Posted on 10/29/2004 9:29:52 PM PDT by Travis McGee
LASER ETCHING IDENTIFICATION PROPOSED FOR HANDGUN AMMO
If a proposal from the California Attorney General's Office is enacted, all handgun ammunition possessed in public or sold or imported into the nation's most populous state will be laser etched with an individual serial number.
TRhe high-tech tracking system would require all cartridges in a box packaged for retail sale to have matching identification numbers. The package would be scanned and the information linked to the identity of the purchaser.
The micro-stamping system used to etch the serial numbers was developed by Seattle-based Ravensforge Inc., whose technology was subjected to a successful torture test supervised by Randy Rossi, director of the firearms division of the California Dept. of Justice.
"WE TRIED TO PROVE THIS DOESN'T WORK."
Two hundred rounds were fired at close range into automobile doors, wood and concrete walls, ballistic vests, rubber matting and gelatin blocks simulating the density of human tissue. Of the 181 slugs recovered, including soft lead bullets that flattened upon impact, the etched code numbers were identified on all but one round by a standard electronic microscope.
"We tried to prove this doesn't work," said Rossi. "To have it work virtually every time, I was very surprised."
The calibers tested included 9mm, .38, .40 and .45, but not .22, the most popular sporting caliber in California and throughout the nation.
Rossi and his colleagues believe by tracking ammunition they will have a powerful and accurate weapon in identifying the source of criminal use of firearms.
"THIS WON'T SOLVE EVERY CRIME, BUT IT WILL SOLVE A LOT OF CRIMES."
Rossi emphasized that the proposal would exempt sport shooters who reload their own cartridges.
"We could get some gang bangers who all of a sudden take an interest and study reloading, but I hardly think so," said Rossi. "These are the same people who won't even bother to put a glove on when they're committing a crime. This won't solve every crime, but it will solve a lot of crmes."
GARY MEHALIK, the marketing director for the NSSF, warned that until the technology could be applied to .22 caliber ammunition it would be far from universally effective. Coupled with the estimated cost of one cent or less per etching, Mehalik was skeptical of the technology's practicality.
"We'd have to analyze teh costs," said Mehalik, "but I can tell you that it would create a logistical nightmare inside the current production systems."
Does he have broad powers on ammo too?
I LOVE RURAL TEXAS
Cast Bullet molds, swaging, none of those supplies are regulated, and they never have been, that I know of.
This is a waste and Police state fantasy. Do they think criminals won't steal ammunition or that it will not be sold underground?
bump
As always, the point is not to catch criminals, but to criminalize gun ownership by a thousand cuts.
How nice.
A person trying to sell bullets that will infringe on our second amendment rights and cost us more money to shoot.
This A-hole can get bent.
You know Travis ... I'm thinking that being a gun runner into California is gonna be a very profitable career alternative soon. It's moral too.
5.56mm
Why do they want to create a bigger black market for bullets?
Sounds great for catching crooks, but what are the downside risks to our gun rights?""
A full tracking of how much ammo you buy. followed closely by a report from you to the GOVMT explaining where you used the ammo, and what your current inventory is.
Up to now, there is no tracking of anyone who buys ammo.
Time to tell Lockyear to go and suck a fat baby's a$$.
Tagged ammo will be more expensive than the same non-tagged ammo is now.
Demand for pre-tag ammo will go up.
Taxes will be imposed on the ammo to maintain the ammo registry.
No one will want to buy ammo, because it will 'register' their caliber, if not the firearm(s), by providing a database of ammo purchasers.
Of course, the first follow-up laws will ban straw purchases of ammo, or require the reseller to maintain records in perpetuity.
Deformed, distorted or damaged tags may lead to wrongful convictions, there is no guarantee that numerical or alphanumeric tags will not be damaged in handling, firing, impact, or recovery.
Stolen ammo may be tracked back to an innocent person.
Only by maintaining meticulous records of every round or component will anyone have a prayer of 'proving' their innocence.
Tags which are not in plain view (i.e. on the base of the bullet, which would be most likely to survive least deformed) may not correspond with the number on the package, and render the system worse than useless, but lead to wrongful convictions.
My fingers are getting tired, but that should be a good start.
.
Etching ammunition is akin to the "Ballistic Fingerprinting" that Marylanders have to endure. It sounds all warm and fuzzy, but it's a useless, though expensive waste of time.
Ammunition is easily available over the Net. From gun dealers' sites in other states and countries. Delivered by UPS.
Evidently, someone only half-thought this through. Like the morons who came up with "Ballistic Fingerprinting" in Maryland. Where the State Police keep a round fired from a new or old pistol before you buy it.
Unaware that you can also order new barrels for any automatic pistol. Again, over the Net.
Take the original barrel out. Slip in a new one. And you've defeated "Ballistic Fingerprinting".
Laser Etching is just another invasion of the buyer's privacy. And another slow erosion of the 2nd Amendment!
Jack.
There should be an IQ test for being able to purpose legislation...
And ammo-running.
This was on the slug itself, not the casing.
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