I actually think there's a strong argument that regulation is more to blame: Part of the reaction stemmed from a little-known New Jersey law passed in 2002 by

I actually think there's a strong argument that regulation is more to blame: Part of the reaction stemmed from a little-known New Jersey law passed in 2002 by gun-control advocates. Once a personalized weapon went on sale in the United States, the law said, then within three years, all guns sold in New Jersey would have to include such safety features. It seems like greater adherence to free market principles could actually have avoided the problem -- without that law, intense opposition to smart guns would likely have not occurred as it did, or at least not to such an extent. Gun rights activists focus their energy on regulation and practically nothing else, which is why smart guns were so strongly opposed -- it was opposition to regulation, not safety.