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Why the NRA hates smart guns

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Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#2
The article makes it sound theoretical, but New Jersey already has the Childproof Handgun Law that makes it illegal to sell a non-smart gun "three years after it is determined that personalized handguns are available for retail purposes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Childproof_Handgun_...

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#3
post #2

The article makes it sound theoretical, but New Jersey already has the Childproof Handgun Law that makes it illegal to sell a non-smart gun "three years after it is determined that personalized handguns are available for retail purposes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Childproof_Handgun_...

And that's been seriously proposed in California, which is pushing through another wave of gun control legislation, one bill of which would effectively shut down all gun stores in the state, and certainly favorably talked about elsewhere ... maybe Maryland?

Just skimmed it (too much going on right now to look at it in depth), but I'm seriously impressed they did so much work to get in things like the classic "shoulder thing that goes up". In their defense, New Jersey's law is, as I recall, much older.

I'll mention one other bottom line: we wouldn't even consider it prior to all law enforcement officers in the nation being required to use them, and only them.

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#6
post #4

If the better approach is to focus on the "who", why does the NRA oppose background checks?

I think we all know why. In fact. This author implies it: the NRA actually represents the business interests of people who manufacture and sell firearms. They may mask these interests as a public service, defending your rights and hobbies and whatnot but it is always the case that they oppose anything that would reduce firearm sales and support anything that makes it easier for you to get a gun.

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#7
post #4

If the better approach is to focus on the "who", why does the NRA oppose background checks?

They don't oppose background checks. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/nra-supported-backgrou...

It says they do on the NRA-ILA website. https://www.nraila.org/issues/background-checksnics/

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#8
post #4

If the better approach is to focus on the "who", why does the NRA oppose background checks?

They don't oppose background checks. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/nra-supported-backgrou...

Sometimes they do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njBvpxhsa_Y&feature=youtu.be...

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#9
Smart guns have an interesting history. In the 90's Colt developed a smart gun, but the results "backfired." Anti-gun groups were against it because of the idea that safer guns meant that the barrier to entry to ownership was lower (now that guns are "safer", why not have one?); people who depended upon guns for their livelihood were skeptical: when you need to use one there needs to be no questions that it will function (barring all the traditional issues of "dumb" gun); if successful, other manufacturings would have to follow suit and there could be legal actions against "dumb" gun manufacturing and ownershpi...etc.

I've linked some articles that touch upon this attempt by Colt.

NRP Article: http://www.npr.org/2016/04/07/473416699/how-an-idea-to-devel...

Hacker News Discussion of Article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11462297

Re: Why the NRA hates smart guns

#10
post #4

If the better approach is to focus on the "who", why does the NRA oppose background checks?

They don't oppose background checks. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/nra-supported-backgrou...

I don't think so. They've opposed any background check legislation proposed before, and that bill seems more like it is about "augmenting" "background checks" rather than actually augmenting background checks in a useful manner.
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