Gun Control Group: TrackingPoint Rifles Only for “Terrorists”
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.09.14
The Precision Guided Firearms (PGF) produced by Austin-based TrackingPoint have left a big mark on firearms industry for its “smart scope” technology, but now organizations outside of the gun crowd are taking notice, and they do not have good things to say. TrackingPoint was singled out by the National Gun Victims Action Council (NGVAC) last week in a press release that likens the company’s products to “a depraved videogame come to life.” Along with its partners, NGVAC is now calling for a legislative ban of TrackingPoint firearms and any other guns that use smart scopes from the civilian market.
“A no-skill, can’t miss weapon that will kill from 1,200 yards away? Insurrectionists, terrorists and hate groups thank you, TrackingPoint,” NGVAC said on its website.
NGVAC states that because TrackingPoint rifles are generally designed to make accurate shots at long ranges, they serve no purpose for self-defense. TrackingPoint scopes include a tiny Linux computer that adjusts for factors such as bullet drop, wind, and a host of other environmental factors that can affect a shooter’s aim.
You can see a demonstration of a PGF below:
According to TrackingPoint, the drive to create a super-accurate gun came out of company founder John McHale’s big game hunts. McHale wanted a rifle that would make moderate to long-distance hunting in Tanzania more ethical, so he approached engineer John Lupher for the concept of rifle that could reliably hit targets at 1,000 yards or more. The idea of a smart scope is contentious among hunters and gun owners, but the concept of a ban on a firearm for being “too accurate” is even more controversial.
“If we start banning technology like this, what’s next? What scope is next? What firearm is next?” TrackingPoint spokesman Anson Gordon told the Herald-Tribune. “We have to stand together to prevent this kind of erosion of our constitutional rights.”
The gun control group’s attack on the gun maker began last month when NGVAC wrote to TrackingPoint CEO John Lupher, urging him to “immediately cease and desist” from marketing the firearms to civilians. NGVAC has also contacted Apple and Google—two companies who distribute mobile apps that can be used with TrackingPoint scopes.
You can see a demonstration of a TrackingPoint rifle being used with Google Glass below:
Gordon views the call for a ban as an attempt to suppress new firearms technology, which is currently being evaluated by the US Army for potential military use.
“We think about the great innovators in our industry, from Mr. Smith, Mr. Remington, Mr. Colt, Mr. Wesson, Mr. Browning—you know—I think that they would all probably be turning over in their graves and would never stand for this sort of attack in their time,” Gordon told Guns.com.
