Lawmakers Consider Stamps on Bullets

LOS ANGELES — Lawmakers in California now have two bills on the table that could aid in the search for gun-firing assailants.

Forensics investigators currently have the ability to match the unique signature on every bullet to the gun it was fired from. The problem then becomes, for detectives and law enforcement, finding the gun itself and the person who fired it.

California Senate Bill 357 and its sister bill Assembly Bill 352 would have all new guns stamp an I.D. number on shell casings as they fire, and require every semi-automatic handgun sold after Jan. 1, 2009, to be equipped with the new microstamping technology that assigns traceable serial numbers to individual bullets.

According to these proposals, any semi-automatic not on California's Section 12131 roster —the list of weapons that do not possess the ability to create microstamps — will be defined as an "unsafe" handgun.

California state Assemblyman Paul Koretz (search), D-West Hollywood, is one of the bill's authors.

"Imagine how much easier it would be, in the case of my bill microstamping, if there was just a number and you call it into a database and you know exactly who it is in five or 10 minutes," Koretz said.

Critics argue the laws will punish law-abiding citizens and sportsmen by raising costs. Those in the gun and ammo manufacturing business add that they're tired of bearing the brunt of gun crime and accuse lawmakers of targeting their livelihood.

"I will stop selling ammo the day after. So if that's what the lawmakers want, is that guys like me to get out of the ammunition business, then all they have to do is tell me I have to spend 15, 20 minutes to paperwork a $2 box of ammo and I'm out," says Ted Szajer, owner of L.A. Guns.

Opponents insist these laws are just anti-gun politics that penalize law-abiding citizens who do not abuse guns.

Sam Paredes, the Executive Director of the organization Gun Owners of California (search), said recreational use will be adversely affected.

"Small .22 caliber ammunition — that people use to play with and for target practice — the cost of that will be $50, $60, $70 a box if this bill were to go into effect. That isn't going to solve any crimes," he said.

But members of law enforcement and lawmakers and who support the bills call traceable bullets an obvious next step in connecting criminals to their crimes.

The bill proposed by Attorney General Bill Lockyer (search) and supported by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has already passed the Assembly and one Senate panel. It is up for further review in August.

Quoted: Lawmakers Consider Stamps on Bullets California state Assemblyman Paul Koretz (search), D-West Hollywood, is one of the bill's authors.

Would serve the loons in Hollyweird right if everyone else just bailed on Kalifornia, leaving them surrounded by millions of armed to the teeth Aztlaners.

Yeah, because criminals are too stupid to pick up their shell casings or use revolvers or *gasp* use illegal stolen guns which can't be traced back to them.

a file and a new barrle fix's that...

And what about all those "unsafe guns" out there... whould those have to be turned in?  What if a citizen had the audacity to defend himself with an "unsafe gun"?  Would he find himself facing 5-10 yrs in prison?

Quoted: a file and a new barrle fix's that...

No, not a ballistic fingerprint.  It sounds like they want some sort of stamp that makes a numbered inpression as the round is shot.

I'm not even sure this is physically possible....

The sale of Dremel tools will skyrocket.

Quoted: Quoted: a file and a new barrle fix's that... No, not a ballistic fingerprint.  It sounds like they want some sort of stamp that makes a numbered inpression as the round is shot. I'm not even sure this is physically possible....

they should require all bullets to have steel cores.

then you could serialize the bullets by imprinting numbers on the steel core

This goes right along with the pistol ammo serialization bill.  They figure if they can't get one, they'll try the other.  

The pistol ammo serialization bill works like this.  They want to laser engrave a serial number on each bullet, shell casing, and then list it on the ammo box.  When the ammo comes into CA it has to be logged into a DOJ computer and then what store its going to.  When the ammo is sold that information must go back to DOJ for their records.  This way they "know" who has what ammo.  

This law would basically ban reloading along with a ban on any unserialized pistol ammo a few yeras after the law takes effect.  

I'm betting one of these laws gets passed.  CA wants to ban pistols and they are looking to do it through technology.  Either you gun leaves a specific imprint or your ammo is tracked and serialized.  

Both of these laws will have a serious impact on the rest of the gun owners in the country.  Imagine the cost to implement either of these CA laws.  Even if pistol ammo manufactures decide to quit selling to CA or pistol makers quit selling to CA they will lose a huge market and becuase of that the prices of either pistol ammo or pistols themselves will go up around the country.  

Quoted: Quoted: a file and a new barrle fix's that... No, not a ballistic fingerprint.  It sounds like they want some sort of stamp that makes a numbered inpression as the round is shot. I'm not even sure this is physically possible....

Put the stamper on the bolt face and use the recoil to stamp the marking on the catridge near the primer.

That also keeps the chamber clean of any .. stuff that might weaken the chamber walls or cause a FTF/FTE.

Edit: With my idea then the bolt and the receiver would have to be "registered".

Quoted: Yeah, because criminals are too stupid to pick up their shell casings or use revolvers or *gasp* use illegal stolen guns which can't be traced back to them.

The fact that stupid things like this only work against the people who don't commit will never seem to get through their thick skulls. I feel sorry for anyone on this forum who actually chooses to live in that bass-ackwards state.

Welcome to about 6 months ago...

This bill has nothing to do with crime control at all.  This is just another attempt by the asshole socialist demoncraps in the PRK to make it hard on legal gun owners.  I don't think even the dumbest demoncrap suck-up believes either of these bill will cut crime.......but it will make it harder on law abiding gun owners to follow the laws.  If the fascist bastards make it dificult enough to own a firearm in the PRK  firearms owners will either leave or give up their firearms.......either way the evil scum-sucking demoncraps win.  The goal is a PRK without opposition -- firearms laws are just tools.

 Do the demoncraps really think that career criminals will go to a gunstore and buy ammo to have it registered to them?  Please tell me no one is that stupid.  

This is so stupid it makes my brain hurt.

Calling all lawyers. Could a case be made that this is restraint of trade?

just fuck californication all together, who needs those commie, pinko, tree huggin, liberal bastards anyway.