June 27th, 2006
Wait, Don’t Shoot! I Forgot My Password!
By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
Well, I had to come up with a catchy title, but of course it’s not funny how many people are injured by accidental shootings every year. Password-protecting the ammo would not only keep the gun from firing, but keep stolen ammo from working in other guns.
The way to make firearms really safe, says Hebert Meyerle of Germany, is to password-protect the ammunition itself.
Meyerle is patenting a design for a modified cartridge that would be fired by a burst of high-frequency radio energy. But the energy would only ignite the charge if a solid-state switch within the cartridge had been activated. This would only happen if a password entered into the gun using a tiny keypad matched one stored in the cartridge. Source: New Scientist
Patent here.
We Say: OK, this sounds like a good idea. Interesting how the gun could be set to lock the ammo after a certain idle time … kind of like similar things on PDAs. I know people who simply can’t remember things. For example, set a BIOS password, and have to get it reset. I wonder if they will end up having to take the ammo back and ask the retailer for a password reset … and if it would be doable? 
Snopesman says:
It would also prevent cops (and military and hunting parties) from sharing bullets with their buddies … and do nothing for the millions of existing guns in circulation … and be resisted by gun owners everywhere, not embraced as the article seems to think it would.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:07 am
John says:
This will ONLY prevent accidental shootings when the kids find daddy’s gun and shoot themselves…..
If the owner of the gun (and thus password knower) wanted to fire the weapon (for good or bad) then theres nothign to stop that.
This “solution” really only makes things more complicated.
What needs to be done is palm/finger print identification. Each time the gun is fired, a log is generated with the ID of the user and the time of the occurance. That way, ballistics can match the bullet to the gun and be able to tell when a person was shot, and who pulled the trigger. Also if they can find a way to put RFID tags into bullets, you can code the serial number of the bullet, so you can tell which order the bullets were fired and who shot each individual bullet (if the gun was passed around or if someone shot a person then “forced” the dead victim to fire the gun to make it look like a suicide).
June 27th, 2006 at 10:44 am
Just Cid says:
The next step will be when somebody invents a device that broadcasts the fire commands by going up and down the list of possible tags…..
And then uses that device in a police station or an army barracks
and all the ammo goes off at once.
Or does the reciever in the bullet only get activated when the trigger is pulled?
June 27th, 2006 at 10:52 am
John says:
Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. I say leave the guns, and ammo alone. Divert efforts to prosecuting criminals that use guns.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:20 am
Tim says:
I agree with #4. This is just another step (whether meant that way or not) in the attempt to make it harder for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. The more crap you have to go through to get your gun into action, the more chance you’ll end up dead.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Mumblix Grumph says:
Somebody did a press conference touting a new password/fingerprint gun safety device. He held up the gun entered the code…and the gun didn’t unlock. OOPS!
These safety devices are too likely to fail in a stressful situation. I don’t want a Blue Screen Of Death if I have to face a life or death scenario.
And believe it or not, law abiding people actually DO use guns to defend themselves or their loved ones. Gun owners not just a bunch of inbred rednecks with penis size issues, no matter what your Liberal-Arts professors told you.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Johnny Mac says:
Let’s see, they came out with an Activation scheme for Windows XP and it was cracked in a day. How long until the criminals can crack a system like this?
Grow up all you anti-gun people. Guns aren’t the problem; people are. People USE the guns just like they use other tools to break into houses.
It’s not the gun’s fault.
June 28th, 2006 at 3:00 am
Zac says:
I just think of the movie Judge Dredd.
Biometric guns that explode when a non-authorized person picks it up.
But beyond the movies, another advantage of this sort of system would be for law enforcement. If someone stole a cop’s gun, they wouldnt be able to use it. But I agree, a password isnt the right method… it should be biometrics or something.
June 28th, 2006 at 6:38 am
Stan says:
The solution to accidental shootings by children has already been solved. Cheap gun locks are given away free at most police stations and many gun shops. Stupid parents just don’t use them. If you make something idiot proof, they’ll build a better idiot. Children die needlessly every year from parents exposing them to risk, be it unlocked and loaded firearms, failing to restrain them in cars, letting them drive four-wheelers…the list goes on. Adults are the cause of accidental death in children, and as Ron White says, “You can’t fix stupid”.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Network Guy says:
Activation scheme for Windows XP ?
Since when? XP activation code has never been broken. Do your homework. Valid corp license keys have been passed around, but activation has never been broken.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Jim says:
So this brilliant solution was designed by a German. Aren’t they the same people that confiscated weapons from Jewish homes some time ago? You know the rest of the story.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:08 am
Chris says:
How about making ammo that is physically or RFID keyed to a particular gun. Like if you needed ammo you would have to order it via your gun’s serial #. Sure it will increase the cost of ammo and/or gun but how can you put a price on safety? This way the ammo can be traced to the gun traced to the owner. If a theif steals the gun and orders the ammo for it… busted!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:13 am
SomeGuy says:
Godwinned after 11 posts!
Way to go!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:24 am
Stu Chisholm says:
No cop would ever go for such a thing. And if it’s not good enough for cops, it’s not good enough for me.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:34 am
Matt says:
In Tennessee firearms cannot be sold without a gunlock. It’s included “free of charge” by the store. Also, wasn’t there an article about using an RFID ring or watch to activate a gun? I dont agree with any interlock on a gun, but the RFID does seem a little more robust than putting elctronics into each bullet….
June 28th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Sam says:
What a great idea! We could also use this technology on Rosie O’Donnell’s fork, Jimmy Swaggart’s Bible, Ozzie’s liquor bottles, Ted Kennedy’s cars, Dick Cheney’s shotguns, … We can finally eradicate stupidity and dysfunction without any twinge of personal responsibility. Sound familiar?
June 28th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Bob Smith says:
Exactly you can’t fix stupid. As for criminals…duh….they are criminals and will never follow the rules/laws. Law abiding citizens are the only people that follow gun laws…hence LAW ABIDING. We follow those laws with the sad hope that the goverments will see that the laws they keep imposing on us are not solving the real issue of people are the problem not a chunk of metal and plastic.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:48 am
Scott says:
Okay, I know this is all hypothtical, but suppose some average Joe citizen comes across a Police Officer in the middle of a gun battle. Suppose the Police Officer is killed in the gun battle, and the “bad guys” are coming after “Joe.” Joe, following the inane laws of his state, does not have a gun, because his state does not allow for concealed carry, and does not want to jeapordize his career as a Chiroprator. He grabs the now dead Policemans gun - only, it won’t fire, because the gun is only “programmed” to fire by the policeman’s hand. Or, a good samaritan happens upon a crime in progress; a break in. The burglars are armed, the homeowner is also. Samaritan cannot assist the homeowner, because the homeowners guns will not fire in the samaritans hand. Bottom line, the citizen dies, and the bad guys survive.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Dan says:
#10 I suggest you do some research too. XP activation was cracked a long time ago.
As for the real issue at hand. I don’t want a gun with electronics because that requires power. I don’t handle my gun everyday. If a situation should arrise where I would need it I need to know that it will shoot the first time everytime. If I have to worry about the battery in my gun being dead I’m better off throwing the firearm at the target than firing at it.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:38 am
John says:
I will never have one of these firearms. How many criminals do you think will purchase / steal one?
I have been a hunter my whole life. I am against hand guns. The only thing they are good for is killing people at a close distance as that is what they are designed for. So, if you don’t plan on killing people why even keep a hand gun. I was raised around guns, and they were never locked up. I have passed this on to my kids. They know where all the guns are, and where all the ammunition is. I taught them to shoot, and about gun saftey since they could pick a gun up. I have never had problems or worries simply because they knew the consequences of a fired round.
If people opt to have a gun with kids in the house they should also choose to teach their kids everything about guns, and enroll them in a hunter saftey program.
If you are one of the hard heads that needs a hand gun for protection. That is bull. A rifle is more than adequate, and can be used to hunt as well.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:39 am
goombah says:
You’ve been farked.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:43 am
rolo says:
Just put your single bullet in your shirt pocket until you need it. That worked just fine for Barney.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:45 am
Steve says:
Some firearms manufacturers are already ahead of the pack. I own a 9mm automatic from Taurus Firearms. The weapon has a built-in trigger lock that is accessible only with a specially designed hollow hex key, similar to a hex/allen wrench. It is simple, easy to use even in a crisis situation where the weapon is needed for self defense and protection from the lawless, and very effective. It was the driving consideration in my decision to purchase the sidearm. The German gentlemen’s idea of password protected ammunition is laudible, but overly and needlessly complicated.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:56 am
Dan says:
#20. I live in a small apartment, a rifle for self defense or even a loer gauge shotgun would be irresponsible. I need a lower power cartridge to defend myself without putting my neighbors in danger. With my home being a confined space there is also not enough room to swing a rifle barrel around. I beleive that owning a pistol in my circum stance is a sound tactical decision. I fully support your educating your children though, but I would still lock the guns. Just because your children understand the concequences doesn’t mean their friends do. Can’t keep an eye on everyone all the time.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:56 am
Dan says:
#20. I live in a small apartment, a rifle for self defense or even a low-mid gauge shotgun would be irresponsible. I need a lower powered cartridge to defend myself without putting my neighbors in danger. With my home being a confined space there is also not enough room to swing a rifle barrel around. My shotgun is for hunting fowl in open expanses, not a man 15 feet away infront of a thin wall with who knows behind it. I beleive that owning a pistol in my circumstance is a sound tactical decision. I fully support your educating your children though, but I would still lock the guns. Just because your children understand the concequences doesn’t mean their friends do. Can’t keep an eye on everyone all the time.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Ryan says:
#19- if i used a hunting rifle to shoot a home invader, it would go through the intruder, through the wall, through whatever people/furniture are in the next room, throught the next wall, and possibly beyond that. a .45, .40, 9mm, or any other common handgun round will be stopped by a body or a wall. and a lot of people use handguns for target shooting and also as defense weapons while hunting,even if they plan to take a deer at long range with the rifle, they may have to defend against a bear at close range with the pistol. just my $.02.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:31 am
(8?ยป says:
Damn! I wanted to be the one to Godwin this post!
Then again, it shouldn’t have taken 11 posts before it happened, given the correlation of the subject matter.
It’s all just a little bit of history repeating, with the jack-booted thugs once again in charge of protecting us incapable lumpen.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:34 am
AJ says:
> a .45, .40, 9mm, or any other common handgun round will be >stopped by a body or a wall
Body yes, but unless the wall is concrete, anything over a 38 will go through.
My .45 makes clean holes in a 2×4 at 50 yards, and I have seen a 9mm go through a standard cinderblock at 50 feet
Glazers slugs are a good choice - think shotgun pellets in handgun bullets. In general, Glazers will not penetrate home drywall/gypsum board.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
AC says:
Please have someone help pull your head out of your ass,
June 28th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
Josh says:
What about all the ‘legacy’ guns already out there that won’t support the new ammo? Obviously there will still be a market for the current generation of ammo, as all the current gun owners won’t want to pay to replace or upgrade (if possible) their guns.
And if the rounds are fired by radio signal, how hard would it be for someone to create a device that can remotely fire someone’s gun?
June 28th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
dick says:
Are you stupid or did your mom drop you a few too many times?
Get a life, and try to stay out of mine ya jerkoff.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Maikel says:
I say make it similar to that of Judge Dread where DNA is applied to the bullet of whoever fires the weapon.
That way the right person is held accountable
June 28th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
D says:
Guns don’t kill people…and people dont kill people. Only ignorance does. Most people that die in ‘gun accidents’…including police, soldiers, hunters, and such…weren’t paying attention. Teaching proper ethics, safety, and respect helps…but people get in a hurry from time to time…and accidents occur.
Now, to do something about the ‘troubled child’ that has had this training…that takes a gun to school to shoot his fellow students. On yeah…quit spoiling him, and when he acts out…DISCIPLINE!
“Spare the rod…spoil the child”…..not.
June 28th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
velma says:
so in some cases an accidental shooting might turn out to be ok?
I’d prefer the satisfaction of intent and target attained, but if I accidentally take out a pain in the ass
eh…..
June 28th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
JJ says:
But it sounds like the password would only protect the ammunition is stolen and not the gun. As long as you could reset the gun password all you need is new ammo.
Back in the 70s a mod was made for revolvers that required a magnetic ring on the shooting hand in order to fire. You could get multiple rings with the same code so several people would have “authorization” to use the firearm. The main market were police and security guards making sure the gun could not be taken away from them in a fight and used against them.
#comment 2 - I would not count on an RFID embedded in the bullet surviving if the bullet struck something hard like bone. They can already add a chemical tag to gun powder to trace it back to the manufacture. Who knows it may trace it back to each batch so it can be tracked to the retail source.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
LDF says:
This technology virtually defeats the idea of using a firearm for home defense, and in my opinion is a just a sideways implementation of gun control.
Problem #1:
A defensive firearm needs to be used under extreme stress. Adrenaline and fear will make it difficult to rememeber the password and difficult to enter the password when it is most needed.
Problem #2:
The more crap you put on a gun, the greater the chance is that something won’t work. I want my defense gun to work, even if batteries are dead, even if it’s been dunked under water or rained on, even of it’s been dropped or jarred, etc. Electronics make things more fragile and less reliable.
Failure #3:
This will make bullets and guns more expensive. If guns are more expensive, less people will be able to afford them. If bullets are more expensive, the people who have guns will practice less and thus be less safe with their gun when they actually need to use it. Also, expensive bullets will reduce target shooting and bullet purchasing and will greatly harm the firearms industry.
In short, if laws ever require this technology, it will mean the end for most people owning firearms, as less people will be able to afford them, they will work less reliably and fewer gun and ammo stores will be in business because of declining interest in shooting sports and equipment. As I said, this a sideways method of gun control/banning.
Others mentioned a bullet firing tranmitter, although the article doesn’t say the bullets work via open air tranmission. Has anyone considered a jammer? Rapists would really like to have a device that would make it impossible for victims to fire their guns in self defense.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
brimstoner says:
You pro-gun nuts never fail to crack me up. Look I understand the constitution says you have a right to bear arms. That was designed for you to fight an unjust government, not so you could shoot Billy Bob for taking your Walkman. You people seriously need a shrink.
June 29th, 2006 at 2:41 am
NRAboy says:
The right to bear arms is an antiquated constitutional obscurity. The fear and paranoia of the pro-gun people is ridiculous. Guns kill people. People kill people. People kill people with guns.
June 29th, 2006 at 8:03 am
BW says:
Why is it always guns people worry about? I always find it funny how everyone jumps on this anti-gun bandwagon but you don’t see these people care about fast food or unhealthy diets which cause heart attacks, which are the leading cause of death in America. You also don’t see them care about vehicle safety, why not password protect the keys to a car? I just saw an article about a 15 year old girl that took a Hummer H2 and destroyed police cars with it. Seems like a deadly weapon to me. Why not ban all knives because they can kill too. Why stop there? Go ahead and ban the sale of rope because you can strangle someone with it.
To me, it seems like an over protective parent that’s never around. You yell at your kids to not touch anything while you’re not there and if they do you’ll punish them. If someone wanted to kill and/or harm someone they can use anything at their disposal. So you take away guns from everyone, you’ll still have knives, rope, cars, drink straws, broken CDs, whatever. If you really wanted to hurt someone you’d find a way. Take all the guns away and we’ll all equip ourselves with swords with people crying about them needing to be banned for being too dangerous.
It’s like the anti-gun people fell asleep in history class. People are dangerous and unpredictable and if anything, we are inventive. We have found ways to kill and frighten others for centuries. We use baseball bats for sport but somewhere along our history we’ve used such a device as a weapon. Don’t think people will change just because you take one weapon away and make them replace it with another.
June 29th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Brendan says:
If guns kill people, then my pencil misspells words. Anti-gun people are so ridiculous. So I’m out hunting, and for some reason my shotgun falls into the marsh, there is a good chance that the electric device would fail, and then my 1500 dollar firearm is useless. Guns don’t kill people, and if you can’t understand this, you should be steralized so that you can’t make any more morons.
June 29th, 2006 at 11:43 am
Molli says:
Hello and congratulations! nokia6630
July 25th, 2006 at 2:49 am
clifford says:
I am here to say hello and you have a great site! nokia6630
July 26th, 2006 at 12:41 pm