First-ever ‘smart gun’ with fingerprint unlocking system hits the market

The world’s first “smart gun” hit the market Thursday, complete with a life-saving fingerprint unlocking system that prevents “unauthorized” people such as kids and criminals from firing it.

The cutting-edge 9mm handgun locks out everybody except the owner and users specifically approved by the owner — technology that could improve gun safety in America, according to reps from the gun-making firm Biofire.

“Right now it seems like the entire country is always processing a new tragedy involving children and guns,” the Colorado-based firm’s CEO Kai Kloepfer told The Post. “We are offering a real solution, at a time when solutions seem very hard to come by.”

The $1,499 gun unlocks in less than a second, using either a fingerprint or facial recognition sensor, then quickly locks again when it’s no longer in use.

As gun control legislation remains largely stalled in the US, the innovation could help prevent everything from school shootings to accidents and suicides, reps from the company said.

 “We’re not claiming that the Biofire Smart Gun is going to prevent every instance of firearm misuse. But we do believe this tool can help prevent some firearm suicides, accidents, and injuries from occurring,” Kloepfer said.”If our work saves even one child’s life, it will be worth it.”

Kloepfer was inspired to create the firearm after a shooter killed 12 people during a screening of the movie “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012.

Kloepfer, a high school student who lived nearby at the time, submitted the idea as a project at a local science fair in 2013 before founding the company in 2016.

He then worked to develop the technology with firearm experts, including former members of the military,  for years.

“This Smart Gun was designed specifically for real gun owners who want a quality home-defense firearm that cannot be used by children or criminals,” said Mike Corbett, a BioFire advisor and former member of SEAL Team 6. “In a few years, I believe that the head of every household in America who wants a home-defense firearm is going to choose this Smart Gun.”

While Aurora shooter James Eagan Holmes got his gun legally, the smart gun’s locking mechanism could have stopped other school shooters such as Adam Lanza — who used his mother’s firearm to murder 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School the same year.

In the US, firearm-related accidents, homicides, and suicides is the leading cause of death for children and teens, according to the New England Journal of Medicine report from last year.

In a recent survey, more than 40% of US kids said they could get ahold of their parents’ “secured” guns  within two hours, according to a 2021 JAMA Network medical journal article.

That data — along with a reported boom in gun sales in 2020 — show the importance of “securing firearms” and “preventing theft,” company reps said. 

“The Smart Gun shoots like a gun — there’s no delay. If it weren’t for the futuristic look, you wouldn’t know that it isn’t just a regular mechanical pistol,” said Ian McCollum, the firearm technical expert who tested out the weapon.

“That’s very appealing to people interested in a home-defense firearm, which is a significant market segment. I’ve come away from the opportunity to fire the gun myself pretty excited and impressed by the system — so far, Biofire has done it right.”

The firearm features a “state-of-the-art, integrated capacitive fingerprint sensor and 3D facial recognition system” along with “LED indicators” to signal when it’s “looking for an authorized user’s biometrics.”

It’s also made with a portable dock charger that allows its owner to add and remove authorized users on a high-resolution touch screen.

The gun is available for pre-order with a refundable $149 deposit, and orders are expected to be completed in early 2024.