You can reserve a $1,499 Biofire 9mm Smart Gun today for a refundable deposit of $149. You’ll get to pick the color of the frame, the trigger and the magazine release. You can choose a right- or-left hand model and add a custom serial number at no extra charge. Additional magazines are $49 each, and for $99 you can purchase a year of concierge white-glove service, known as “Biofire Care.”
“Your Smart Gun will ship in the order it was reserved. Order now to secure your spot in line,” the company promises on its website.
But what you can’t do is shoot the thing before you plunk down your money, nor can nearly anyone else. Biofire is not allowing independent reviews of its new smart gun, at least not anytime soon.
“In the short term, we’re not doing that kind of thing yet. We’re trying to phase in our engagement with the public on this stuff,” Amy Jasper, Biofire’s communication director said Tuesday. “We’re hosting product demos on Zoom, interviews with the CEO, and then the next thing we’ll host are some onsite range days for folks in the firearm media – allowing folks to put a few rounds through it. After that, we’ll be able to send firearms out to do whatever you want with it. It’s a phased approach.”
Jasper said the company lacks the “capacity” to allow traditional firearm reviews, even though they’re already accepting downpayments for the pistol, which she said should start shipping during Q1 or Q2 of 2024.
For now, you have to take Biofire’s word that the smart gun’s “integrated fingerprint and 3D facial recognition systems” will work as advertised and unlock the pistol when it’s needed, especially in what Mas Ayoob called “the gravest extreme.”
There is much more at stake with the release of any new smart gun than the release of a next-generation Glock or a new Sig-Sauer. Even though New Jersey lawmakers toned down the state’s infamous smart-gun mandate, which would have required Garden State gun dealers to only sell firearms with user-recognition technology the minute a viable smart gun hit the market, the gun-ban industry will still demand all new firearms contain fingerprint scanners or facial-recognition software. In other words, anti-gunners will use the release of a new smart-gun as a cudgel to leverage more infringements of our Second Amendment rights, if it works, that is.
Therefore, when a new smart gun is unveiled, it’s vital to see if it actually works, and that’s where independent testing comes in – not a demo on Zoom or a dog-and-pony show at the company’s range. If you’re becoming suspicious, it’s because we’ve seen these hands-off tactics from manufacturers before with the Hudson 9mm or Remington’s ill-fated R51.
‘It Will be Similar to a Glock 19 in Reliability’
In an interview Thursday with the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project, when asked if his smart gun is reliable, Kai Kloepfer, Biofire CEO and founder, said, “I would say the short answer is yes.”
“The long answer, as a gunowner, the fundamental thing that no one has ever done is build a smart gun that delivers on its key promise of only working for you. Most importantly to your question, it needs to be a good gun,” Kloepfer said. “What I would say is the pre-production unit we have now – by the point where we’re asking customers to put full payments down – the expectation is yes; it will be similar to a Glock 19 in reliability. If we had final production units we would be shipping to customers.”
Some pre-production models can fire hundreds of rounds without a malfunction, Kloepfer said, while others experience one malfunction per magazine.
“We’ve run a pretty rigorous test parameter for over two years now,” he said. “Our intent here is, we are first and foremost building a home-defense handgun, not a battle rifle, so we are focusing on it being very reliable in that environment, so I would say it’s not the ideal firearm to take to the desert in Afghanistan.”
Kloepfer’s current model comes with iron sights and an integral red laser, but he said future models will include a red-dot, which “will be fully integrated into the power source of the gun – no extra batteries and no need to turn it off and on.”
Biofire has raised more than $30 million to develop its smart gun, an effort led by the Founders Fund. While the majority of his investors are anonymous, Kloepfer said he has not taken money from Bloomberg, Giffords, Brady or other anti-gun groups.
“We are backed by a very broad range of people,” he said. “Our goal here is to build firearms. We’ve never supported any mandates or restrictions of firearms.”
Bold claims
Biofire posted a well-produced video on its website of retired Navy SEALs shooting and reloading the clunky looking gun.
“The Biofire Smart Gun was designed specifically for real gun owners who want a quality home defense firearm that cannot be used by children or criminals,” Mike Corbett, Biofire advisor and former member of SEAL Team 6 is quoted as saying in a press release. “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.”
Biofire did not follow through on a request to make Corbett available for an interview to discuss his comments.
Ian McCollum, host of Forgotten Weapons on the YouTube channel, was allowed to examine Biofire’s weapon at length, and shoot two 10-round magazines at the company’s indoor range for an episode of his program.
“This is the challenge of developing your whole new firearms platform and biotech sensor platform at the same time,” McCollum said during the episode after experiencing a failure-to-feed malfunction. “So, that’s why this is still pre-production. They’re going to get these bugs worked out in the next couple of months.”
In Biofire’s press release, McCollum’s quotes are much more laudatory: “The Biofire 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. 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.”
Kloepfer would not say whether he’s paying McCollum.
“I can’t talk exact details,” he said. “You’re welcome to ask him, but I’m not allowed to disclose that under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).”
Neither would Kloepfer say if he’s compensating the SEALs.
“I still can’t disclose that,” he said.
This story is presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.
About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
This just screams “RED FLAG ALERT”. Not necessarily “SCAM”, as I believe these BioFire gents are really trying to (solve a non-existent problem) create something new.
But I do think that they are going to go bankrupt trying to get to the same 99.99% reliability as a Glock, this “gun” will never come to market, and those that put deposit money down will have a fun time trying to get it back again (see Dick’s 2012 pre-Christmas sale of AR15s, and then their reneging on that sale).
#SnakeOil
Looks like a grossly over-priced Hi-Point. Give me the Hi-Point any day of the week.
Your life is on the line, you get just one chance to defend yourself in time, and they think you will choose this “smart” gun that still has failure to feed issues and experiences catastrophic issues once per magazine? LOL. No, every head of household will certainly not buy one of these. Compensated spokespeople like this should be ashamed. Glock has decades of reliability, while this still doesn’t work right in preproduction, and has no history at all of reliability. Heck no, hard pass.
They can sell them all to Biden’s secret service and capital police, who leave guns lying around in bathrooms. The socialist pretends-ident must be protected by a woke “it may possibly work” firearm. In fact, Dems should pass a law that all democrats can only be protected by smart guns with green energy solar chargers, and no earth-killing batteries, to prove their commitment.
“Kloepfer would not say whether he’s paying McCollum. “I can’t talk exact details,” he said. “You’re welcome to ask him, but I’m not allowed to disclose that under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).” Neither would Kloepfer say if he’s compensating the SEALs. “I still can’t disclose that,” he said.” Seems like there’s a big laundry list of stuff that the company is unable to disclose. Including, but not limited to, whether their gun will actually go BANG when needed instead of click. But they’ll be glad to take your money and add you to a list… waiting for guns supposedly almost… Read more »
“ Mike Corbett, Biofire advisor and former member of SEAL Team 6 …”
No insult against Mr Corbett if he’s genuine, but I want to see and examine his DD214.
The specs they have released exclude what those knowledgable in firearms want to know. Which screams an unreliable firearm, that is made for use in a dry, clean room environment. Ians demonstration was more an advertisement than a review. He treated the gun like a baby. Is he compromised ? There are many many failure points in this gun, with electronic components, wiring connections, solder joints, and sensors being the drivers in a low MTBF number. Aerospace design and packaging standards have solved such problems but at huge costs ? What reliability standards does this weapon meet ? What about… Read more »
Only if cops and .gov people are first required to use them will the majority of gun guys and gals even begin to accept these. Despite their promises of reliability (just what does that mean), how many ways cold this gun fail you in dire need? shooting from retention – facial recognition won’t be there. shooting in a hurry – will you have a solid grip, that hits the fingerprint reader? shooting with off hand – hmm, they sell left and right handed guns How long does the recognition unlock remain unlocked? Must you have continuous contact with fingerprint reader?… Read more »
Thanks, but No Thanks. Quite frankly and bluntly speaking “If It Can Be Programmed, It Can Be Hacked.” Overcomplicating Guns does not make them safer, if anything, it’s the Opposite effect, it actually makes the gun Unsafe. Another thing, do you really trust our government not to require the ability to “Turn Your Gun Off,” from these manufacturers? If you do, then your an Idiot. Usually I’ve great admiration and respect for Ian McCollum, but his embrace of this is concerning. I was taught from a very young age, that the only foolproof Safety is the one between your ears.… Read more »