Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Opposition to microstamping grows

Another article on microstamping, and the growing opposition against it:
... As a quick refresher, microstamping is the process of engraving a guns firing pin with a serial number that it then theoretically transfers to the primer of every cartridge fired. Supposedly, this will solve crimes and control black market guns.

Fraught with flaws, questions, and unresolved technical issues, this technology is currently being heavily pushed in Connecticut, and the situation there gives us an opportunity to see what would happen in the rest of the country were a national initiative to be mounted.

Monday, gun manufactures from across the nation banded together in opposition to this scheme for backdoor gun control. Joining them were the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Connecticut Association of Firearms Retailers. Also noted as being in opposition was the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police, along with the National Rifle Association. A press release issued by the NSSF notes, "Independent peer-reviewed studies have made clear that microstamping is both flawed and easily defeated and should not be mandated without further in-depth study." Of course, all of this opposition isn't stopping anti-gun legislators from pushing SB 353, which would mandate the adoption of the patented technology by 2011.

In addition to the many flaws I pointed out in my last article covering the subject (theft, easy to defeat, skyrocketing cost, millions of guns already in circulation without the technology), an additional concern was highlighted in the press release. Several of the Connecticut based manufacturers strongly indicated they would leave the state if it were to be enacted, costing the state thousands of jobs from these manufacturers, plus any supporting businesses, as well as millions in tax revenue. ...

Article here. The anti-gunners are also promoting a version of microstamping for ammunition, wherein each round of ammunition has a unique serial number.

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