BALLISTIC IMAGING SHOOTS A BLANK

NCPA Daily Policy Digest ^ | April 30, 2003 | David B. Kopel and H. Sterling Burnett

[bruinbirdman]

Following the sniper attacks that plagued the Beltway in the early fall of 2002, gun control advocates intensified their demands that the federal government develop a "ballistic fingerprint" database, one that would capture and store a digital photograph of the markings and striations on bullets and cartridge cases after they have been fired.

This system sounds good in theory, however the best evidence is that such a system would be unreliable and expensive, solve few crimes and divert scarce crime-fighting resources, say researchers David B. Kopel and H. Sterling Burnett.

Ballistic imaging has obvious limitations that become more significant when considering image databases containing all guns, or all new guns, rather than only criminal guns. Even when limited to new guns, the usefulness of an immense database as a crime fighting tool is questionable for a number of reasons, say the researchers:

o Over time, wear caused by the friction of bullets traveling down a gun's barrel will change the barrel's "signature," producing different ballistic images for bullets fired when the gun was new and those fired later.

o A gun's ballistic image can be altered repeatedly after crimes are committed by filing, shooting ammunition with dirt or even putting toothpaste on a cartridge before firing.

o As the number of firearms in the database is increased, the results worsen considerably.

o A ballistic imaging database of all guns, or of all new handguns, would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require an enormous number of personnel.

Ballistic imaging technology cannot come remotely close to fulfilling the promises that gun control advocates make. Ballistic mandates for non-crime guns would only hinder effective law enforcement, explain the researchers.

Source: David B. Kopel and H. Sterling Burnett, "Ballistic Imaging: Not Ready for Prime Time," Policy Backgrounder No. 160, April 30, 2003, National Center for Policy Analysis.

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[Ancesthntr]

Ballistic Snapshot doesn't work BUMP!

[45Auto]

Look to California to adopt it precisely because it doesn't work. Those fools are always out to throw another monkey wrench into buying a firearm. The purpose of ballistic fingerprinting laws is to further erode the practise of the 2nd Amendment.

[FSPress]

The purpose of ballistic imaging is gun registration. Even though the stated purpose is link the bullet with the gun that fired it they really don't give a rat's @$$ about that. Their goal is to link you with the gun!

[James Mabry]

I was gonna bump the other (Ballistic imaging: Not ready for prime time ), when I found this. So now they both get a bump. Cool.

[Joe Brower]

I am compiling a list of FreeRepublic folks who are interested in RKBA topics. If you want off my ping-list, just let me know.

Conversely, FReepmail me if you want to be added.

And my apologies for any redundant pings.

[Bottom_Gun]

Ballistic Imaging is a crock. I lap the barrels of all weapons I buy, that completely changes it from what the test fire was.

[FreedomPoster]

One of y'all should probably be on the replied-to list that Joe Brower is keeping. A ping if you're not, a small bother if you are.

[dansangel]

Thank-you! Am FReep-mailing him to let him know I want on!

[philman_36]

The whole thing is a huge boondoggle and a waste.
And speaking of erosion...and rights...
This work is part of a method benchmarking effort underlying the "Theoretical Studies of Gun Barrel Erosion" DoD Challenge Project headed by Cary Chabalowski (ARL). The work seeks to use theoretical solid state physics techniques to predict catalytic reactions of combustion off-gases on iron (gun barrel) surfaces.

[Petruchio]

Anyone who has ever field striped a .45 knows how fast you can swap the barrel and change the fingerprint.

A matter of seconds . . .

[Travis McGee]

The gun grabboids will turn all of PF's negatives into "postitives" (for them) just you watch.

They will demand all gun be brought in for "retesting" every year, and make it illegal to "alter" the PF in any way without a special license and immediate retesting.

This will include barrel changes, firing pin and extractor changes etc.

Their goal is to load this crap with mountains of red tape, any "violation" will of course be a felony and strip a gun owner of his RKBA.

[Travis McGee]

I meant BF, Ballistic Fingerprinting.

[Travis McGee]

That will be a felony without a special license and immediate retesting.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'm thinking a small reloading press and some of Tubb's Final Finish bullets might be a good investment.

[Travis McGee]

Get them before they are outlawed.