Posted on 08/22/2008 7:42:30 AM PDT by marktwain
Probably should have noted that this was a tragic crime, and the request might be perfectly legitimate, I hope they have actual evidence a local committed the crime and they aren’t just fishing. But the potential for abuse is enormous. I can imagine Mayor Daley accessing the records in a 100 mile radius of Chicago of everyone who purchased a .38, in hopes of solving a gang shooting. Next week a .22. And he wouldn’t be discarding the records, he’d be creating a database.
Send the letter back asking if they have tested all Oklahoma LEO’s who were issued .40 as on duty sidearms.
The founding resource in the field is Firearms Identification by former Chicago criminalist J. Howard Mathews, usually found in a 2- or 3-volume set published by the University of Wisconsin, and reprinted by Publisher Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL as recently as 1973.
Matthews followed in the footsteps of Calvin Goddard, the forensic investigator who identified and matched the Thompson submachineguns used in the notorious St Valentines Day Massacre. More about Goddard and his investigation and methods *here*.
Those two were the pathfinders for others who followed the trail they'd blazed, taking internal and terminal ballistics from the realm of hobbiests and industry technicians into the realm of sacience.
Oklahoma state agencies, including the State Police and Highway Patrol, use the .357 SIG. So do many of the rural counties that depend on the OSP Academy for their training.
Of course, all it takes is a barrel change, and most handguns chambered for the .357 SIG can be switched to fire the .40 S&W cartridge, since the .357 SIG is a .40 case with a bottleneck to accept and retain a .355 diameter bullet, which comes out with a bit more authority from the .357 Sig than from a 9mm parabellum. There are even a couple of such conversion barrel arrangements available as factory accessory kits from the handguns manufacturers.
Respectfully Sir, you will have to produce a court order to inspect any firearm I am currently the owner of, until you can do so please remove yourself from my property.
I will be contacting my attorney and he will be in contact with your superiors.
Good day, Sir.
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