Smart guns use a variety of tech to prevent unintentional use. This German-made Armatix iP1 will only fire if its accompanying watch is within range. The semi-auto pistol itself holds 10 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. (Armatix photo)
TLDR: Smart guns use emerging technology to limit their use to pre-approved people and/or places. Feel free to explore them in fiction, but don’t expect to see them in reality all that much.
TLDR: Yes, but not much.
Holy Hannah, what a question. This one came from crime writer James Pierson, who tells me he’s nearing completion of his crime novel. Here’s how he laid it out:
So I have my rogue special forces guy and everyone is hunting him. He’s taken shelter in a cottage where he had to kill some guys, all of whom were wearing body armour. Anyway, the bad guys have reinforcements on the way. I mean a lot of cavalry, all armed with carbines and military-grade weapons.
My guy dons body armour. He then makes a human wall from the guys he killed earlier. Let’s say it’s two bodies high, two bodies wide. He doesn’t strip the bodies of their body armour. So the bad guys’ cavalry charge in, and they’re faced with the hero hiding behind a stack of bodies. The requisite firefight follows. Let’s say the firefight takes place over a distance of say 20 feet, so pretty close range.
So here’s the question. How much protection would dead bodies provide?
To clarify, Pierson said all of the bad guys are military characters.
The verdict depends on two primary variables. I’ll go over each separately.
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Here’s a new field for the 21st Century: digital forensics. Brett Shavers offers high-tech insights for depicting things like cloud-based forensics and identity theft. I like the title of one of his books, too: Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard. (with thanks to crime writer BJ Wolf for her excellent recommendations) Continue reading
Pictured: Still a better look than those stupid bullet hole stickers. (Shutterstock photo)
TLDR: There are too many variables to call a definite yes or no, but any rifle from a .223 on up at a distance of 100 yards or less stands the best chance of penetrating a typical vehicle. This is a good time to mention my disclaimer.
It makes sense that characters hiding from gunfire would choose to skirt death by taking shelter in or against a car or truck. But how well do everyday vehicles, such as the kind you whittle away your life inside stuck in traffic, stop bullets? Much depends on the firearm, the ammunition and the make of the vehicle, so the answer isn’t going to be concrete. Here’s my shot at filling in the Swiss cheese.
The Writer's Guide to Weapons 