Massachusetts Bill S.1163 -- Study Commission on GPS Locators in Firearms

Bill S.1163 188th (Current)

SECTION 1. A special commission after this referred to as the Global Positioning System Locators in Firearms Study Commission, is hereby established for the purpose of making an investigation and study relative to the feasibility of placing Global Positioning System (“GPS”) locators in firearms.

The commission shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry such recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerk of the senate before the bill filing deadline for the 2013-2014 general court session.

malegislature.gov...

American security experts suggest that a Snapchat-esque, self-limiting capability for weapons is not so far-fetched. The technology is made possible by a class of itty-bitty devices called micro-electromechanical systems, aka MEMS, a wide array of technologies distinguished by the fact that they’re tiny, sometimes a fraction of a millimeter. By embedding them in some weapons’ existing technology, it would be possible, for example, to prevent those weapons from firing outside of a certain geographical area, or at passenger aircraft, or after a certain date and time.

“There’s just a virtually unlimited potential,” says Chris Harmer, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. “You can set an expiration date, you can say a weapon is only going to be usable during certain times of the day—anything you can think up.” A bolder idea would be weapons that can shoot at the bad guys but not friendly forces. “That’s absolutely the Holy Grail of where you want to go—to be able to program the weapons to shoot only at certain, specific targets,” says Harmer.

Technologies such as GPS or radio-frequency identification could already be used to track or communicate with weapons, perhaps even telling them how to behave on the battlefield, without MEMS, Harmer says. But those signals might be intercepted or the weapons themselves might be manipulated or hacked. The advent of MEMS, on the other hand, opens the door to making munitions that—because that tiny machinery is integrally woven into their design—can operate only in certain ways, under certain conditions. “It’s not just a software code,” he says. “It’s an actual mechanical function in there.”

This year, Darpa’s Microsystems Technology Office sought designs for a project called Vanishing Programmable Resources (aptly acronymed VAPR) that would, according to the federal solicitation, develop electronic systems “capable of physically disappearing in a controlled, triggerable manner”—or self-destruct. “This is not George Jetson stuff,” Harmer says. “It’s working in laboratories now.” We could see U.S. weapons with MEMS regulating how they function “within a three-to-five-year time frame,” he says.

origin-www.businessweek.com...

www.fbo.gov...

www.triggersmart.com...

The new Second Amendment: Smart guns that become paper weights at the discretion of the government?

"a fool and his money are soon parted"

- ancient wit

you'd be truly stupid to buy such a weapon,

on the other hand I'm sure some smarter fellows will be making mucho money
disabling this crap.

or selling "jammers" that would allow you to take on a swat team...
everybody knows very few cops can defend themselves without a gun.

edit to add related thread=> “Covert Police or Government Operations May Require Complete ‘Blackout’ Conditions.” www.abovetopsecret.com...

Introducing iCensor: Apple Is Patenting Technology That Will Cripple Its Devices When They Are In the Proximity of ‘A Concert or a Classified Facility’

I am starting to really believe that there is either something in the air or in the water in the North Eastern part of the US, these people seriously have some kind of God Complex, especially Bloomberg in NY.
Im wondering if they get their water piped all the way across the country, from California because I see some connection between the way the NE and Cali behaves.

Simply, this will never work because most 2nd amendment folks will simple get out a small carbide drill or replace the part containing this ridiculous "add on." Much as I would hate to cause even the slightest damage to a fine weapon if this actually became mandated there would have to be push back.

The White House recently approved a plan to arm opposition forces in Syria, renewing a fear that looms whenever we plunk weapons into volatile settings: What if they fall into the wrong hands?

This says it all the same government who denies us 'bad guns' will give anyone they deem to be friendly those things we can't have because they are 'too dangerous'.

What hypocrisy.

Then some people want to track our guns ?

Nothing, but a bunch of fascists who make Orwell look like an amateur.

The insanity that goes in this country is utter nonsensical.

reply to post by METACOMET


If you buy a “smart” gun you’re “stupid” IMO.

All this kind of thing does is strengthen and expand the used gun market. Guns last forever if they’re taken care of. There are over 200,000,000 guns in America that aren’t “smart”. I suggest buying as many as you can because they will be worth their weight in gold one day….certainly worth more than our fiat currency.

How hard is going to be to remove or disable said GPS locator?

I can see it now "Guns Unlocked here only $50". Just like the phone unlocking business! LoL

reply to post by seabag


reply to post by TheMagus



The point of this being studied by the legislature is not to make these "special" firearms available on the market, but to introduce legislation that allows only firearms equipped with these technologies to be sold within the state.

Yeah, one would be stupid to purchase such a firearm, but the point is that you would have no choice in the matter.

Originally posted by andy06shake
How hard is going to be to remove or disable said GPS locator?

It would be hard time in the penitentiary.

I suspect with the DARPA MEMS technology I linked in the OP, it would be extremely difficult to impossible to remove without affecting the function of the firearm.

Which gun manufacturers would allow this? At what stage would TPTB put in the chip and who would buy these guns? After the word gets out not many I believe. After low sales, the gun companies would quit making them. I see low sales and people going elsewhere to purchase their guns.

Originally posted by Sharingan
I am starting to really believe that there is either something in the air or in the water in the North Eastern part of the US, these people seriously have some kind of God Complex, especially Bloomberg in NY.
Im wondering if they get their water piped all the way across the country, from California because I see some connection between the way the NE and Cali behaves.

edit on 19-8-2013 by Sharingan because: (no reason given)

You really like to make large sweeping assumptions on the people of these areas, don't you? So some askwipe in govt makes some crazy legislature and you think the peoples of those states are also behind it?

Does everyone in Texas like their Bush Patriot Act?

Stop with the sweeping generalizations, it's rude. I was born in CA. This is the state I know. Just like most people, I have not left the state I was raised in. Does that make me a bleeding liberal? Nope, granted, I probably would not make it in Mississippi, we all have a style of thinking based on the atmosphere of our area. Doesn't mean we don't think for ourselves in spite of the air we breath around us.

reply to post by SunnyDee


I dont really care if you think im rude or not.This is the second thread that you singled me out in, you a stalker or what?

reply to post by Sharingan


It's the second thread you and I both visited where you annoyed me.

Sorry, but true.
Edit to add your other comment in the other thread. See below.

The only time we Texans get truly perplexed is when we are trying to figure out how someone of the same species can be as ignorant as the progressive fools from places like California,most of the North East US and apparently someone from Ohio as well

reply to post by SunnyDee


Like I said, I dont care.
However, if you dont like people poking at your State, get rid of the fools that come up with these types of laws and the ones the vote them into law.

Its one thing to come up with foolish laws, happens all the time in pretty much all 50 states but its another thing for the majority of lawmakers to actually pass them into law, thats where to problem lies.
Now unless you can add something else besides telling me how annoying I am to you, dont bother.

reply to post by Sharingan


I am simply trying to tell you that you come off as rude for making sweeping assumptions that the people living in liberal states are all, what was it? ignorant species? Are you of the same thinking and intelligence as the people you voted in, in texas? Do you have the ablilty to get rid of the ones you don't like, or is it that easy, I am asking? Does your state pander to the illegal aliens and the ignorant?

You probably suffer similar leadership problems in your state, only different issues. But no matter, you will get a couple of stars since you take cheap shots at Ca and NY. Such an easy star to get.

reply to post by METACOMET


"I suspect with the DARPA MEMS technology I linked in the OP, it would be extremely difficult to impossible to remove without affecting the function of the firearm."

A gun does not require any electronics to fire.

Most side arms are still operate using a mechanical function combined with a chemical explosive. How hard would it be to remove or circumvent the electronics and still have a fully functional weapon really?

I do agree if caught doing so you may find yourself in a federal penitentiary but criminals do a hell of a lot worse than removing GPS devices and still the Jails are full.

reply to post by SunnyDee


Allright well, agree to disagree.. I dont wanna hijack this dudes thread anymore, sorry OP...
cya

I wonder if these GPS Tagged firearms will look anything like this?





Judge Dredd's Law Giver MkII, those had a quite a nifty anti theft device if memory serves.

Don't know about GPS but they do feature the awesome Double Whammy shot! LoL

Um what? lol

If this is true and not just scare mongering than this is ridiculous. As I've stated in many threads about guns, I hate them but I support the 2nd amendment. I don't like guns so I don't own one.

I'm not sure how I feel about requiring a gps device in all guns if it is only a tracking device but this added feature of being able to keep the gun from firing? Sorta defeats the main purpose of a gun which is self defense. I'll be writing to my legislatures about this one.

To clarify on gps tracking... I can see some really great uses for it. Being able to locate weapons used in a crime, for one... on the other hand I'm really not a fan of the surveillance state and my conspiracy mind tells me it would be far too easy for the government to falsely pin crimes on people they find inconvenient. I guess I solved my own dilemma there. No, this isn't a good idea at all.

On the positive side, the GPS could be very helpful for locating lost hunters or stolen firearms.
The remote disablement feature could stop stolen weapons from being used as more than clubs. It would also serve to prevent poaching out of season.

On the other hand, would anyone want to give the government the ability to disarm the populace at the flick of a switch?