History Main / SmartGun

* The trope namer shows up in the ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'', where it combines [[{{BFG}} high damage]], [[MoreDakka high rate of fire]], and computer-assisted aiming that makes it great at splatting [[DemonicSpiders Facehuggers]] before they get into FaceFullOfAlienWingWong range. Downsides include being TooAwesomeToUse, eating through ammo in a flash, or depending on the game being so bulky that your character can't run while carrying it.

* On ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' the Systems Commonwealth uses guns which can only be fired by authorized personnel, based on fingerprint scans.

* Such systems for personal firearms are occasionally pushed for by gun control advocates but have many downsides and are always rejected by police, military, and civilian gun owners as a firearm above all things needs to be reliable at all times. Biometrics that don't work because your hands are dirty or a gun that doesn't fire because the batteries went dead would likely get the user killed in a situation when they really need it to work.

** Smart enough to make an Intelligent Gun look like a potted plant is the IWS, or Integrated Weapon System, a suit of PoweredArmor designed to accommodate all of a fighter's combat needs in one piece of gear. Among its countless features (including adaptive camouflage and a smart pharmaceutical synthesizer which ''makes up new combat drugs on the fly'' for maximum effect), the suit has a built-in caseless machinegun on an articulated "arm" coming out of the shoulder. A literal "smart weapon", this gun can be given orders via the suit's neural link, including "just fire at everything without the right IFF tag", and is flexible, accurate and smart enough to land ''80 headshots per second'' against targets in a 360 degrees circle around the suit. Unfortunately, while it can turn a person into a one-man-army, a single IWS costs as much a stealth bomber and [[AwesomeButImpractical there are few, if any situations in which deploying it wouldn't be less efficient than deploying the amount of men and hardware which could be used for the equivalent price.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Many options ranging from recoil compensation to flight are available as gun modifications as well as the venerable Smartlink system. In certain cases, the user must purchase a special optic implant that allows direct control of a Smartlinked gun in order to fully utilize its features as without it, the gun will either not function at all or operate as a regular firearm without any bonuses in accuracy.

* FatesWorseThanDeath, an "alternative cyberpunk" game which thrives on deconstructing genre tropes, features Intelligent Guns. True to their name, their powerful internal computers, gyroscopic and piezoelectric systems allow Intelligent Guns to maintain perfect accuracy in nearly all conditions, adjust rate-of-fire and change ammunition type on the fly in order to cause optimal damage, identify targets and increase their users' battlefield awareness... They are also so expensive that, in the mostly crapsack world in which the game is set, very few people can actually afford to ''have'' them. Instead, most soldiers and mercenaries just make do with weapons slightly more advanced than we have today (with some build in electronics), while Intelligent Guns are reserved for the best of the best of the corporate elite squads.

* The M56 Smart Gun from ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' comes with a lot of nifty features most prominent being the servo-harness which makes it easier to carry, operate, and links to targeting processor.

See also: SentryGun, if its designed to be set down and work autonomously; AttackDrone, for when your smart weapon gets up to go without you; ImpossiblyCoolWeapon for stylish weapons; and for weapons which are smart in the literal sense see EmpathicWeapon and EquippableAlly (which may overlap this trope).

# [[SituationalSword Targeting]]: An everyday run-of-the-mill gun will fire at whatever its pointed at, and depending on ballistics, may or may not actually hit the target, give or take GunAccessories like scopes and training. A Smart Gun, on the other hand, could help the user in various ways such as accounting for bullet drop, or refusing to fire on unintended targets. In extreme cases, [[WeaponWieldsYou perhaps supplanting the weapons own abilities for the users training]].

* Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/KnownSpace'' short story "The Soft Weapon". An alien espionage device is a SwissArmyWeapon that can change into various forms, including a sonic stunner, a monofilament sword and a total conversion beam. One of the forms is a computer that can communicate with its possessor.

* Creator/LarryNiven's short story "The Soft Weapon". An alien espionage device is a SwissArmyWeapon that can change into various forms, including a sonic stunner, a monofilament sword and a total conversion beam. One of the forms is a computer that can communicate with its possessor.

# [[SelfGuardingPhlebotinum Security]]: A regular gun will work for anyone as long as they've disengaged the safety. A Smart Gun would require some kind of key or biometric scan to work. Anyone not authorized would find the gun useless, or in extreme cases, [[UnusableEnemyEquipment the gun would self-destruct]]. Thus far in RealLife, attempts to implement this kind of thing have been largely unsuccessful, as the recoil from firing the gun tends to quickly ruin the delicate electronics required.

* ''Literature/AgainstADarkBackground'': Reacquiring a Lazy Gun, a whimsical gun smarter than some of its users, drives the plot.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'''s Lawgiver pistol is a [[TropeCodifier classic example]] of this trope. It can fire six types of bullet, has a stun function and will explode if anyone but its authorized user attempts to use it.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Many options ranging from recoil compensation to flight are available as gun modifications as well as the venerable [=SmartLink=] system. In certain cases, the user must purchase a special optic implant that allows direct control of a [=SmartLinked=] gun in order to fully utilize its features as without it, the gun will either not function at all or operate as a regular firearm without any bonuses in accuracy.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Many options ranging from recoil compensation to flight are available as gun modifications as well as the venerable smart gun system.

# [[SelfGuardingPhlebotinum Security]]: A regular gun will work for anyone as long as they've disengaged the safety. A Smart Gun would require some kind of key or biometric scan to work. Anyone not authorized would find the gun useless, or in extreme cases, [[UnusableEnemyEquipment the gun would self-destruct]].

* In ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', Q equips Film/JamesBond with a version of his trademark Walther PPK semiautomatic that features a biometric trigger lock. It won't fire unless the handprint sensor verifies that Bond is the one holding it. Which [[ChekhovsGun as you might expect]] comes in handy when a {{mook}} gets his hand on the weapon.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'''s Lawgiver pistol is a classic example of this trope. It can fire six types of bullet, has a stun function and will explode if anyone but its authorized user attempts to use it.

* A one-shot criminal that appears in the DarkHorseComics ''ComicBook/DirtyPair'' arc "Run From The Future" has a Smart Gun that thinks for itself a la ''Buck Godot''... and the gun is a TriggerHappy psychopath that (by the time of the comic) has managed to smooth-talk the criminal into killing about 200-plus people in QuickDraw rampages.

[[folder: [[Live Action Film Film - Live Action ]]
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A Smart Gun is an advanced weapon, usually found in ScienceFiction, that combines the action of a firearm (usually pistols and rifles) with the utility of a computer. While tropes relating to guns themselves are covered under GunsAndGunplayTropes, the “Smart” aspect of the trope is unique, giving whoever wields the gun various abilities not normally achievable with a normal gun (or without extensive training).

For example:
# [[SelfGuardingPhlebotinum Security]]: A regular gun will work for anyone as long as they've disengaged the safety. A Smart Gun would require some kind of key or biometric scan to work. Anyone not authorized would find the gun useless, or in extreme cases, [[UnusableEnemyEquipment the gun would self-destruct]].
# [[LoyalPhlebotinum Communications]]: A Smart Gun might inform the user of needed maintenance/repair, give an ammo count or notify when ammo is low, or [[TalkingWeapon could give useful information to the shooter]], such as the identity of a target (for friend/foe identification).
# [[SituationalSword Targeting]]: An everyday run-of-the-mill gun will fire at whatever its pointed at, and depending on ballistics, may or may not actually hit the target, give or take GunAccessories like scopes and training. A Smart Gun, on the other hand, could help the user in various ways such as accounting for bullet drop, or refusing to fire on unintended targets. In extreme cases, [[WeaponWieldsYou perhaps supplanting the weapons own abilities for the users training]].

See also: SentryGun, if its designed to be set down and work autonomously; AttackDrone, for when your smart weapon gets up to go without you; ImpossiblyCoolWeapon for stylish weapons; and for weapons which are smart in the literal sense see EmpathicWeapon and EquippableAlly (which may overlap this trope).
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!!Examples:

[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Almost all mages in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise use so-called "Devices"--magical computers that function as weapons in combat and as universal tools during downtime. Some (but not all) of them even have artificially intelligent personalities, allowing them to act independently of their wielders in combat. Teana Lanster's Device, for instance, consists of a [[GunsAkimbo pair of handguns]], but out of combat, she uses it akin to a personal laptop.
* In ''Anime/PsychoPass'' a future Japan has developed a system to qualify a persons emotional state, personality profile, and likeliness to commit a crime, this system connects to a series of nifty pistols called ''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dominators]]''. Smart guns with the ability to stun or liquefy failing targets but with a very inconvenient TransformationSequence in-between safe and fire.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In ''ComicBook/RogueTrooper'': The titular SuperSoldier uploads the biochip of one of his [[BodyBackupDrive dead comrades]] into his rifle allowing his friend to fight on as his weapon.
* In ''ComicBook/AlbedoErmaFelnaEDF'' civilian guns have cameras that record everything they shoot.
* ''ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire'' has guns that are [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/buckcomic.php?date=20070201 outright sentient]]
* A one-shot criminal that appears in the DarkHorseComics ''ComicBook/DirtyPair'' arc "Run From The Future" has a Smart Gun that thinks for itself a la ''Buck Godot''... and the gun is a TriggerHappy psychopath that (by the time of the comic) has managed to smooth-talk the criminal into killing about 200-plus people in QuickDraw rampages.

[[AC: [[LiveActionFilm Film - Live Action]]]]
* In 2007's ''The Last Sentinel'' featuring Katee Sackhoff the main character carries a sapient talking rifle.

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]
* ''Literature/AgainstADarkBackground'': Reacquiring a Lazy Gun, a whimsical gun smarter than some of its users, drives the plot.
* In ''Literature/OldMansWar'' the Colonial Marines' weapons are biometrically locked, computer-controlled and programmable, and use {{nanomachines}} for ammunition which allows them to go from [[MoreDakka assault rifle]] to [[FireBreathingWeapon flamethrower]] with a command. In one instance the MonsterOfTheWeek has equipped itself with personal DeflectorShields, which viewpoint character John Perry defeats by programming his gun to fire {{Double Tap}}s.
* Any weapon with "Intellectual Circuitry" from ''Literature/LineOfDelirium'' such as the Argument 17 or the [[SwissArmyGun polycharger]] Argument 36.
* The guns sold AE van Vogt's ''The Weapon Shops of Isher'' are smart weapons than can only be used for self-defense, suicide, or legitimate (as defined by the Weapon Shops) hunting. Although a few special agents have "unlimited special" guns that don't have the "self-defense only" limit built in.
* Creator/LarryNiven's short story "The Soft Weapon". An alien espionage device is a SwissArmyWeapon that can change into various forms, including a sonic stunner, a monofilament sword and a total conversion beam. One of the forms is a computer that can communicate with its possessor.

[[AC: LiveActionTV]]
* The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E14ReturnToGrace Return to Grace]]" states that Federation Type-3 phaser rifles feature a number of technologies: sixteen power settings, multiple target acquisition, gyro-stabilization, and fully autonomous recharge capability. However, Kira Nerys says all that means is [[AwesomeButImpractical more parts to break in the field]] compared to the simpler Cardassian disruptor rifle. (At which point [[ThrowItIn the power cell literally falls out of the prop]] and Creator/NanaVisitor [[{{Corpsing}} visibly struggles not to laugh]].)
* On ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' the Systems Commonwealth uses guns which can only be fired by authorized personnel, based on fingerprint scans.
* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "[[Recap/FireflyE13HeartOfGold Heart of Gold]]", MonsterOfTheWeek Rance Burgess brags to Mal about his custom and apparently highly illegal laser pistol, which among other things features an automatic target adjust (something not even Alliance-issue guns have). [[spoiler:Unfortunately for Burgess, the gun runs out of power after only a few shots.]]

[[AC: TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Many options ranging from recoil compensation to flight are available as gun modifications as well as the venerable smart gun system.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' "Intelligent" weapons at TL 11 and 13 have integrated computers that can run Expert programs, for instance an Intelligent gun running the Gun Combat program could fire itself. Biometric locks are available at TL 10.
* In ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'' biometric locks are a cheap mod for weapons. Smart-links that interface with the wielder's [[BrainComputerInterface mesh inserts]] to place a targeting reticle in their field of vision for a 10 to shooting, are a moderately priced mods.
* In ''TabletopGame/HcSvntDracones'' a P.I.D. lock is a security lock for weapons that scans thousands of aspects of the wielder's person. And has a note for the GM that it cannot be hacked.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* In ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' there are numerous examples of weapons with AI controls and other functions. In the story [[http://www.orionsarm.com/xcms.php?r=oa-story&story=dr_yes_jolonah "Yes Jolonah, there is a Hell"]] one of the Queen of Pain's Collectors gives Jolonah a pistol and the choice between killing himself then and there, and eternal torment in the Queen's bowels. He tries to TakeAThirdOption and shoot the Collector, but finds the gun was programmed to only shoot him.

[[AC: RealLife]]
* Fire control systems were developed for naval warfare to make sure the big guns did what they needed to in conditions not known elseware in the battle space, eventually as the technology matured other large war vehicles mounted similar systems such as a tank's ballistic computer and shrunk down to the size of Precision Guided Firearms like the Trackpoint scope system.