Smith & Wesson signs technology deal
Smith & Wesson Corp., a subsidiary of Scottsdale-based Saf-T-Hammer Corp., today announced a partnership with the New Jersey Institute of Technology to incorporate the school's biometric identification technology into prototype "Authorized-User-Only" handguns.
Biometrics are automated methods of recognizing a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic, such as fingerprints, speech, face, handwriting, etc.
According to a company press release, Smith & Wesson has been working on the concept of an authorized-user-only gun since the early 1990s, but has tried and discarded a number of technologies.
"The application of technology to produce an Authorized-User-Only firearm cannot compromise the product," said Kevin Foley, vice president of research and development. "Such a gun must be as reliable as current handguns. It must deliver features that a gun owner desires and it must be affordable. Ideally, it should function instantaneously in a manner transparent to the user."
According to Smith & Wesson officials, the company was the first to include locks with every handgun, and it currently offers integral locks with its line of revolvers.