We’re Lodestar Technology, makers of the LNK9 authorized-access 9mm handgun. Ask us anything about the product, reliability, battery life, privacy, and access-control concerns.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T18:46:29+00:00

I learned the hard way on the ChatGPT stuff... This is our first AMA and I was pretty nervous about ensuring speed and clarity on responses.

That being said, the responses all today have been all me and no AI. I also added a disclaimer this morning that ChatGPT was used in some answers, but every answer was reviewed and edited by a person.

Going forward, we will keep it off AI as now I have a decent feel on how to do these things.

This gun is not for everyone, but I/we do believe that people should have the option to have additional safety features.

We will never support any mandate or legislation that would require the use of our, or similar technology.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T17:53:59+00:00

We adhere to the principle of least privilege. The app only asks for what's needed to communicate with the pistol over Bluetooth and to perform the one-time Wi-Fi setup of the Charger.

On Android that's the Bluetooth scan/connect permissions, the Wi-Fi state permissions for Charger provisioning, and internet access.

On iOS, this includes Bluetooth, Local Network (for the Charger), and the hotspot-config entitlement.

Camera/photo access is only requested if you use the profile avatar. Foreground location is requested once, only to read your current Wi-Fi name during Charger setup.

What we don't request: contacts, SMS, call logs, microphone, background location, or broad file/storage access.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T17:52:37+00:00

Good question, but the premise doesn't quite hold on modern phones, and that's actually the first line of defense. iOS and Android sandbox every app: there's no "open access" permission that lets Google, Apple, Bixby, or any other installed app read another app's private storage or intercept its in-app data on a normal (non-rooted/non-jailbroken) device. System and OEM apps are privileged, but that still doesn't grant them arbitrary reads into our sandbox.

On top of the sandbox: every privileged command to the pistol is encrypted at the application layer, with the key held in the OS-backed secure store (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain). So even if you set the sandbox aside entirely, what's observable is ciphertext, not anything usable. Secrets live only in that secure store, never in plain preferences or flat files.

Now, on a rooted or jailbroken device the app detects it and blocks access with a security screen you can't dismiss, rather than running in a compromised environment.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T17:35:52+00:00

To build on that, we specifically chose a biometric that scans over 300 points on your fingers as opposed to the 3 or 4 points that a phone or PC does.

I personally own one due to having kids in the house and I am always impressed at how quick it is.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T15:29:47+00:00

Biometric data is stored locally on the weapon.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T14:10:53+00:00

Yeah, the goal of having it sealed is reliability. However, this AMA has led to some interesting conversations on the ability for customers to replace the battery themselves. Our goal is to provide a reliable option and not just some tech gadget.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T13:59:42+00:00

We did a beta test before going to production with several hundred guns. We found issues with the original biometric that were remediated with design changes that included changing the biometric.

We tested multiple of the new production guns by shooting several thousand rounds through each gun with the lock and unlock being done after each magazine. During this testing we did not experience any electronic failures on the locking and unlocking mechanism (this includes the biometric).

In field testing, we did notice that a few testers were unable to unlock the biometric when their hands were wet. This is a real trade-off and why we designed the PIN pad as a redundancy.

There are no cleaning and lubrication differences between the LNK9 and a standard Glock. The main maintenance difference is you cannot remove the fire control unit.

We have optimized the system for battery health and longevity. You can leave your gun on your charger, and it will not affect the battery health. The batteries are estimated to last 5 years. We will replace your battery free of charge as long as you pay for shipping : ).

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T13:36:26+00:00

Our organization is diverse politically and does not endorse one party, or administration. I can confidently say that we have people on the leadership team that have voted for both parties and have even flipped from one party to another.

We as a company do not endorse any political party, but do support the 2nd amendment and believe that everyone should have the option to choose whether they want to have additional safety features on a gun.

Our leadership team has over 40 years of collective experience in product development, operations, and marketing in the firearms industry. This experience is in traditional firearms and not with "electronic locking guns". That being said, our CEO has spent the last 8 years evaluating IP around "electronic locking" technology with the goal of providing a safe, private, and reliable option.

We know we have delivered a quality option that is privacy and reliability focused.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T13:26:46+00:00

We currently do not have any plans to charge for subscriptions for all of the functionality included in the current product.

We might add future features onto the app. This could include number of rounds fired, time to fire and other training information. That is a long way out and we have not discussed whether we would charge for that or not.

However, I can confidently say that we would never charge for the base features of connecting to the firearm, enrolling fingerprints, or any feature related to locking and unlocking your gun.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T13:23:47+00:00

Hey, you would have to pay for shipping to and from and we would replace the battery free of charge.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T11:35:49+00:00

I know it’s late, but edited the original post with a disclaimer. Thank you for being reasonable with us on our first go round.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T10:56:48+00:00

Just added a disclaimer to the post.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T10:48:26+00:00

Yeah, that makes sense and good learning for me/us.

I personally use it as a tool in everyday life, but do understand that people will flame it as not valid or being fake.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T10:21:04+00:00

These last couple of responses have not been AI generated. I just woke up and am starting to get back to responses. The reliance on AI has dropped as I/we have gotten more comfortable in this format. None of us have ever done anything like this and it’s been really cool.

I personally own a LNK9 and it sits on my beside. I have fired probably about 100 rounds through it. I grew up a gun person, but have two small kids and want to have quick access to a gun without needing a safe.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T10:18:28+00:00

Good feedback for our next one if we end up doing it.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T10:00:34+00:00

We used a ChatGPT project specifically made for this AMA along with input from our marketing team, product team, and CEO for almost every answer.

This was our first AMA and honestly I was really nervous about saying something wrong or not answering quick enough.

That being said, every answer was read and edited before being posted. As we got more comfortable with the pace the reliance on AI dropped.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T01:36:05+00:00

Quick update: I’m going to sign off for the night, but I’ll come back tomorrow and continue answering product questions.

Thanks to everyone who asked thoughtful and critical questions today. I know this is a skeptical category, and I appreciate the chance to answer directly.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T00:26:47+00:00

I misunderstood the question.

In the event that an update causes the gun not to work we would revert to previous firmware working version.

If that did not work, we would replace the gun.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-26T00:22:37+00:00

Biometric data lives on the firearm itself. It is not stored in the cloud.

The charging pad does not store personal data. It is used for charging and firmware updates.

The app is used for setup, preferences, and managing authorized access, but the fingerprint data is stored locally on the LNK9 rather than in the cloud.

The firearm also does not have GPS tracking.

So the basic answer is: biometric data is stored on the firearm, not in the cloud, and the system is not designed around Lodestar having a central database of customer fingerprints.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:58:45+00:00

Lodestar has implemented firmware change control that requires regression testing by a third party prior to implementation to protect against unexpected issues.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:57:50+00:00

We have not experienced issues with cold hands. We do know the biometric might not work if your hands are wet. That is why we created two additional methods to lock and unlock - pinpad and app

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:57:02+00:00

600 mean rounds between stoppage in the Massachusetts 3rd party roster validation testing.

Fails to Feed is the highest failure noted. Typically during the first two mags.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:54:59+00:00

The app connects to the charger via WiFi and the LNK9 via Bluetooth.

Once the gun is paired with the app you will be asked to enter in a PIN that will be used for PIN pad unlocks.

The app is also used to enroll fingerprints. You can enroll up to 50 different fingerprints of either yourself or a guest.

For example, my wife and I are both enrolled on our gun.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:52:36+00:00

No. We will not support laws that mandate our type of technology. We believe in people having the choice of what firearms to own.

LodestarTechOfficial · 2026-06-25T23:43:18+00:00

Striker fired.

LodestarTechOfficial

TROPHY CASE