RFID chips in guns prevent anyone but the owner from firing Scientists are researching using radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in guns to prevent people firing stolen or borrowed weapons Gun owners would need an accompanying RFID chip fitted inside their hand or embedded in a ring or bracelet to fire their own weapon Over half a million guns are stolen in the U.S. every year and anecdotal evidence suggests that a lot of killings are the result of people using stolen weapons or guns borrowed from family members. Now researchers are looking into ways to add radio frequency identification (RFID) chips into guns so that they can only shoot when they are fired by their owner. While there are no immediate plans to introduce the technology, one expert believes it could prevent unnecessary loss of life. RFID chips could be used in guns to clamp down on the use of weapons by anyone other than their owners, who would need an accompanying RFID chip fitted to fire the weapon Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data, for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects. RFID tags are used to track animals and are inserted beneath their skin. The anti-theft hard plastic tags attached to merchandise in stores use the technology. RFID tags are used to check baggage in airports and identify trees. They are embedded in credit cards and Oyster transport cards so users can make payments by touching an electronic reader. The idea of using RFID chips in guns is not new and is a relatively cheap way of clamping down on the use of guns by anyone other than their owners. The person firing the gun would need an accompanying RFID chip fitted inside their hand or carried on their person to fire a weapon fitted with a linked RFID tag. Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry analyst said an RFID tag can be surgically implanted into a person's hand to override a lock on the gun. Writing in a Forbes blog, he said he first came across the idea in 2005 but while the tags are small and relatively unnoticeable once implanted, they will eventually become obsolete and can move around the body, meaning a person firing a gun might have to hold it in a particular way. A semiconductor industry analyst said an RFID tag (pictured) could be surgically implanted into a person's hand or embedded in a ring or bracelet to override a lock on a smart gun Some guns have biometric sensors to read an individual's fingerprint or grip, but the technology takes a few seconds to verify an individual However, the chip could additionally be embedded into a ring or bracelet, known as a key. While not as secure as an implant, this would still make the firing of a stolen weapon much more difficult if the key isn't in very close proximity. According to Mr Handy, RFID chips cost less than ten cents (six pence) each and the electronics used in the reader costs less than a dollar or 61 pence. Mr Handy believes the RFID approach is superior to adding biometric sensors to guns as that technology takes a few seconds to verify a fingerprint or grip, leading gun owners to argue that delay could cost them their lives. He pointed out that it is not rare for a killer to murder a police officer with another officer's gun, or for school children to steal a parent's weapon, while stolen firearms are often used in gang violence. A U.S. Department of Justice survey found 37 per cent of prison inmates used a family member's gun and 40 per cent got their gun from an illegal source and Mr Handy thinks that RFID technology could reduce the number of guns stolen or borrowed. The state of New Jersey passed a law in 2002 that requires gun shops to only sell smart guns within three years of them becoming available. However, some gun owners worry that the technology could be tampered with by anti-gun outsiders and affect their ability to bear arms, while others worry it could undermine the reliability of their weapon. A gun fitted with biometric sensors is used in the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, where one of Bond's rivals tries to use the British secret agent's gun, but fails. Some people who are not in favour of the technology being used for weapons argue the time it takes to identify their fingerprint could cost them their lives