Smart Gun Technologies

As technology continues to advance, we have seen it impact the shooting community. From better quality optics, to improved material solutions and better manufacturing processes, guns have become more accurate, more reliable and generally cheaper than they were even ten years ago. If you take a look at the Tracking Point riflescope, you will see accuracy rates that are simply impossible to achieve with out using the technology – if you can afford one… Every one is talking about the advent of Smart or owner authorized guns. The question is what can a personalized gun or smart gun technology do for us?

There are number of projects under development to achieve the goal or making a reliable owner authorized gun. This is not the first time we have pursued this. The simplest design was a key lock, which was developed for some rifles in the 1950’s that made them inoperable without the key inserted into the stock. Since the 50’s, we have come a long way, and what is generally envisioned by current advocates of smart gun technology is a finger or palm print identification panel on the grips of firearms that would recognize the owner.

Smart gun technologies potential impact on crime and violence

 

Proponents of smart gun technology claim it will massively reduce crime and accidents. Opponents claim that it is unreliable, will not stop crime and consider it the anti-gun advocates marketing panacea for eliminating law-abiding citizens right to defend themselves. As usual, both sides of the argument have developed a set of statics and arguments to support their claims – and neither one is really falsifying numbers and yet they manage to come to completely opposite conclusions. Lets start with a quick review of the realistic numbers that smart gun technology may influence.

According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 500 youths commit suicide with a firearm each year. Roughly another 275 are killed in accidents involving firearms. These are the poster children for the anti-gun lobby and are used to promulgate the emotion-based argument that “guns are killing our kids.” Smart gun technology could prevent a number of these deaths from occurring (or would remove the firearm from the suicide equation) if the technology was adopted in large scale. Were this to occur it would remove a key rallying point from the anti gun lobby’s argument and is worth exploration of the possibility from that standpoint alone. The unfortunate reality is that these few occurrences do not make a remotely significant impact on the total problem.

There are about 105,000 firearms related injuries and deaths each year in the United States. The ATF estimates about 85% of the guns used in crimes are stolen or illegally transferred. The population of injuries and deaths we are attempting to prevent by stopping criminals from being able to use guns through smart gun technology is about 90,000.

The number of guns that are “stolen” in the traditional sense make up approximately 12.5% of the guns used in crime according to the ATF. Typically it is illegal transfers that make up the rest. The guns are legally purchased, and then illegally transferred or simply sold by Federal Firearms Dealers to criminals the dealers know to be ineligible. According to the ATF, 85% of “illegal” guns on the street can be sourced to 8% of the firearms dealers in the country. Smart gun technology will do nothing to stop the 8%, and unless we are to create a centralized registry and firearms authorized user control center – they will have the ability to “authorize” guns. That leaves us with about 11,000 injuries and homicides that may be prevented if we could develop the technology to a functional level or about 10% of the problem.

From a morbidity perspective, another argument is that many gun owners are likely to have their firearms used against them in a crime. The developers of smart gun technology claim it could eliminate this risk as well. The reality of that portion of the statistics is that most (more than 90%) of the guns used on their owners are cases of domestic violence. In many cases, family members would choose to authorize both adult inhabitants of the house to use the firearm, negating any real reduction. Regardless, it could eliminate the very a small percentage of cases in which a criminal takes a gun from a law-abiding citizen and uses it against them.

Based on the above cocktail napkin calculations, smart gun technology will at best impact less than 10% of the total problem, and only if we could somehow remove all the “dumb” guns from the equation. That seems a highly unlikely scenario.

Smart Gun Technology and Reliability

 

If you are a responsible gun owner, you lock your guns up when they are not under your physical control. Regardless of how you secure your firearms, there is an impact on accessibility that smart gun technology could provide. It would eliminate the need for safes. If smart gun technology becomes as reliable as the manufactures want to claim that it will be, you’ll be able to safely lend your loaded firearm to your 5 year old to play Cowboys and Indians in the backyard. Leave it laying anywhere you want around the house, and most importantly it will eliminate the trade off between accessibility security.
California Senate Bill 293, scheduled for committee later this year, would require all firearms in the state to have an “Owner Authorized” technology within two years after the 2nd firearm that met the criteria was added to the “not unsafe” firearms list. The Armatix iP1 supposedly meets the standard, has been added to the list and is for sale in California at only $1,399. In order to activate it, you will need the $399 accompanying wrist watch with the RFID code to activate the gun.

The wrist-watch RFID link concept has been around since the 90’s. This particular model was developed in Germany. There are number of options on similar concepts from rings to necklaces. There are a number of problems with the concept. First, I am now relying on two electronic devices to work perfectly when I need them to, in addition to the firearm itself. There is not way these additional links will enhance reliability. Second, if I’m in a violent encounter and my watch is broken, my gun is useless when I need it most. Of course, loss or theft of the RFID device is another potential problem that makes the firearm useless. Lastly, if the are stolen together, we have negated any potential impact on crime that the technology is supposed to stop. I would put the concept of watch activated, or any other external RFID device, squarely in the bad idea category.

The future….

 

The finger/palm print recognition smart gun technology is what really shows promise – at least in concept. We have yet to see one that is reliable enough in a grip-mounted form, and light enough to be functional. There are some prototypes being developed that may soon function. We would eliminate the trade off between security of our firearms and accessibility. Unfortunately, smart gun technology has not produced that firearm – yet. Until they do, I have to keep my guns in my safe or on my person – like every other responsible gun owner out there.

When Smart Gun Technology has reached an acceptable level of reliability and functionality, you will know. Gun owners will not have to be mandated to purchase them, they will line up in droves to purchase them. The concept is great and if we can get it to work, I sincerely doubt that existing “dumb” guns will retain any real market value beyond historical pieces. We are nowhere near that point yet and the anti-gun lobby is attempting to legislate new restrictions under the guise of a positive impact on public safety. Unfortunately, that positive impact simply does not exist.

Have fun & Stay Safe this week!

First Published at Aegis Academy

About Author

 

- Patrick Henry

 

President

 

Patrick Henry received his operational training and experience from the U. S. Government, 22 years of which were spent in the Marine Corps where he served in the Reconnaissance, Infantry and Intelligence fields. During his active service, he spent more then seven years deployed overseas in combat, operational and training assignments. After the military, Pat worked as a contractor and as the Director of Operations at a private paramilitary company, specializing in training special operations forces and providing protective services to select private clients. His education consists of an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC), and a BS from San Diego State University with an emphasis in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. He holds an extensive list of security and training related certifications from a variety of government and nationally recognized entities. He has an extensive entrepreneurial background ranging from real estate and technology, to the security training and education market. He currently sits on the advisory committee at USC’s Master of Veterans Business Program, and is an active member of Infraguard and the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). He has been a guest speaker at ASIS, the San Diego Industrial Security Awareness Council and other private organizations on physical security, travel security, and competitive intelligence collection counter-measures.

History of the Shotgun from its Beginning to Present Day Uses

The history of the shotgun is a trip through time. The shotgun has been called many different names and has had a variety of uses, both in military and civilian hands. Arguably, it is the most versatile weapon invented in the modern age of warfare. The weapon has had many names over the last few centuries, such as Blunderbuss, Fowling Piece, Scattergun, Trench-gun and in modern time, the Shotgun. Let’s take a look at the history of the shotgun, how it progressed from the 1600’s to today and how it became the weapon/tool we see utilized around the world.

Similar to many things that shoot hot lead, the Germans were the first culture to use a ‘shotgun.’ In the 1600s they designed a weapon called a ‘blunderbuss’ a short musket loaded from the muzzle and fired from the shoulder. This same type of weapon became a ‘fowling piece’ in the 1700s used by the British to hunt large birds with what we now call ‘birdshot.’ In 1776 the term shotgun was first used in Kentucky to differentiate between a ‘smoothbore shotgun’ and a rifled ‘musket’.

During the Civil War, cavalry units favored the shotgun for moving targets and close range work. Right after the Civil War and during the Indian Wars, Americans began the movement west to settle the vast open terrain that is now referred to as the infamous ‘Wild West.’ This was a time and place where nearly everyone had a shotgun due to the versatility and effectiveness of this weapon!

One significant technological advancement in the history of the shotgun occurred with the invention of the double-barrel shotgun in 1875. It was now a breach loaded, side-by-side or over under weapon used with a purpose built shell or cartridge with shot or pellets. This portion of American history is where the term ‘riding shotgun’ and ‘coach gun’ were first used. The term was used for the coach riders who provided security for the strongboxes transported by stagecoaches and trains. Coach riders and lawmen both favored the double-barrel shotgun. It was short and easy to use with devastating results at close range. On a side note, Doc Holiday used a side-by-side double barrel ‘scattergun’ in his only accredited confirmed kill.
From 1887 to 1900 the history of the shotgun progressed as John Moses Browning designed the first lever action, pump action and auto loading shotguns. As with many of the weapons Browning designed, the shotguns of today are still the same basic design he invented more than 100 years ago. Sights and optics have moved forward, but the simple design of the pump action is used by all manufacturers and very little has been changed!

During World War I, the trench-gun was used for close quarter fighting in the enemy trench lines. Short in length, fitted with a heat shield and bayonet, it was extremely effective and reliable in the trenches when compared to the bolt-action rifles of that timeframe. In World War II, the Marines used pump-action shotguns to great effect in the caves and tunnel complexes in the Pacific Theatre. Again, the M-1 Garand was 43.5” long and weighed 11.6 pounds loaded. A shorter barrel length with buckshot proved to be more effective in the typically extreme close quarter engagements of the day.

During the Korean War the shotgun became the guard weapon of choice because of its great effectiveness at close range. The US Navy SEAL Teams used a modified ‘duck-bill’ shotgun for walking as a lookout in the thick jungles of Vietnam. The muzzle of the barrel had a side-cut type of choke system that would produce a horizontal pattern with devastating effects. The weapon of choice was a pump-action Ithaca 10 gauge with 00 buckshot, while the Remington 870 12 gauge was used with great effectiveness as well.

The history of the shotgun continued into urban terrains in the 1980s and beyond, and it became more than just a weapon. As a ballistic breaching tool it gave soldiers a quick, lightweight and effective way of opening doors, gates and anything else that obstructed the assault style of warfare that has become common in the last two decades. The military has now adopted the Benelli M-4 auto loader as the new shotgun of choice for combat units. Many other manufactures are experimenting with fully automatic shotguns with box magazines that hold up to 10 rounds.

The history of the shotgun will continue to add new chapters as new developments are made. Shotgun ammunition has also progressed along with the weapon, but that is a discussion for another time. While the shotgun may adapt, the utility of the weapon still makes it my favorite choice, and if for some strange reason I ever find myself with only one gun, I sincerely hope it is a shotgun!

Drive fast & take chances!

First Published at Aegis Academy

 

About Author

 

- Chris White

Range Master

Chris White is 20-year veteran of the United States Navy (SEAL Teams) where he retired as a Chief (SO7). He has multiple combat tours and was assigned to three different SEAL teams as well as Naval Special Warfare Development Group during his active duty service. His key billets include: Assault Team leader, Platoon Chief and Platoon LPO at Development Group. He spent 6 years in instructor and training assignments during his career. Since his retirement, he has worked as an instructor and contracted operator at numerous high threat security providers in the Middle East and Africa. He continues to deploy in support of contingency operations and high threat protective details spending approximately 120 days a year overseas. He holds an extensive list of Department of Defense and Special Operations Command certifications and qualifications.

Internal Ballistics Part II – Mechanical Precision

Welcome back! Thank you for your interest in ballistics. So far, we’ve covered a broad overview of the different types of ballistics, weapon function, and the cycle of operations. (Ballistics – Making Every Shot Count; Internal Ballistics Part I – Cycle of Operation and Firearm Function) This month, I will continue to cover internal ballistics. Defined as the combination of actions and reactions within a firearm as they affect a projectile’s movement to the end of the barrel and ultimately affect a bullet’s flight to target. With volumes of information available, I’ve chosen to focus this month’s column only on the mechanical aspects of the firearm and will cover ammunition details next month.

When I first started shooting bulls-eye competitions, I was next to a shooter using a 1911 with a six-inch barrel. In my naiveté, I asked him what was the benefit of his 6” 1911 compared to my standard 5” 1911? He humorously replied… “I’m an inch closer to the target than you are!” There is a lot more to accuracy and precision than barrel length alone.

Precision vs. Accuracy

Anyone who has shot a wide variety of firearms has probably noticed some just seem “more accurate” than others. While the concept is sound, the nomenclature is a bit misleading. To be clear, it requires both accuracy and precision to consistently place shots within the desired area of a target. The term “precision” refers to the mechanical qualities of a firearm that combine to consistently place projectiles in a small group on target. “Accuracy,” on the other hand, refers to the shooter’s ability to harness the firearm’s intrinsic precision and place a tight group of shots in the desired portion of the target. The shooter alone controls accuracy through refined technique, stance, gun fit, grip, sight alignment, sight picture and follow-through. This article will focus on mechanical precision.

Firearm precision is simply a matter of mechanical repeatability. By this, I mean the mechanical components of the firearm must interact in a controlled and consistent manner to launch the projectile exactly the same way. If these mechanical components do not interact in a consistent manner, the net result may negate all other factors, thus sending projectiles outside of the desired area within the target. For example, a shooter may have selected the correct ammunition matched to the weapon and exercised a highly refined shooting technique, only to find the point of impact on target is inconsistent. No combination of applied shooting principles can overcome a lack of mechanical precision.

Firearm Construction

Tolerance is a key contributor to firearm precision. It is defined as the dimensional relationship between moving mechanical parts, or how well the different firearm components fit together. While it is obvious the moving parts within a firearm require enough clearance to perform their functions, excessive gaps can cause inconsistent alignment and reduce precision. Mass produced firearms tend to cost less due to the manufacturer’s ability to fabricate thousands of interchangeable parts in a single run to construct their firearms. In general, these firearms tend to be inherently “more” functional but “less” precise due to the lower tolerance engineered into each component. Note that the terms “more” and “less” are generalizations and vary among manufacturers. Conversely, firearms built with high tolerances and hand-fit components seem “tighter” and result in a lower manufacturing volume, higher cost and greater maintenance requirements to ensure reliable function.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to shoot an old 1911 may have noticed they “rattle” when you shake them… yet they are still VERY accurate. The rattling sound is typically the physical contact between the slide and the frame where there is a low tolerance due to high volume production and the need for consistent function. However, this unique pistol remains accurate due to a higher tolerance where it is most needed. The area where the rear of the barrel locks into the slide and the front of the barrel is secured by the barrel bushing.

Each shooter must decide their own threshold of precision, cost, and reliable function in their firearm selection. Below, I will describe a few other key characteristics of firearm construction as they relate to both precision and function.

Headspace: As the cartridge is stripped from the magazine or manually inserted and the firearm chambers and locks, headspace is defined as any measurable gap between the cartridge base and the bolt face, breech or receiver. Excessive headspace allows the cartridge to “move” in relation to the bolt, breech face or receiver and produce inconsistent ignition or allow expanding gasses to escape. This influences the travel of the projectile into the bore. Extractor quality, shape, construction, and tension play a key role in reducing headspace. Heavily used guns can also experience erosion on the face of the bolt, breech or receiver. In any case, improper headspace degrades both precision and function.

Freebore: This is the distance between the foremost portion of the exterior diameter of the projectile and the beginning of the rifling. Upon initial gas expansion, this is the distance a projectile must travel before engaging the rifling. Testing has shown that precision is increased when a chambered and locked cartridge presses the projectile against the rifling. However, this is not feasible for most semi-automatic weapons due to the maximum cartridge length afforded by the internal dimension of magazine. Precision rifle shooters who load their own ammunition for maximum precision tend to gauge the freebore and maximize the overall length of the cartridge to set the projectile against the rifling. For this discussion, we need to realize that “shorter” cartridges with excessive freebore can shear portions of a bullet jacket as it slams into the rifling, which will significantly affect its external ballistics.

Barrel length: Each shooter must select a firearm with a barrel length that suits their individual needs. Shorter barrels benefit those who desire lighter and more concealable firearms. Longer barrels tend to benefit shooters who don’t mind the added weight and are interested in greater precision and accuracy. Longer barrels inherently present a longer sight radius, which improves accuracy. Concurrently, increased precision is also produced by the greater duration from which the barrel influences the travel of the projectile before it is released into the atmosphere. Longer barrels also provide a greater initial velocity due to the duration of the powder burn, gas expansion, and pressure build-up.

Barrel Twist: Rifling in a firearm barrel is a series of helical grooves that rotate a projectile along its longitudinal axis as it travels along the barrel. This produces the gyroscopic stability required for the projectile to consistently travel to the target. Twist can be measured by pulling a cleaning rod with a cloth patch through the barrel from the chamber to the crown. Allowing the cleaning rod to spin freely, the number of complete rotations it makes in one inch is the ratio of twist. If the cleaning rod makes one complete turn in 7 inches, it is considered a 1:7 twist. Please see Chris White’s excellent article on matching ammunition to barrels for more explanation: Barrel Twist and Bullet Weight

Barrel Effects: While shooting a firearm, the most noticeable effects are impulse (the bang) and the subsequent recoil in conjunction with the movement of the slide or bolt. However, few shooters realize there is a tremendous amount of activity within the barrel itself. The rapid gas expansion that creates pressure to propel a projectile down the bore causes the barrel to expand. Concurrently, the rifling that forces the projectile to spin as it proceeds down the bore also creates a torque in the opposite direction, causing the barrel to “twist” in the opposite direction of the rifling.

Meanwhile, the impulse and rapid gas expansion that sends the projectile forward also causes the barrel to vibrate and literally whip. Picture yourself holding the end of a taught rope, quickly moving the end in your hand, and watching the wave move down the rope. With all these forces acting on the barrel as the projectile moves forward, mechanical precision can only be attained if the projectile exits the moving barrel at the exact same time in its movement. The amount of barrel movement is affected by the quality of the barrel construction material, barrel thickness and the points of contact with the barrel (in rifles, this is considered bedding or free floating to ensure there is limited contact with the stock). In general, lighter and thinner barrels are more affected by expansion, twist, vibration and whip. Conversely, heavier and thicker barrels are less affected and enhance precision.

Barrel Crown: While there are many forces exerted on the projectile as it travels down the barrel, the very last influence occurs as the projectile makes its very last contact with the barrel. The shape of the barrel crown will determine this last influence as the projectile enters the atmosphere and residual gas expansion makes its last push against the base of the projectile. If the crown is machined in an uneven manner or if there is some damage to the crown, the last “gas push” will be unevenly distributed on the projectile causing unwanted yaw that will send it away from the intended area of the target. Often, the barrel crown is recessed with ample material on the outer part of the barrel protecting the inner bore where the crown resides. Even if the barrel crown is not damaged by misuse or impact, heavy use combined with a lack of cleaning can erode the surface of the crown and cause an uneven gas expansion that leads to a lack of precision.

We’ve only scratched the surface on this topic. I’ve only selected some topics I believe to be the most compelling and interesting to our shooters. If you are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of internal ballistics, I very highly recommend Robert A. Rinker’s book “Understanding Firearm Ballistics.” He provides a straight-forward no-nonsense approach that appeals to shooters looking for easy to understand concepts as well as advanced mathematics and physics principles. Find more information on Rinker’s book here.

Stay safe and shoot straight!

First Published at Aegis Academy

About Author

 

- Howard Hall

 

Range Master
 

Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.