Smart guns made a splash earlier this month when a widely shared Reuters report announced that SmartGunz and LodeStar Works would be releasing their first “smart” firearms later this year. We got a chance to catch up with SmartGunz founder Tom Holland at SHOT Show 2022, and he shared more about his new product and his motivations for bringing it to market.
Holland didn’t bring a working model of the 1911 Sentry to the show, but he did tell us that the gun is currently being field tested by a law enforcement agency working in the corrections field, and he hopes to bring the product to the general public in April of 2022.
The 1911 Sentry is a basic 9mm 1911 that can only be fired when an RFID ring is brought within range of the sensor located in the grip. Each ring is matched with a single gun, so only the possessor of the ring can fire the weapon.
A battery located in the magazine powers the mechanism, and that battery can be recharged either by plugging it in or by placing it on a wireless charging pad. When the battery power drops below 20%, the light on the gun turns red.
Other smart guns have been shown to be easily hackable, but Holland said the 1911 Sentry is different.
Wired Magazine, for example, demonstrated that the Armatix IP1 could be “hacked” using magnets. Holland told us the 1911 Sentry overcomes this weakness by using a passive rather than an active RFID sensor. The sensor is only active and potentially hackable when the ring is within range of the sensor, reducing the ability of non-authorized users to interfere with the gun’s operation.
Holland admitted that all electronic devices are susceptible to EMP attacks, and that includes the Sentry 1911.
Smart guns have been a political football in recent years as anti-gun politicians push laws and policies that would mandate gun makers to implement smart gun technology.
New Jersey, for example, passed a now-repealed law that would have banned traditional firearms by requiring gun stores in the state to sell only smart guns. A more recent New Jersey law requires gun stores to sell smart guns, and President Joe Biden wants to mandate that all guns sold in the U.S. to be “smart.”
Holland told us he does not support these laws, and his company will never lobby for them. In fact, he argues that smart gun mandates have “set us back lightyears” in developing smart gun technology because they’ve catalyzed gun owners against the technology.
“Options are great,” he said, “but never mandate anything.”
We didn’t get a chance to test the reliability of the 1911 Sentry, but the gun feels and operates like any other 1911. Holland said they wanted to use a tried-and-true firearm design, and they’ve been advised by engineers at Kansas State University in developing the RFID mechanism.
SmartGunz will sell the 1911 Sentry to the general public for $2,195 and to law enforcement for a reduced $1,795.
Click HERE to learn more about the 1911 Sentry.
The major target, here seems to be corrections; the controlled element will gleefully remove youse finger, as happy as Lister was with the arm he appropriated. BTL, eh?
Oh look another mandate from King mumble Jargon.
Ooo-oohhhhhh…a Ring of Power. I think an implant would be better, that let’s the police know when you’ve fired the gun, and they can come check it out. Or just come visit because you have a gun.
Not for me, thanks. Good luck staying solvent.
What’s next… “Smart Toilet Paper”? The only market for this ‘dumb’ idea, is to sell it to non-shooters.
This will go great with your Prius!
Holland…….not helping!
Go invent a better weed eater.
More “smart gun” crap to satisfy the “woke’ crowd who don’t want you to have a gun in the first place. So-called smart gun technology has never been accepted by the American public because it changes the configuration of the gun, and it is inherently unreliable in an emergency.
Look how screwed up the world is with “Smart” phones?
When they’ve been carried for 10 years and proven 100% reliable by the Secret Service detail assigned to the “President” then I might consider one. Or not – they be ugly.
I understand folk getting enamored with this concept – I really do. I don’t agree with it but DO understand it.
But, in the end, it comes down to this for me.
The only practical and marginally defensible reason for this restriction is in the case of the firearm being available to miscreants or kids and thus rendered inoperable.
In the case of miscreants, I see two scenarios:
-A Cop or LEO has a firearm inoperable should a dirt-bag get it from the COP.
-A burglar cannot turn a homeowner’s gun upon the home owner.
Here – as a COP or homeowner – I would rather depend upon existing security measures and my own training than depend upon; a battery, circuitry and added moving parts in a gun which by design and employment has the lives of myself and other resting upon its operation.
Then – kids. Again, this implies that the firearm is positioned for self defense as it should otherwise be unavailable to kids hands, so, see above.
All my guns are smart enough. I don’t need this overpriced crap
Really stupid complication that no one wants (except leftist politicians) and will surely affect reliability. Oh, and that black ring will certainly be noticed by anyone interested, police, Federal authority leaning to whoever is in power, wacko liberals, others and will will call attention to its wearer.
I see a few (very few) of these selling as a “novelty” item to someone with some $ to waste, as well as a few other “sales” for the medias sake (ie: publicity stunts) Overall these will be abject failures for sure.
A gun built for people who don’t buy guns and the people who buy guns won’t buy this one. The only people carrying this will be the ones forced to do so…if you CHOOSE to protect your life with this you’re a fool.
I’ll stick with my dumb guns, thanks.
When my life in on the line, I want reliability…This isn’t it.
Did not bring a working copy. lol
He said that “the gun is currently being field tested by a law enforcement agency working in the corrections field” yeah right
Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
Now when the gun is taken after the owner’s dead, fingers will go missing too.
Junk science
So……. they will use this to ban guns, you will get your finger cut off before being shot, It may not work and the most likely you will lose the damn ring and be charged a boatload to replace! Ahhh…… no thanks?
“Let’s go Holland” …
I agree that this firearm offers the owner ZERO advantages and will in some cases, get you killed if relied upon to save your life.
Even if this technology works 100% and eventually it will, the entire point of “Smart Gun” technology is eventually to mandate a Government Controlled “Kill Switch” in all firearms, to disarm one person or whole populations, as the Tyrants see fit, at the push of a button. They even want to fit it to military weapons, as well. Soldiers can never be truly trusted by the People’s oppressors.
I’m sure if we “Followed The Money” we would find out who the real investors in this project are and perhaps uncover their motives and long term goals. Based on what happened to the promise of “Freedom of the Internet”, it is no longer paranoia to always assume the worst about all these good ideas to “Protect Us” or to “Save the Children”.
I’ll carry one… when hell freezes over.
Worthless crap that can’t be depended on when you may need it the most. Hold on while my pistol re-boots.
“The gun will sell for $2195 to the public “. Really? I predict that sales volume will be precisely ZERO to the actual public, with maybe 1-2 units “sold “ as part of some publicity stunt to some anti-gun libtard. Perhaps blue dog turd will show up to buy one.
Unless it’s mandated ( and it absolutely should NOT be) the market will not support this.
Too Late, it is mandated in several states, once a single pistol if offered for sale, the “Un-Smart Guns” will be banned from sale and only the new technology will be allowed. Once this happens the libtard states will all jump on board. The only exception will be for the police, the military and the body guards of the tyrants. One rule for thee and another for me.
Kamala Harris, as one her last acts as California Attorney General, signed a finding that “Micro-Stamping” technology guns were available in the marketplace, Therefore all new pistols needed to have Micro-Stamping in order to be included on the state’s “Safe Handgun Roster”. Same will happen when this piece of trash hits the market. They lie and it (Maybe) takes decades to get a judge to unwind these edicts.
By the way, I think it was Reuters that first wrote an article about this “Smart Gun” being demonstrated by a “Trained Professional” for the press. The pistol is reported to have fired one shot and then malfunctioned. The Press lied about the gun and said it worked “Flawlessly”. I guess that was true if it was a “One-Shooter” they were being 100% truthful, but it was not, so they omitted the whole story.
Beside California having an automatic mandate for this crap, pretty sure Massachusetts has something similar.
Having a choice is fine . But the average American can not plop $2,195 dollars down on a hand gun and as for low income forget it . And only anti gun Nazis and gun snobs think they should . So yes mandates are just back door gun control and make no one any safer . But for the few that can afford it, having that feel good feeling and choice may be worth it to them , But then we come to a real world practical issue of having for one reason or another while in an fire fight having to change firing hands to shoot . Then you have a real problem of time and practical engagement issues . Like the man said having a choice is nice but mandates are NOT !