What is Bullet Microstamping?
Bullet microstamping is a technology which embeds information about a gun on each bullet it fires. The idea is that investigators at crime scenes could use the stamped bullet casings to track the owner of the gun, potentially reducing the amount of time needed to track down a suspect. Bullet microstamping laws have been proposed in several states, usually specifically for hand guns, and they have met with considerable opposition from the gun rights community, for a variety of reasons. In order for bullet microstamping to work, a weapon must be fitted with a special firing pin which has been etched with a unique serial number. When the gun is fired, the firing pin strikes the casing of the bullet, marking it with the serial number. While the microstamp is generally too small to read with the naked eye, it can be identified on a microscope, allowing investigators to cross-reference the serial number with a database of registered weapons. There are several problems with bullet microstampi
There are a few factual errors in the initial reply to this thread. For starters, replacing a firing pin (which few common criminals would be able to do) is not sufficient to defeat microstamping technology. The technology is redundant and also marks cartridges from the breech face of the handgun. An individual would need special tools to find and remove all these markings. For starters, they are microscopic. Again, the common criminal is not likely to be a gunsmith or engineer. Criminals also rarely “dress” crime scenes after the fact. Most fail to take even preventive steps like wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. In the haste and passion in which most crimes are committed, it is doubtful that many criminals will take time to gather all spent cartridge casings before fleeing a crime scene. The issue of lost and stolen guns would not be a problem for any gun owner who has properly reported such firearms to law enforcement officials. In fact, microstamping would improve the c
