffe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ever been to Detroit? There IS something very wrong with the society we live in. There's scores of places across America that are closer to shitholes in Africa than any first-world nation. Oh, sure, they might have a cell phone, and a 360 at their crib, and a nice car.. but functionally the values and attitudes are pretty in-line with what you'd find in some of the most awful places around the world.

    --
    ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  82. Euros?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds great. I'd love to buy one. Now where in the U.S. am I going to find Euros? It's not like I normally get change for my bagel in monopoly money.

  83. Re:Strange fascination by dupup · · Score: 1

    Sigh, I wonder about this, too. For whatever reason, our country seems to be a more violent place to live than some others. A friend of mine was attacked in her home, had her throat slit, and her house set on fire with her still in it. She managed to crawl out and go for help, but it was a near thing. Does that happen where you live? I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I am grateful to have it.

  84. If you only knew... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bad news for the citizens of New Jersey...

    In NJ, you can't even get a carry permit unless you are either a retired cop, an armed security guard for someone important, or connected. It just doesn't happen for ordinary citizens. At this point, they're just beating a dead horse.

    When I saw "smart gun legislation", I thought "wow, maybe they'll actually let people legally carry a gun so that they can defend themselves against people who are illegally carrying". I should have known better. This is what happens when people who don't understand the problem come up with a solution, and is basically the M.O. of everything in New Jersey.

  85. Re:Strange fascination by radtea · · Score: 1

    Furthermore many involve masterful engineering and mechanics

    Which is deeply, deeply sad. Firearms are the most heavily engineered implements on the planet. If we put a tiny fraction of the effort into refining products that saved lives we'd be in far better shape.

    Firearms have had an important role to play, historically, in the growth of personal autonomy. But it is notable today that places where firearms are most freely available--failed states--have the least personal autonomy. Weapons == Good is not a general truth, and in the developed world it is simply sad that so many people still think that more firepower is the solution to all their problems. It isn't, and it may very well be the source of some of them.

    --
    Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  86. Re:Strange fascination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is the duty of everyone who wants true freedom to be able to defend it. You can pretend this is not so, but then when your freedom is threatened and you cannot defend yourself, you will not be free any longer. You can pretend to live in a world where there will be no conflict, but this seems foolish. Just having the knowledge and skill to defend yourself does not mean you have to use that ability to bully others. And trying to deny others the right to defend themselves is just as repulsive to me as the idea of self-defense seems to be to you (if not more).

  87. Re:Strange fascination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are making a fetish of self defence. Most people who do, don't need a firearm for self defence but rather to compensate their small dicks and their lack of balls.

  88. Re:Strange fascination by pitje · · Score: 1

    hmmmm.... I don't think I want the American version of Freedom, then.

  89. A Gun for Gun-Control Advocates by Artagel · · Score: 1

    I cannot imagine a use for this gun, except to require its use as a way of effectively taking away any right to a useful weapon. Step one, make the gun available. Step two, outlaw all other guns.

  90. Re:Gun control is never about making the world saf by mousse-man · · Score: 1

    Simpler.

    Gun conrol is not about guns, but about control.

  91. 20 cm isn't much by PPH · · Score: 1

    If I swing my watch arm away during the course of a day, I've just disabled my weapon. Now, if I need to use it (in a hurry for self defense) I've got to re-enter the PIN? Here's a suggestion for a modification: embed a second ID chip in the holster. That will keep the weapon enabled while its holstered until I reach for it.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  92. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

    If I had kids I could understand the value of this.

    So, you don't have kids, and you think yourself qualified to speak about kids. I'm guessing you don't own firearms either, yet you feel qualified to speak about them as well. Are there any other topics you would like to talk out of your ass about?

    The targets mummy after you shoother she will get up and walk again won't she?

    I find your lack of coherence amusing.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  93. and what happens when a hacker .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    has a ray gun that disrupts that signal
    when the hacker then has one that can rearm it

    yup age of blade runner here we come

  94. Re:Strange fascination by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

    1 - This is a gun from Europe.
    2 - It is mentioned in this forum not because it is a firearm, but because it contains technology.
    3 - In the US, the highest law of the land explicitly confirms our right to own and carry firearms. With all due respect, who the fuck are you to judge?
    4 - For a normal civilian society in peace, the right to self-defense is sacred. Attempts to ban the means to do so are just bad and repulsive.
    5 - Oh, and I think the Swiss would also like a word with you - funny how the gun banners like to forget about a modern European state magically experiencing gun ownership, peace, and a low crime rate simultaneously.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  95. Re:Strange fascination by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

    Guns are legally used for self-defense over 2 million times per year in the US, most of which do not involve firing the weapon. The death toll of innocent victims would be far higher if guns were banned.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  96. Re:Strange fascination by Bluebottel · · Score: 1

    Pillows are harmless until someone smothers you with them. Hammers are harmless until someone beats you to death with it.
    Houses are harmless until they collapse on your head. Guns are generally harmless. Just look at how often they are fired vs how often they hurt someone.

  97. DRM for guns, eh? by Toze · · Score: 1

    Has anyone else noticed the similarity in effect between this and DRM on, say, ebooks? "You can use this, but only if you have the right key. And someone else can turn it off if they're clever. And there's versions out there that work far better without demanding this rigamarole." Gun control seems to share a lot of qualities with DRM, now that I think about it. Trigger locks to stop you or anyone else from using the gun without entering a key, Gun cabinets to stop you or anyone else from accessing a gun without a key, storing your gun and your ammo in separate containers so that you can't use it at your convenience, needing permission to acquire a gun, having licenses to use your guns in certain ways but not others, having a list of your guns kept with a central authority and it being illegal to own a gun off the list, needing permission to transport your gun from one area of use to another, not being allowed to carry the gun around so you can use it when there's an immediate need... It's all about making it harder to use, to make someone else feel safer.

    DRM is gun control for software. Gun control is DRM for hardware.

    --
    No OS on the planet can protect itself from a user with the admin password. - Yvan256
  98. Re:Strange fascination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The biggest difference is that in Switzerland, people generally receive their assault rifles after an army service so they know, how to use firearms in a safe way. Besides, the Swiss don't use they firearms for self defence and they don't carry them. Also, they are not like American arseholes with huge egos and an overblown sense of entitlement.

  99. It Fails As A Weapon by rally2xs · · Score: 1

    One thing that a firearm absolutely must do is to go bang each time you pull the trigger. This firearm isn't going to do that. Either the bad guys will figure out how to jam the signal from the watch, or the user will forget the watch, or the battery will go down in the watch, or (substitute your own horror story here...)

    People that rely on this gun are going to get killed when it fails to perform it's prmary function.

  100. Good for movie plot, little else by jroysdon · · Score: 1

    This gun and all its flaws and different situations are good for a movie/tv show plot, and little else.

    No doubt there will be a "disable" signal that can be sent by "authorized police" as well in these guns. Yet another movie plotline with, you know, bad crackers getting access to such a code and disabling all police guns, or whatever.

  101. Handedness problem by Restil · · Score: 1

    I'm right handed. I shoot a pistol with my right hand. My watch is on my left wrist. While it is advisable to use both hands when firing a gun (for stability, as well as accuracy issues), it is certainly not required. If I understand this correctly, the gun is disarmed whenever it gets more than 20 cm away from the watch. Which means, as soon as I drop my arm to open a door, the gun will be disarmed. I'm assuming it doesn't get rearmed as soon as it gets back within range of the watch, as this would defeat the whole purpose of the automatic disarming feature. If the perp gets a gun away from me and turns it on me, and we get into a struggle, it will likely get back within the 20cm range, and then be usable again. And I certainly hope he doesn't try to steal my watch... because an armed assailant would NEVER try to do that....

    -Restil

    --
    Play with my webcams and lights here
  102. Proud of the community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am proud to see how many people oppose this junk. My friend as a 3 year old who has been taught that guns where not told just about the time he started to walk. Even at his age he wont touch a gun even if it is laying on an open table. They key is to not just tell them not to touch it but to show them why not to.

    Also don't leave your gun(s) laying out around small children unatended, that is asking for it. Also alot of the time it's other peoples children that are not taught about gun that get them and shot themselves or there friend. So I would advise knowing your childrens friends and there parents and if they are going to be at your home unatented at anytime make sure they have knowledge of guns.

    Ultimatly education is the key, your kid running around the house while brushing his teeth is just about as dangerous as him playing with a gun. You shouldn't allow either one.

  103. I've never met any gun owner that .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've never met any gun owner that didn't suffer from some mental illness or other. Personally I know two. One never keeps his shootgun more than short distance from himself at all times. It is either in his car when he travels, his locker at work, or at home. He is beyond unstable and keeps his wife at such a short leash that most that borders and abuse. Aside from acute case of paranoia that his wife is cheating on him, he can't stop yapping about how Obama is the next anti-christ. Interestingly enough, in our particular county it is illegal to own firearms, even for hunting purposes. (Very urban area, one or the largest cities in the world.)

    The other fellow is a former marine, former LEO, and very current hutjob. He hates Jews, Muslims, Communists, Obama, and Icelanders for some reason. Also, he can't stop talking about all the folks he shot back Gulf War I and all the beatings he administered while he was a LEO. His gun collection rivals that of small Army bases. Aside from all that, he is a heavy drinker and suffers from variety of mental afflictions, too many to list here.

    I have a felling the other 30-40+ million gun owners in North Amerca are pretty much the same.

  104. Re:Civilians with rubber bullets? Cops are bad eno by pclminion · · Score: 1

    This "magical thinking" you gun owners engage it is always amusing. Guess what: a gun, properly checked and unloaded, bodily in your possession, will not magically re-load itself. The moment the gun leaves your bodily possession, all bets are off. But these sorts of unthinking assertions can actually CAUSE accidents. You get used to the idea that if you just follow a list of prescribed rules, you'll be safe. You think you don't need to use your brain anymore.

    At a gun-cleaning session one time, one friend handed his pistol to another friend. The second friend dutifully checked it, declared it to be unloaded, then began disassembling it. I asked him why he bothered to check the weapon -- after all, ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded. After the initial moment of confusion as he realized the paradox implicit in two fundamental gun safety rules: it's always loaded, and always check if it's loaded, his response was, I quote, "Except when they're not, and I'm trying to clean one." This sort of thought process is completely irrational and doesn't contribute to safety. I prefer to use my brain to keep me and those around me safe.

    Is a bolt-action loaded if the bolt is removed? What about a completely disassembled gun sitting on a table, is it loaded? At what point do you cease this nonsense and admit that safety comes from intelligence, not rule-following?

  105. Re:Strange fascination by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 1

    Wow, a troll on slashdot posting as AC ... I am shocked - SHOCKED I tell you.

    --
    I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  106. Re:Strange fascination by SpacePunk · · Score: 1

    It's only for those that have courage, and fortitude.

  107. Bad Math by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your math skills are way off, 7000 Euros is 9700 Dollars... Try Google next time: "7000 EUR in USD".

    Looks to me like you used British pounds, not Euros.

    Oh, and I think parents who value their children might think it's worth the money. Well, rich parents anyway. Their children won't be using the gun at least.

  108. Apparently... by denzacar · · Score: 1

    Some Americans actually LIKE to be considered paranoid gun-nuts.

    They probably think that you and I are from the UN. Here to take their guns.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
    1. Re:Apparently... by lwsimon · · Score: 1

      Oh, I'm a gun nut alright, but I'm pretty low on the paranoid scale. I don't really consider the UN to be a viable threat to my civil rights.

      I'm more concerned about long-term trends in American politics. I'm active, and I make sure my voice is heard - but I also believe that government regulation of firearms is a negative trend at this point, and that I will see pre-1934-style regulation on a federal level before I die.

      As for the tough-guy rhetoric - it would never happen like this. Pure mental masturbation.

      --
      Learn about Photography Basics.
  109. Re:Gun control is never about making the world saf by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

    Well said. I also like "I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy."

  110. If they can take your gun... by johngineer · · Score: 1

    they can take your watch too.

  111. If the person is disarmed by mrmeval · · Score: 1

    They can be beaten and maimed or killed with the brick pistol. Stabbed with a poorly sharpened thrift store knife. Doused with lighter fluid and burned. Flayed. Blinded, raped etc and etc and etc. Having that gizmo on it accomplishes nothing but 'security theater'.

    You can mitigate most assaults. I've done so with pretty good voice acting skills that convinced the suspected bad guy I was not an easy target. In only a few cases have I had to do anything more. I know where everyone was around me when I am not in a protected place. I never let them get too close. I was not doing my nails, bullshitting on the phone, texting, whining on the phone to my GF/BF that my pussy/cock hurt or other Darwin award winning activities.

    Why this is considered technically newsworthy is beyond me it's more of a troll. For 14,000 dollars I can buy more guns than my home town rural police department.

    FWIW you can buy a rather awesome Russian target pistol for under 400 or a Beretta Neos for under 300, they quit making the 7.5 inch barrelled one. http://www.gunblast.com/Paco_Beretta-NEOS.htm

    If you want to be good enough to carry a pistol and not be beaten to death with it train more than the cops. Read Massad Ayoob and Col. Jeff Coopers books and articles to know some of what a rational adult needs to know to carry a pistol. This is not something where a technical solution is viable unless it's something that has been beaten on for a century. Hell name me something electronic that lasts a year. I can still fire a WWII 1911A1 that has only been maintained and have it just work.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Cooper
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massad_Ayoob

    One feeble benefit of this gadget might be to keep your kid or others kids from using it. IMAO if your kid is old enough to pick it up you should have already been training them on how to use it. It is a significant right of adulthood in the United States and not teaching them is an abrogation of your duty to the. Knowing some precocious 7 year olds that gizmo would stop them for under an hour.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  112. H&K hated me for so long. by mrmeval · · Score: 1

    Why should I buy their crappy black rifle now? There are SO many. Hell S&W, the darling British compan that bled itself so white less cerebrally challenged people took it over have a black rifle for under 800. That is pretty amazing since you couldn't get a screw from them for under 50 bucks.

    Monster Hunter speaks
    http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/hk-because-you-suck-and-we-hate-you/
    He's pretty good and a good author. http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-International-Larry-Correia/dp/1439132852

    H&K can bite me the same as Ruger.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  113. Re:Strange fascination by BlackHawk-666 · · Score: 1

    Try to look towards the initial intent of the object for one moment. A pillow is designed to give you a head rest and a comforting nights sleep. A hammer is designed to bash nails into wood. A pistol is designed to kill people - not animals - other people. It's sole purpose is to fire a high speed projectile out it's barrel and into the face/chest, pelvis/etc of another human being.

    Which seems more 'generally harmless' now?

    --
    All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
  114. Van Vogt Gets It Right by Dean+Edmonds · · Score: 1

    Sounds like something out of Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shops of Isher".

    Mind you, the thief can just take your watch, too, so there's still a ways to go.

    --

    -deane

    1. Re:Van Vogt Gets It Right by argent · · Score: 1

      The thief needs to take your finger, too. According to the second link the watch uses a fingerprint reader.

  115. Re:Strange fascination by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

    Mine must be defective then. I've fired thousands of rounds and still haven't killed a single thing.

    Maybe I should ask for a refund?

  116. Re:Strange fascination by Neoprofin · · Score: 1

    Weapons == Good is not a general truth

    True story, however Weapons == Bad is no more correct as responsible owners around the world have shown with their ability to enjoy them without harming anybody. The problem of failed states are educational, cultural, economical. Even without access to firearms people have shown themselves quite capable of violence as a system of governance.

  117. Re:Strange fascination by alendit · · Score: 1

    Yeah, you can always chant FREEDOM and get a stadion full of supporters on the other side of the ocean, no matter what your believes are. Complex problems with such a diverse views on them can rarely be solved by one word. Even if you repeat it in an infinite loop and all caps. Don't get me wrong, over here it's the same, FREEDOM is just changed to SAFETY.

  118. Re:Strange fascination by SpacePunk · · Score: 1

    Nobody, no government, no police force, no army, neither nor neighbor, nor your friends can guarantee your safety. Only you can guarantee your safety, and the only way to do that is to insist on your right to self defense, and your right to carry arms for that defense. Bans on weapons do not increase your safety any more than a ban on fire extinguishers makes you any safer against fires. It all comes down to you, and those in your immediate vicinity. In a perfect world there wouldn't be a need for self defense, therefore no need for weapons. But, we don't live in a perfect world. We, you, me, your family, neighbors, co-workers, associates, etc... are just naked apes. Some of those apes wish to take what you have, harm you or your loves ones, your neighbors, etc... The police can't be right there to protect you, they cannot be everywhere all the time, and in some countries the police are as much a problem as the criminals. There's a saying that the police are minutes away when seconds count, and it's true. Usually all the police can do is damage control after the fact. Take depositions, gather evidence, call the coroner to come cart the body away. Safety is inherent on freedom. You cannot have one without the other. The freedom to carry arms, the freedom to use those arms if your safety is at immediate risk, and the freedom from prosecution/persecution if you're use of those arms has been ruled to be right and proper.

    Any person in any country that thinks to limit the citizens right to bear arms wishes to limit the freedom, and personal safety of the citizens around them. They place everyone around them at a higher risk to their safety, and they should be dealt with either as someone would deal with ignorant children by educating them, openly chastised for being an ignorant adult, or outright given pariah status and treated as if they do not exist.

  119. Yet another bad idea the market will kill by ALeader71 · · Score: 0

    Anyone buying a pistol for personal defense will likely forget to enter the PIN for the following reasons:
    1. Most businesses don't allow open carry
    2. How many times have you set down your keys or cell phone and forgot where they were?
    3. Who uses a figgin .22 for self defense?

    As for the rest of the article. Rubber bullets = lawsuits. Better to kill than to maim. Beanbag rounds have similar issues. It looks cool on TV, but in reality it's something else.

    "This injury has permanently destoryed my quality of life!" That's someting a defendant never wants to hear in a civil case.

    Three shot Tasers? I've talked to guys who went through Taser training. None of them said being hit by a Taser dissuaded them from using one. In fact, it encoruages Taser for two reasons: Tasers are non-lethal, and they hurt like hell.

    --
    Only the dead have seen the end of War. - Plato
  120. Re:Strange fascination by alendit · · Score: 1

    So, by the same argument, the same princip should apply to nuclear weapons and nations? Hence deterence is the only defence agains other nuclear nations it's the only reasonable consequence....or we could try to limit nuclear stock world wide...but that's crazy talk, of course.

    Further, the extinguisher analogy is a really bad one. It gets better if you assume any extinguisher could explode any moment and lead to the fire, it's ment to prevent. Such an extinguisher would be actually baned, and rightly so.

    Having a gun doesn't guarantee your safety either. Everyone having a gun only elevates the violence level - it won't protect you from being shot in the back and will rather lead to "bad guy" shooting first. A house intrusion scenario is a more realistic one, but you don't need a right to carry a weapon everywhere around then.

  121. Re:Strange fascination by trawg · · Score: 1

    The ability to own a gun doesn't magically equal freedom though. Surely you realise how many of your rights have been eroded over the last few years, especially since September 11?

    You're getting less and less free every day. Things like ACTA, warrantless wiretapping - all those little things are your freedoms circling the drain. Clutching on to your firearm and whispering about freedom is utterly meaningless while that is happening.

  122. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do I go about getting one of these for my hunting knife?

  123. Re:Strange fascination by SpacePunk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why do you need a fire extinguisher? Poorly maintained extinguishers are dangerous, and I can't think of one place that doesn't have a fire department. You can rely on them just as you expect everyone to rely on the police department.

  124. Cribster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about shooting the guy that's trying to disarm you instead.

    I certainly would never want a gun that relies on batteries.

  125. a quibble... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because the reality is people don't want smart guns PERIOD. Every time you make a gun more complex it becomes more failure prone. The Glocks that almost all police departments use don't even have a safety on it period - because it's an extra point of failure and something to fiddle with. Just like code, a good gun should have SIMPLICITY, both in operation and in design, as a major design goal. Needless "safety" features and ESPECIALLY anything that depends on a battery are needless fluff. A nice semi-stiff double action trigger pull is a perfectly viable "safety" mechanism for 90% of shooters. For the other 10% they need nothing more than a simple manual safety.

    Glocks don't have a safety that you have to activate manually (i.e. there's no little lever to switch it between ready and safed).

    They do however, have three separate safety mechanisms built in to prevent accidental firing unless you pull the trigger (one of which physically blocks the firing pin). So if, for example, you drop your Glock (or it gets knocked out of your hand) you don't have to worry about it firing.

    As you mentioned, this "simplicity" is one of the great things about Glocks.

  126. Re:Strange fascination by lwsimon · · Score: 1

    No, I was speaking of the Fifth. I supposed that advocates of inspection would say that it was not unreasonable, so I used a different defense -- that proactively allowing law enforcement into the home is tantamount to forcing someone to bear witness against themselves.

    You and I clearly just disagree on this, and that's fine. I long for and will continue to work towards a goal of a US where any adult citizen can purchase a automatic rifle by exchanging money and nothing else. While the consequences of this would not be nearly so dire as my opponents would suggest, they are also irrelevant. Safety and comfort are not guaranteed in a free society. I would rather have Liberty than safety any day of the week.

    --
    Learn about Photography Basics.
  127. Re:Strange fascination by denzacar · · Score: 1

    I would rather have Liberty than safety any day of the week.

    You do realize the hypocrisy and paradox of that statement?

    Cause... If you value liberty over safety, that implies that one of your highest ideals is protection of the rights of those OTHER PEOPLE to value safety over liberty.
    Fun isn't it? Liberty means nothing not only if it is not fought for, but also if it is not FOR ALL and free to give away at one's choosing.

    Without that... it is just dictatorship of the strong over the weak once again.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  128. Re:Strange fascination by lwsimon · · Score: 1

    There is a difference between demanding that your own rights be respected, and demanding that someone else take action to make you feel comfortable.

    You are perfectly free to give away your own Liberty in exchange for whatever you'd like - but you are most emphatically *not* free to give up mine.

    --
    Learn about Photography Basics.