S&W Says No To Smartguns

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Image courtesy Smith & Wesson.

This is the kind of news which makes anti-gunners’ heads explode. Which, is to say that this news actually makes sense. What’s the news? It is that Smith & Wesson are not going to manufacture “smart guns.”

Of course, anti-gunners are going to accuse Smith & Wesson of not caring about the children or other such nonsense, but the reality of the situation is that the economics of smart guns simply don’t make sense. In other words, nobody wants them, so it doesn’t make sense for the company to waste time and resources on smart guns when no one is interested in buying them. Stephen Gutowski gives us the details:

Smith & Wesson announced on Friday it will not pursue so-called smart guns or abandon any of its current product line despite pressure from a group of investors.

The declarations accompanied a reportprepared by the gun manufacturer’s parent company, American Outdoor Brands, on potential “reputational risk” associated with gun violence in the United States and efforts it was making to develop guns with electronic locks or GPS monitors. The company produced the report after a group of investors, who bought shares in the company with the express purpose of trying to change its internal policies, were able to win a vote forcing them to do so.

The report found customers don’t blame Smith & Wesson for criminal acts committed with firearms, that smart gun technology is “neither reliable nor commercially viable at this time,” and the company’s performance and reputation “are rooted in Smith & Wesson being a strong defender of the Second Amendment.” Instead of changing the company’s position, American Outdoor Brands said the report reaffirmed their current commitments.

Now, let’s be honest: Smith and Wesson are in business to make a profit. If people actually wanted to buy smart guns, then S & W would probably take a serious look about seeing if they can make money with them. But, if you waste money producing and marketing products that no one is going to buy, then you risk closing the company’s doors. No one working for S & W wants that, and S & W’s customers don’t want that. Neither do those customers want smart guns.

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So, anti-gunners need to face the reality of the situation: give up on smart guns or find a way to create a real market for them (not an artificially created market created by passing laws). I’m not holding my breath for either of those choices anytime soon.

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16 COMMENTS

  1. I agree with Smith an Wesson! No one is willing to purchase a weapon so expensive! Until the weapon is fundamentally inexpensive to own No average American could afford the weapon nor would the business stay in business because of the fact no one could afford to own a weapon except the rich and that would be prejudice to the average American! I would like to see smart guns when it’s cost is fair to all! Not just to the anti-gun liberals elites!

  2. I want a few. To put them where the idiots heads reside at this time. So I can electronically fire them at once and put a end to their reign. Time to get rid of the ignorant bunch. ALL AT ONE TIME.

    • Jim, watch what you put on paper. You do not want the anti-gunners to twist it and use those words against you. No need to give them extra ammunition. I concur with you all the way.

  3. “But, if you waste money producing and marketing products that no one is going to buy, then you risk closing the company’s doors.”

    The gun control activist investors, politicians in their pockets have zero interest in having smart guns anywhere.Their goal is to get rid of guns completely in the US. It seems pretty obvious that this tactic is designed to financially hurt gun makers and hopefully drive them out of business. At a minimum, they won’t be able to sell guns in states that may require this technology (even if it is currently non-existent). If you think they are disappointed in this news, you are mistaken.

  4. Not meaning to change the subject, but maybe a better preventative would be to have the government develop the tech to control the ability for a weapon to fire.
    While guns are not as necessary to have access to as motor vehicles, few people seem to object to the required training and licensing of vehicle operators before allowing them to operate a vehicle. What are the objections to requiring a similar form of licensing for using a firearm? Or at least when purchasing one?

  5. Did’nt S&W make a model 19 or 66 in the 70’s or 80’s that needed a magic-magnetic ring on your gun hand? It would not fire unless the magnetic ring was in the right position to move a link or block under the grip. I don’t think it took off then either.

  6. As S&W says at this time smart guns are not viable nor cost effective. Until the technology catches up to be able to miniaturize electronics so they can be put into an extremely small package and that package is cheap to produce smart guns will be a pipe dream. I see laser rifles and pistols before we get smart guns.

  7. Dana Loesch put it very well in a column for – if I remember right – Guns And Ammo mag; besides the high price, it turns a basic defense piece into a Rube Goldberg contraption. Anyone who has played the “Incredible Machine” games will know what those are!

  8. It is such a shame these folks cannot understand that guns are not the problem… It is our own declining moral and social values which are causing the dramatic increase in violent crime. When you cannot respect the rights of others to live their lives their way then you want to destroy then in stead of simply walking away. I believe most of these idiots do not even understand that gun laws do not do anything except harass the innocent since wackos and criminals do not respect the laws and are already in violation of at least 9 or 10 established laws when they walk into a school or public place carrying a gun in the first place… Do these morons really believe that one more law will fix things? Most of then don’t but the few that do want to eliminate guns from the world so and rely on human kindness to keep the world safe from evil. Ha good luck with that! Lets face it the only fix is to fix the morals and teach our children to respect not only each other but system of government which will deal with the problems once they start to enforce the existing laws and prosecute the offenders. Unfortunately many of the people today would rather destroy out form of government and become a socialist/communist nation. The next war I fear will be amongst ourselves and it will be a fight to remain free or submit to foreign domination… For over two hundred years this nation has fought for freedom against terrine, this time the enemy will be among us. God Bless America, God help America!

  9. Instead of smartguns, we need to start manufacturing smart people that mind there own business if they’re not ready to responsibly own one.

  10. Thats right, now if everyone else gets on the same page ,we would be better as a country of Patriots, God bless us all, please we need you Lord.

  11. Or Kiss them To Death thats the way that some people want to do that in stead bullets they have try to ban guns now bullets that’s insane.I am a happy to be NRA. Member.. thanks

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