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."
Tough, almost impossible to enforce IMHO that given the number of relaoders already out there...and the amount of brass already out there.
Just think
Now someone can flick a few bits...And.... You have purchased the bullet that shot JFK I
In California, it's not too hard to imagine that unmarked ammo smuggling from Mexico will vastly increase. The illegals will bring it in with them for their compadres waiting in California, who will save it up in large caches.
As for the "rest of us" I am surprised to not even see one BLOAT yet. If anything would be a BLOAT alert this would be.
So...You're tied the barcode on the box...not the actual bullet in the cartridge in the box...
Too many ways for the contents to get switched between the factory and the purchaser...Reasonable Doubt. The cost may be minimal for the actual etching of the bullet...but developing a secure, tamper proof package to ensure the contents match the barcode is going to increase that minimal cost. If law enforcement wants to rely on the etched code for a conviction they will need to prove beyond a resonable doubt that the bullet used in the crime actually came from the box with the matching bar code...
This whole thing gets convoluted when they talk about re-using character strings on different calibers...then saying they can positively identify a bullet with as little as 20% of the base remaining...20% of a .38 would look an awful lot like 20% of a 9mm...
yeah, "re using" codes sounds so idiotic. seems to me that a group of 10 random nerds could design a system like this better. dumb donut eaters.
it never ends.
one day when we finish with the raggers, we will have work to do here.
"Using 70 grains (0.16 oz. 4.54 g) as an arbitrarily assumed average bullet mass allows the estimation that the 85-118 million pounds of bullet lead produces about 8.5- 11.8 billion bullets per year
In any case the laser-tagging is going to involve rather large serial numbers; i.e. cal; plant; yr of mfr; type of bullet;etc. etc. Seems to be a rather cumbersome database. Seems that all surplus ammo would immediately become contraband as well as the stockpiled personal ammo. Special permits all around doncha know for wheel weights, smelters, molds, solder, and oh yeah all those printed circuit boards with solder that could be salvaged,etc.
My goodness!! I forgot all about steel ball bearings from scrap yards. Sounds to me like a super-size ATF in the making. Just like your novel's STU gruppen fuhrer's ambitions.
Check the pic I posted back around 45. The number is micro etched repeatedly all over the base of the slug, dozens of times. That's how only 20% of the slug will give an entire number.
Yep, sooner or later we'll have to take out the trash.
I hope I'm alive to do my part.
I know my boys and one of my girls at least will be prepared.
Before any of this becomes a nationwide hinderance to the 2nd, we're going to have to stand our ground and tell them 'enough is enough'. Just like if Kerry wins and our rights vanish overnight.
At some point, enough of us are going to notice that the temperature in our pan has increased beyond the zone of confortably numb, and the true meaning of the 2nd will once again be understood by tyrants.
In reality, you'd think that the puppet masters of the Left would realize that keeping President Bush in office might not be a bad life insurance policy for the Left in general. By pushing their commie utopia on us wholesale their fate will be sealed.
Offhand, I can't think of a recent example of a nation with ten million scoped deer rifles being faced with millions of traitors in their midst, in wartime.
Archy used to mention Finland, but I'm hazy on the history. I guess it went badly for their communists.
One person with a rifle can control multiples, though, even with semi-auto only. With full auto, the ratio is estimated to be one to 100 civillians. Even 30 million like-minded gun owners would be a 'landslide vote', if, (God forbid!), it ever became necessary.
If we remain vigillant now and continue to debunk this crap, and teach our kids and grandchildren the empowerment of being able to defend and feed themselves and their neighbors, we will continue to have a Republic, despite the twits who would undermine it at the most fundamental level.
probably doesn't work on wadcuters
File it off, ready to go.
Government is NOT all-powerful. That's reserved for GOD!
Hey this is a great idea for custom messages on bullets. I'll take a box of .308 with Osama's name on 'em.
I was thinking along the same lines, that if they start this it will be a boom for the reloading market.
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