To: Chiappa Firearms

Ref: RFID chip and your response
Text: Fuck you, I won't buy your stuff.
Sincerely, etc.

That's about the only response that comes to mind after reading this "Silence, you irritating peasants" press release, which includes:
RFID Removal: For those still concerned you can simply remove the grip and remove the hot glued RFID from the frame in the grip area when (over a year from now) these begin to appear. Others may prefer to wrap the revolver and their head in aluminum foil, curl in a ball and watch reruns of Mel Gibson's 1997 film, Conspiracy Theory. Well, that's a plan too!
I've a better plan, clown: Don't Buy Chiappa Products.

As to the 'can only be read within a 2-3" distance crap, when I read that I thought "Really? I call bullcrap." Much better response:
Having no small experience now with RFID, let me tell you that they can be read by the appropriate reader at 30 meters. Furthermore no RFID chip reader that is being used for logistical control will have its range limited to 3 inches. A carton, or even pallets of materials will need a reader set to several feet. " Passive RFID is also a final check that verifies that what is inside the sealed box is the same thing as shown on the box exterior bar code during shipping. Now, it will no longer be necessary to open/inspect hundreds of boxes by hand prior to packing in export containers. " 3 inches eh? How is it going to read a pallet of material at 3 inches? I can only assume that MKS Distributors thinks most people are idiots, and incapable of figuring things out on their own.
The post notes something else I'd wondered about:
Here is the problem: RFID units can be detected at long ranges with the right equipment, even if the signal is to low to be accuracy read. Hacking RFID systems is always popular at the big hacker conventions. Last year a hacker at DEFCON was able to detect if an individual standing on the ground floor parking lot of the Las Vegas Riviera Hotel was carrying a certain brand of RFID chip from as far away as the 29th floor of the hotel.

Potentially a high powered reader could be developed to detect if anyone passing by was carrying a concealed Chiappa firearm, even though they would not be able to read the serial number. Most gun owners are probably a lot less concerned about people reading the serial number, as they are about people covertly identifying that they are carrying. This will worry many consumers.
Well, yes, it would and it does. We've already got cops in some places using readers that run every tag as they pass by; so they could do the same thing with this to say "Ah, some of these people are carrying, let's go mess with them." And if you don't think it'd happen, I suggest you review events in Canton, both from Officers Bad Attitude and from the city councilman; think people like that would NOT abuse it?

Added: another thought occurs: will Chiappa decide that removing the chip counts as 'unauthorized tampering or modification' that voids the warranty?