So-called smart guns are not a workable idea, because the technology available is not capable of producing such a thing. First, all biometric modalities, inclu

So-called smart guns are not a workable idea, because the technology available is not capable of producing such a thing. First, all biometric modalities, including finger print and palm print scanners, have a non-zero false accept rate (FAR) and false reject rate (FRR). A biometric system must be fine tuned to balance security with usability, which is fine for authenticating users of a computer system, but not acceptable for a firearm. Second, consumer electronics in general are garbage and have nowhere near the reliability of a well made handgun. For any given electronic device, a significant fraction of them will fail every year. Firearms can last for decades or longer, provided they are maintained. Consumer electronics are not maintained, they are thrown out when they break. Finally, what people like this don't seem to understand is that a safe gun must always fire when the trigger is pulled, as well as never fire when the trigger is not pulled. The first is just as important as the second. A legitimately held firearm, whether held by a soldier, police officer, or private citizen, is a safety-of-life critical instrument that must operate correctly when it is used, otherwise the user is likely to be killed himself.