Biofire Debuts Smart Gun

Biofire Technologies recently unveiled the Biofire Smart Gun, a striker-fired semi-auto 9mm handgun that uses fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics to ensure only authorized users can fire it. Designed for home defense, the Biofire Smart Gun enables firearm owners to defend themselves against external threats while preventing unauthorized access and misuse. “The shooting experience is seamless,” says Kai Kloepfer, CEO and founder of Biofire. “Authorized users can simply pick the gun up and fire it. The Biofire Smart Gun is the first, and only, biometric firearm on the market.”

Until now, smart guns have been closely associated with the New Jersey “Childproof Handgun Law” enacted in 2002. The stated intent of that law was to incentivize innovation in the firearm safety space as a means to save children’s lives, but it included language that mandated all handguns sold in the state be smart or personalized firearms three years after the first one was brought to market. The law was repealed in 2019, and no other legislation of its kind has been proposed by other states. In its place, New Jersey wrote new language requiring retailers to carry at least one smart gun if such product became available in the market.

“Biofire wholly agrees with the consensus among firearm owners that the New Jersey mandate was counterproductive to any goals related to the safety of children, and that it directly infringed on the Second Amendment rights of New Jersey gun owners,” says Kloepfer. “Notably, one of the state legislators who helped pass the original mandate, Loretta Weinburg, openly admitted that the law that she had previously argued for had backfired, stifling advances in firearm safety instead of bringing them to life, and she actively advocated for the law’s repeal.”

According to Kloepfer, Biofire’s focus is on building better, faster, and safer firearms that solve the issue of safe storage versus instant access. The company believes a smart gun should always be a choice, not a requirement or mandate. “Though we’re not aware of any current political conversations about smart gun mandates, Biofire will be the first in line to fight against any future mandate,” he says.

While it was in place, the original New Jersey mandate was enormously detrimental to innovation in nearly every imaginable way. “It compromised investment in our technology, antagonized our customers, and distracted the public from any meaningful conversation about innovation in the firearm safety sector,” Kloepfer says. “Indeed, we may have been able to offer our Smart Gun to American consumers years ago had that mandate never been in place.”

Founded in 2016, Biofire’s mission is to provide firearm owners with advanced, trusted tools that help keep them and their families safe. “We are a company of gun owners who make products we want to use ourselves,” says Kloepfer. “We firmly believe that gun owners everywhere are central to innovative firearm safety solutions that make our homes and communities safer. To that end, we offer our Smart Gun as a competitive option for firearm owners who recognize the fact that traditional locking devices inherently require a compromise of either speed or accessibility. The Smart Gun enables firearm owners to be instantly armed against external threats while also preventing unauthorized access and misuse.”

What It Is

The Biofire Smart Gun is a closed system that protects the user’s personal data. The firearm has no wireless communication of any kind. Biometric data is stored on the Smart Gun in fully encrypted form. No one can access the biometrics—not even Biofire.

Biofire’s Guardian Biometric Engine integrates state-of-the-art capacitive fingerprint identification and 3D infrared facial recognition systems that independently verify a user’s identity (whichever recognizes the user first) to unlock the firearm. It works in a wide variety of conditions, including if a user is wearing gloves or a face covering. Customizable LED indicators show when the gun is armed, and the firearm immediately locks when it leaves an authorized user’s hand. Integrated IR sensors in the grip keep the firearm armed while an authorized user is holding the gun, removing a need to continuously authenticate their biometrics. In addition, solid-state encrypted electronic fire-control technology ensures it’s impossible to modify the Biofire Smart Gun to circumvent its biometrics or to convert it into a conventional handgun.

A rechargeable, removable, high-endurance lithium-ion battery powers the firearm. The battery lasts for several months with average use and can fire continuously for several hours. A secure, portable Smart Dock provides an interface for the owner to add and remove trusted users via the high-resolution touch screen. The Smart Gun and Smart Dock together are a closed system that protects personal information with defense-grade data security.

Customers can personalize their firearm, choosing from 64 unique combinations of polymer, trigger, and magazine-release colors. It is available in right-handed and left-handed models and with customizable grip-size options. Other features include a forged stainless-steel barrel and slide, glass-filled nylon grip, and a fully integrated laser sight as well as a non-reciprocating blade front sight and a rear notch sight. The double-stack magazine can accommodate 10 or 15 rounds. The Smart Gun will ship to customers through the same legal ATF transfer process required of all traditional firearms. Biofire will begin fulfilling customer orders in early 2024, in adherence with all applicable state and local regulations. The gun, which has a list price of $1,499, is now available for pre-order with a refundable $149 deposit. (smartgun.com)

 Customers can personalize their firearm, choosing from 64 unique combinations of trigger and magazine-release colors.