linuxmemes

Even an RFID reader would be a bad thing, IMO. First and foremost, you have the issue of battery life; most people fail to check the batteries in their smoke detectors regularly, so I can't imagine people would remember to check the reader in their firearm. Secondly, given that many people that have guns have multiple guns, you would need some kind of sending unit--assuming that the firearm would be the reader, since the reader is going to be larger--that is either universal, or can be programmed and paired to multiple devices. Either one of those would still allow unauthorized users to steal your gun. Especially if they had something like a Flipper Zero that could read and modify RFID data.

Adding on to this, you may have to shoot with your off hand, or in a position where the reader isn't close enough to detect the chip; then you have a no-shoot situation, which could potentially be deadly.

I had to scan my credit card three times at the grocery store yesterday; the reader couldn't read my card. Now imagine that when someone is trying to carjack you.

I would want smart guns to be at least as reliable as a 1911--which is not a reliable firearm--before I would go for them.