4 ms·
How does ammunition deliberately leave an identifying trace?
by greedo 9y ago
How does ammunition deliberately leave an identifying trace?
- secfirstmd 9y agoI know that firing pins usually leave a fairly unique trace.
- lsaferite 9y agoI'm guessing they are talking about barrel rifling and firing pin/ejector marks that are used in matching weapons to crimes. I guess the could add some serial number during firing, but I've not heard of this as something in civilian weapons.
- nerdponx 9y agohttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microstamping https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microstamping
- jke5kiwe56 9y agoDespite CA's idiosyncratic firearms laws, microstamping effectively does not exist in the real world (as in, no firearms on the market employ it, though the technology does exist).
- thearn4 9y agoFiring pins are pretty easy to swap out, though. Easy enough that this could be used to tamper with evidence or even frame someone. It doesn't really seem like a great idea.
- dogma1138 9y agoAnything in a gun is easy to swap, but also illegal if it violates the law. Micro stamping is currently not enforced strictly but if it would it would be no more legal to swap the firing pin as it would be to put in a full auto fire control mechanism on a federa level, or on a state level flash hider or a normal capacity magazine in states that forbid them.
- in_the_sticks 9y agoOthers mentioned microstamping but that's not the only method. Increasingly, ammunition being sold has serial numbers on both the bullet and the case.
- Zak 9y agoI have never heard of serial numbers on bullets, and a google search led only to proposed state-level legislation to require them, which has not passed.
- fivestar 9y agoI was not aware that any ammunition in the US is microstamped.
- Zak 9y agoCalifornia has a law requiring the use of microstamping on semi-automatic handguns, however, models previously certified for sale in the state are exempt. I do not believe any manufacturer is actually offering a microstamped firearm for sale. The stamps are required to be on the firearm, not the ammunition. They're supposed to leave an identifiable mark on the ammunition when fired.
- jke5kiwe56 9y agoAs far as I'm aware, no handguns currently being sold in the US employ microstamping. Also, I've never heard of serialized ammunition being sold in the US. Do you have sources on either of these currently being on the market?
- deelowe 9y agoGenerally speaking, it doesn't.