Microstamping to take effect in California

[Les Gawlik]

California says that all of the hurdles have been cleared. I can't imagine a manufacturer tooling up to produce guns for just one state.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Gun-control-Cartridge-ID-law-to-take-effect-4527165.php

 

[chompers]

That's even lamer than our non-functional fingerprinting.

 

[Nanook]

I'm not sure how I can express myself without running afoul of forum rules. This is a major load of crap - do these people even know how easy it is to swap a firing pin? What happens to the poor schmuck who allows his firing pin to wear down a bit where it's not legible?

 

[Les Gawlik]

Why wouldn't someone just "polish" the firing pin by running it over some 2000 grit silicon carbide paper? What are the chances that someone with criminal intent would *not* do that?

 

[Pale Ryder]

Easy fix.

 

[Vile Shadow]

Exactly how is this silly crap supposed to work? Does the firing pin stamp the serial number in the primer? Seems like you'd need firing pins made out of tungsten for the printed portion of the firing pin to not wear off after one or two mags.

And what about guns that don't eject brass, i.e. revolvers? That is enough to defeat the purpose of our ballistic fingerprint crap. It'll work for this too.

 

[Semper Noctem]

Just use a revolver.

 

[teratos]

Just use a revolver.

They are so stupid.

 

[Half-cocked]

Hey, ask Maryland politicians why they insisted on "ballistic fingerprinting" for revolvers - even forgetting for a moment that it doesn't even work for semi-auto pistols - and you'll just get dumb looks.

These laws are NOT meant to reduce crime, make the public safer, or make it easier to catch criminals... they are meant to obstruct and interfere with the right to own firearms, period.

 

[Blaster229]

Just semi pistols? How about shotguns? WTF.

 

[Hotrod Diesel]

Just semi pistols? How about shotguns? WTF.

You mean modern tactical street sweeper shotguns right?

 

[K31]

Coming soon to the wannbe California State.

Thanks Arnuuld. Too bad instead of acting like the conservative you claim you are you were occupied banging the illegal help.

 

[hogrider]

Save the following for future reference...just in case we need to have another
5000 + hearing in Annapolis


Stamped casings can only be traced to the last registered owner, not to the person who used the gun when the casings were stamped.

In the case of a stolen gun, as is the case for most firearms used in crime, the stamped case will NEVER lead to the criminal. The criminal must be apprehended for some other reason. And even if they still have the stolen gun with them, you still would not be able to prosecute, unless there was a eyewitness putting them at the scene of the crime.

Micro stamping is easily defeated. Diamond coated files are inexpensive and will remove microstamping. The very first thing a criminal who steals a gun will do is file down the firing pin.

Repeat...The very first thing a criminal who steals a gun will do is file down the firing pin.

Unscrupulous individuals could collect discarded brass from a firing range and salt crime scenes with microstamped cases, thereby providing false evidence against innocent people and increasing the workload for investigators.

Firing a large number of rounds will wear down the microstamp.

Microstamping is an immature technology, and has not been subjected to sufficient independent testing. Transfer of microstamped marks to the cases is less reliable than proponents claim.

Microstamping would be irrelevant/non-applicable for implementation of revolvers as these types of weapons do not eject shell cases necessarily.

Ejected casings can be easily collected and removed from a crime scene.

Firearms sold to law-enforcement would probably be exempt. Problems could arise if a police officer's firearm is used in a crime or stolen, and the fact that a firearm is "unsafe" if not provided with stamping technology exposes the police to liability.

Guns manufactured before an effective date would be exempt and any bill would not extend to guns outside this State. There's no possibility that a law would ever cover enough guns to provide the investigative advantage claimed for it by the proponents.

Failures of the microstamping parts of a firearm would make it "unsafe", which would make it illegal to sell, give or lend. The manufacturer would therefore be required provide lifetime warranty of the parts, but no manufacturer would ever do. They would, therefore, no longer sell their product in this State, which would effectively reduce or eliminate all product for sale after the effective date.

Here is the Patent:

http://www.patents.com/us-6886284.html

 

[ken792]

So where can I get an AR firing pin that stamps "F@ck Owemalley" into each primer it hits?

 

[chompers]

I'd think it would cause a conviction drop rate since every above possibility must then be considered reasonable doubt, especially considering their simplicity. Gotta keep those D voters out there voting somehow I guess.

 

[rob-cubed]

Repeat...The very first thing a criminal who steals a gun will do is file down the firing pin.

Sweet, I heard that it makes it go full-auto as well!

Good writeup. When will politicians learn that you can't prevent criminal behavior simply by restricting legal, responsible behavior?

 

[zenMonkey]

It's amazing that these people just.don't.get it. If they just focused on punishing the criminals that use guns when committing their crimes, as opposed to trying to make new criminals out of people who don't commit crimes (with or without guns), the problem would solve itself.

 

[JasonB]

It's amazing that these people just.don't.get it. If they just focused on punishing the criminals that use guns when committing their crimes, as opposed to trying to make new criminals out of people who don't commit crimes (with or without guns), the problem would solve itself.

Punishing them is too expensive. The delegates and Senator from Baltimore city even said so.

 

[rob-cubed]

While I vehemently disagree with my delegates and senator, I understand where they are coming from. Prison is a huge burden on the taxpayers and Baltimore can't afford to incarcerate every gun offender, since so many street level criminals carry one illegally.

Which is why criminals should be put to hard work paying their own way... 8-10 hours a day of anything that will subsidize their own stay in prison. Laundry, picking crabs, factory line, whatever. Make them grow their own food. You don't work, you don't sweat, you don't eat. I don't pay for your dental bills or medical issues, you pay your own way just like the rest of us. What better way to "rehabilitate" criminals than making prison just like real life, only with less choices?

 

[MDFF2008]

Legalize drugs and prostitution and use prison funds for putting real offenders in jail, not victomless crimes.