Microstamping is the process of laser engraving the firing pin and chamber wall of a firearm with a number that identifies the make, model, and serial number of the individual firearm. When a round is fired from a microstamped gun, a numerical impression is made on both the primer and the brass casing.
There are several states in the process of implementing this technology as mandatory by law. California has already passed a bill forcing any semi-auto handgun sold or distributed to possess the ability to microstamp ammunition. Fortunately, this bill is still pending due to the patents on the technology. New York is currently pushing for the same bill, and as of today, it still has yet to pass the Senate (Where it will likely be shut down.)
Proponents of this law claim that microstamped shell casings will greatly increase the police’s ability to catch criminals that use guns in their crime. They believe that the shell casings left at the crime scene will lead them straight to the shooter, and therefore close the case.
In theory, this is a great idea! However, this technology is inherently flawed.
Both firing pins and barrels are easily replaced/modified. Are we to believe that a person who uses a gun to aid in their criminal activity won’t go through the very simple process of removing the microstamp?
The brass casings for ammunition are a reusable component. I personally have collections of brass from several different ranges and countless different guns. I reload this brass into new ammunition. This law could put me into a very sticky legal situation since my ammunition would now have more than one serial number stamped into it.
For people who do not save their brass, what is stopping a criminal from swiping random cases at the range and littering a crime scene with them? False charges would skyrocket, and as a gun owner who shoots frequently, this is a very frightening scenario.
Revolvers are exempt from this law due to the obvious lack of ejected casings when fired. Implementing this law would only push criminals to switch the type of weapon they use.
The vast majority of guns used in crimes are stolen. Since this technology can only trace the gun back to the last registered owner, it will do very little to actually catch the shooter. With these laws, the previous gun owner (who was already the victim of crime) will be put into very severe legal trouble requiring expensive attorneys to maintain their freedom.
I won’t even go into the ramifications this will have on the already steep price of firearms, or the loss of jobs this type of law will create. This kind of technology isn’t cheap, and any states that implement this bill will inadvertently push manufacturing or retail of firearms out of the state.
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