U.S. Rep. Jim Himes is pushing a plan to jump-start the "smart gun" industry.

Smart gun technology uses fingerprints, eye scans or radio chips to prevent someone from firing a stolen gun.

On Thursday, Himes brought together a group of experts in Fairfield. He says smart guns are common-sense technology that have been stalled for years because of intense opposition from groups like the National Rifle Association. Fingerprint-based locks are currently available.

The owner of a Danbury gun range says he has serious concerns about how reliable smart guns are.

"What happens if a gun doesn't work when you need it?" asks Dean Price, of Wooster Mountain Shooting Range.

LodeStar Firearms hopes to bring to market a 9 mm smart gun in two years. It says prototype models have already proven even more reliable than traditional firearms.

Kristin Song's son died in a gun accident. She says it could have been prevented with smart gun technology.

"My son paid the ultimate price, and it has shattered our family," she says.

A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that 60 percent of people would buy a smart gun if they were available.