Posted on 10/07/2004 1:01:05 PM PDT by 45Auto
California's attorney general wants to crack down on gun violence by laser-branding all handgun bullets sold in the state with tiny identification numbers nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The controversial proposal could open the way for the next major debate over gun control in California, a state that already has some of the toughest such laws in the United States.
Attorney General Bill Lockyer is expected to discuss his proposal at a meeting on gun crime today with Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and a citizens group, an aide said yesterday.
Under the plan, all ammunition sold in California would have a serial number etched by laser on the bullet and casing. Bullets without such micro-markings, including those from outside the state, would be barred by law, with some exceptions for sport shooters who make their own ammunition.
No other US state requires microscopic identification numbers to be etched on bullets, although similar technology is used to brand aeroplane and auto parts, backers of the proposal said.
"We think this is a very valid idea that could solve crimes quickly," said Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for Lockyer, one of the state's leading Democrats.
"It's something that the cops going to a crime scene involving shooting victims, once they recover the spent cartridge or bullets they can look at it right there," she said. "We have a database where they can put the number right in and then drive to the person's house whose bullets they were."
Paul Curry, a lobbyist for Ammunition Coding System, a Washington-state based firm that developed the bullet etching system, said the requirement would add about 1 cent to the cost of each bullet sold.
Ammunition manufacturers have so far resisted the technology, but he predicted that they would "race to see who can be first to market" if California mandated them to license ACS' technology.
Political consultant Chris Lehane said Democrats who control California's legislature would likely be receptive to the proposal when they resume session in January.
"I think given the politics of the state it makes a lot of sense," Lehane said.
Gun rights advocates pledged to fight the proposal, saying it would be easy for gang members and criminals to find unmarked ammunition and create a costly state bureaucracy.
California's Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger angered gun-rights advocates when he signed a bill last month banning the powerful .50 calibre rifles used by military snipers.
A spokesman for the governor could not be reached immediately for comment on Lockyer's proposal.
Now these kooks want bullets to be registered?
Wow.
And what, a box of .22 long's gonna cost $200 then?
And when someone steals your bullets....
the cops will drive right to your house to arrest you.
Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.
Of all the stupid ideas, this one beats all.
This would only work on criminals too stupid to file off the id numbers. Better yet they could mismatch casings with the bullets and frame other people.
Laser ID on bird shot??
Why don't they just bar-code all the criminals?
Bingo!
Just like gasoline prices, which I am sure are making every wacko environazi as happy as a little girl.
I hope this is defeated, but like you, I fear it will fly through with little resistance. Another way to gain control over gun owners. I'm so glad that I don't live in CA. That said, if this 'plan' is successful, it could be bad news for all gun owners.
It seems these guys have never heard of an intertial bullet puller. For the price of a $20 tool you can put a new lead bullet in your case.
Another good reason to load your own.
I can see a whole lot of gun owners in Kali becoming reloaders...
New tagging technique for bullets shoots holes in "fingerprinting" (5/8/2003)
You might want to read this.
"Gee whiz officer...somebody broke in to my house last night and stole my ammo."
This would require the registration of every round sold in California. How much money will this cost the taxpayers? The cost of ammunition will go straight through the roof. But, of course, that is exactly what Lockyer wants - to make it impossible to exercise the RKBA in California. The intent of the RAT-infested state legislature is to deny Constitutional rights. That has to be the sole logic behind this nonsense because it is so totally loony, that no sane person could possibly think it would work.
the cops will drive right to your house to arrest you.
Exactly! I don't know what the law is in CA about keeping loaded guns in your residence, but in NM we can keep our gun's loaded in the home. If our guns are stolen the bullets would belong to the gun owner. There's sure going to be a LOT of suits against police for false arrest, not to mention the headache for the cops.
Exactly.
I cannot keep abreast of CA gun laws,
so I needn't bother to comply... LOL.
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