German weapons company Armatix has made a pistol that only the owner can fire in a bid to improve gun safety.

A gun that can only be fired by its owner has been developed by a German company.
Armatix's iP1 Digital Smart Gun will only fire if its partnered watch, which is activated by a five-digit PIN code, is within 40cm.

A radio frequency identification chip in the gun communicates with the watch so that only the owner can fire the weapon, and the PIN code ensures that if the gun is lost or stolen it becomes useless.
The watch can also be programmed so that the gun can only fire for a short amount of time – a timed safety catch, essentially.

LEDs on the gun change colour as a magazine is loaded and the watch is brought close to the weapon. The sleek styling and LED system mean the gun is reminiscent of the palm print-sensitive Walther PPK/S 9mm used by James Bond in the 2012 film Skyfall.

The Armatix iP1 weighs 518g unloaded, and fires .22 LR caliber rounds. It has an effective range of 69 meters. It is ready for sale but in the US, which holds a huge slice of the international gun market, the device has caused controversy. Some citizens have claimed that the design could lead to a US government mandate requiring all guns to use the system.

Two retailers in the US that sold the weapons have been forced to pull them from shop shelves after hostile reactions from locals.
The system is not the first piece of modern gun technology. Last year, the US government ordered the removal of online blueprints for a 3D-printed firearm.

Source: Armatix via: BBC, China Topix

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