Firearms

In 1930, a new pistol went on sale that would revolutionize the firearms world. The Walther PPK helped introduce a number of technical features that quickly migrated throughout the industry to make it the most copied gun in the world.

​A sensor designed for law enforcement can alert an officer's body cameras to start recording automatically when a weapon is drawn. The Axon Signal Sidearm from TASER International is a wireless sensor that attaches to an existing firearm holster and integrates with the company's wearable cameras.

San Diego-based ​startup Safety First Arms has created a self-locking Smart 2 pistol, which is unlocked using a built-in PIN pad and incorporates an anti-theft alarm to prevent theft, tampering, and unauthorized use.

The latest effort to improve gun safety comes from Israeli startup Zore, which has developed a lock that provides access to a firearm in response to a personalized pin code, offering what the company claims is fast access to the weapon in any circumstances, including the dark.

"The Alternative" is a clip-on "air bag" for semiautomatic pistols that is designed to give officers a less lethal option by reducing the velocity of a standard round. The device is designed to improve the chances of imparting a stopping force on a target without causing lethal damage.

In an attempt to reduce some of the confusion surrounding police incidents involving firearms, Yardarm has developed a wireless sensor that allows firearms to be tracked and monitored in real time thanks to a small electronics package that fits into the weapon's grip.

The Smart Tech Foundation, launching its Smart Tech Firearms Challenge last week, believes circumventing the political debate and fostering innovation in smart gun technology is a viable way of moving toward a safer society.

Solid Concepts has used a laser sintering method to create a fully functional Model 1911 automatic pistol, demonstrating 3D printing as a serious industrial process rather than a way of making blobby plastic key fobs.

Ryan Hyde recently designed a heavy-duty gun safe that ditches the usual key and combination locks in favor of an electronic one. Once a firearm is secured safely inside, the Gun Box unlocks with an RFID-equipped bracelet or ring, via a fingerprint scan, or a combination of the two.

Most sofas may hide a pull-out bed or some drink holders, but a new piece of furniture from Heracles Research Corp. is designed to store an arsenal. Besides offering a comfy place to sit, the CouchBunker conceals a large gun safe and provides some protection with bullet-resistant cushions.

Michigan-based Sintercore is billing its Auxetik as the first commercial 3D printed firearm muzzle brake. Made of Inconel alloy using a laser additive manufacturing process, the Auxetik is designed to tame the recoil and muzzle rise of AR-15 pistols chambered for .223 caliber rounds.

Bow hunters and superheros who are skilled archers can obtain arrows with unusual heads from Louisiana-based archery company Rac-Em-Bac.