Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway has funded 15 smart gun projects. Smart guns are firearms that only their owners can fire. They recognize its owners’ fingerprint or grip. Or they unlock when prompted by a special, wireless watch or ring worn by the shooter. Smart guns haven’t caught on in the US “because of fears they are a backdoor to greater gun control.” In other words, not enough people are selling them to find out.
[Who Is Investor Ron Conway, Smart Gun Advocate?]
Lesly Stahl of 60 Minutes interviews Conway and New Jersey State Senator Loretta Weinberg who is pushing to mandate that all gun stores make at least one smart gun available for sale. Stahl also interviews Steve Sanetti, the president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who says such laws punish responsible gun owners. Sanetti tells Stahl that “it’s the anti-gun forces who want smart guns, not the marketplace.” Note: In 1999, when it was discovered that Smith & Wesson was developing a smart gun for the US government, the NRA and its members boycotted the company. Stahl’s report on smart guns will air on 60 Minutes on November 1 at 7pm on CBS.
