USA: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York City; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington, DC; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming
USA Territories: American Samoa (USA); Guam (USA); Puerto Rico (USA); Virgin Islands (USA)
Awards of $10,000 to USA, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands individuals, nonprofits, and businesses developing and manufacturing guns that incorporate safety mechanisms or utilize advanced safety technologies to demonstrate the effect that safety technology has on firearm systems.
This is the first phase (information and safety review) of a three-phase process.
Applicants will submit a white paper describing their product or technology and are encouraged to provide any existing test reports or data pertaining to its performance and/or reliability.
The test procedures will be based on the U.S. Army Test Operating Procedures (TOP) for small and light arms and other tests that may be appropriate. For example, NIJ has developed standards for revolvers, pistols, and shotguns for law enforcement applications which contain test methods for the respective firearms.
Specifically, the NIJ seeks an objective demonstration of the reliability of firearms available today with advanced gun safety technology integrated into the firearm. The reliability of firearms with integrated advanced safety technologies has been cited as a concern regarding the potential performance and user acceptance of products that may incorporate such technologies, as discussed in the 2013 NIJ report.
It is anticipated that the results of the Challenge will provide a basis to improve the general understanding of whether the addition of a smart gun technology does or does not significantly reduce the reliability of the firearm system compared to existing firearms. It is believed that this is the first effort to apply a methodology to provide a rigorous and scientific assessment of the technical performance characteristics of these types of firearms.
With this Challenge, manufacturers and developers of (1) firearms that incorporate advanced safety technologies or (2) firearms accessories utilizing advanced safety technologies that are intended to modify firearms are invited to submit their products for testing and evaluation by ATC personnel. NIJ hopes to better understand the effect of smart gun technology on the reliability of the firearm versus the same or similar firearms without the added safety technology. This Challenge seeks “apples to apples” comparisons to the greatest extent possible, such that firearms with and without advanced gun safety technology that are similar with respect to type, form factor, caliber, and other physical characteristics are tested and evaluated using a common methodology and equivalent ammunition.
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