Author Topic: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)  (Read 3253 times)

Desertdog

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Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200802/NAT20080213a.html

(CNSNews.com) - A gun control group is hailing Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) for introducing legislation that would require gun microstamping in all fifty states.

The National Crime Gun Identification Act, introduced in both the House and Senate on Feb. 7, "will help law enforcement track down armed criminals and solve gun murders," the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said.

The National Rifle Association calls such legislation "incremental gun control."

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, said microstamping will help police trace guns that are used in crimes. It's "the common sense thing to do," Helmke said in a news release on Monday.

"Last year, California passed a bill to take advantage of this new microstamping technology. Governor Schwarzenegger signed that legislation into law. I want to commend Senator Kennedy and Congressman Becerra for introducing these bills to put this technology to work nationwide," Helmke said.

California's microstamping law, which is supposed to take effect in 2010, would require all semiautomatic pistols to have "microstamped identifiers" -- tiny internal markings that transfer themselves onto bullet cartridges fired from a gun.

In theory, microstamped cartridges found at crime scenes might help police identify the make, model and serial number of the gun used in the crime -- and perhaps trace the criminal who used it as well.

At least one gun manufacturer, STI International, stopped selling firearms in California as soon as Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the state's microstamping bill into law.

"We will be suspending all shipments of guns to California effective October 13, 2007. This includes everyone from civilians to Law Enforcement," STI says on its Web site.

Sen. Kennedy said his bill would amend federal law by prohibiting licensed federal firearms dealers from manufacturing, importing, or transferring certain semi-automatic pistols that are not capable of microstamping ammunition.

According to Rep. Becerra, "Gun microstamping is a simple and effective technology that promises to save lives and keep violent criminals off the streets. It is inexpensive for gun manufacturers to implement, does not infringe on personal ownership rights, and provides a powerful investigative tool to our law enforcement officers."

But the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action has outlined the "numerous and varied problems" associated with microstamping.

Microstamping has repeatedly failed in tests, the NRA-ILA says. Moreover, the microstamped etchings are easily removed or altered.

Beyond the technological questions, the NRA says most gun crimes do not require micro-stamping to be solved; and most criminals who use guns don't get them through legal channels.

In fact, the NRA-ILA warns that micro-stamping may increase gun thefts, home invasions and other burglaries, since criminals would rather steal guns than buy them legally and thus leave a trail in a microstamp database.

The NRA-ILA says many guns do not automatically eject fired cartridge cases. And given the fact that there are some 250 million guns in the U.S. already, only a small percentage of guns will be micro-stamped if the law is passed.

Micro-stamping wastes money, including that which is better spent on traditional crime-fighting and crime-solving efforts, the NRA-ILA said.

And finally, the NRA-ILA mentioned the costs associated with microstamping that will be passed along to gun buyers.

A database to track micro-stamped handguns will be expensive, the group said; and the handgun manufacturing process will have to be redesigned to accommodate microstamping. And then there are the anticipated licensing fees that would have to be paid to the sole-source micro-stamping patent holder.

"Mandating microstamping will dramatically reduce the product selection available to law-abiding consumers in California and prices for available guns will skyrocket," the National Shooting Sports Foundation says on its Web site.

RadioFreeSeaLab

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2008, 09:27:39 PM »
And that, my friends, is why you should call care what happens in California.  This microstamping BS started here.

The Rabbi

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2008, 04:43:51 AM »
DOA.
Everyone panicked when McCarthy introduced (again) her assault weapons ban.  It didnt go anywhere and neither will this.
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Manedwolf

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2008, 06:38:03 AM »
Can Red-Nosed Teddy please just drink too much and fall off a bridge himself this time? For everyone's benefit?

Also, perhaps this will expidite other companies' announcements that they'll stop selling to CA, as a warning. They were waiting to see if the law was overturned, but SIG and some others have already said that they don't intend to retool just for one state.


Silver Bullet

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2008, 06:43:40 AM »
If this passes, I'll have to be collect all my spent cases at the range.  Otherwise, someone could scoop up a dozen of my cases and sprinkle them around at their next crime scene.

Also, I don't see how this works without keeping a list of gun buyers names to map to the gun markings, which means this is just a sneaky way to register gun buyers.

Manedwolf

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2008, 06:44:46 AM »
If this passes, I'll have to be collect all my spent cases at the range.  Otherwise, someone could scoop up a dozen of my cases and sprinkle them around at their next crime scene.

Only if you bought a brand-new microstamped gun, and failed to have an accident with a file and the firing pin when cleaning it. Why would you do that?

My favorite SIG and HK are each about 15-20 years old but were well taken are of, and will likely last for a century or more if well taken care of. I think I'll keep shooting and carrying them, thanks.

Not that I think this has a chance in hell of passing, but microstamping isn't the actual aim. It's the fact that if it passed, they'd have to immediately follow with a ban on the sale of used or imported handguns to "prevent crime with unstamped guns". That's what they're counting on. Just watch in CA, because that's what will come next there. Their aim is to get handguns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens through attrition by banning the sale or transfer. Each succeeding generation will have to have their guns destroyed instead of passing them down.

That's what they want.

Desertdog

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2008, 06:57:14 AM »
Quote
Everyone panicked when McCarthy introduced (again) her assault weapons ban.  It didnt go anywhere and neither will this.
Don't bet on it.

Quote
California's microstamping law, which is supposed to take effect in 2010, would require all semiautomatic pistols to have "microstamped identifiers" -- tiny internal markings that transfer themselves onto bullet cartridges fired from a gun.
So the sales of semiautomatics pistols stops on the day it takes effect, and the sales of revolvers increases.

The Rabbi

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2008, 07:14:34 AM »
Quote
Everyone panicked when McCarthy introduced (again) her assault weapons ban.  It didnt go anywhere and neither will this.
Don't bet on it.



I will.  I'll bet anyone this doesn't get to a floor vote before the election.
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Desertdog

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2008, 07:20:21 AM »
Quote
I will.  I'll bet anyone this doesn't get to a floor vote before the election.
How about after the election?

The Rabbi

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2008, 07:34:43 AM »
Quote
I will.  I'll bet anyone this doesn't get to a floor vote before the election.
How about after the election?
I think the bill would have to be reintroduced.
Too early to tell what will happen.  I will still bet it won't make a floor vote.
Fight state-sponsored Islamic terrorism: Bomb France now!

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Tuco

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2008, 09:07:23 AM »
Quote
one gun manufacturer, STI International, stopped selling firearms in California as soon as Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the state's microstamping bill into law

From a liberal point of view, it's working.
7-11 was a part time job.

Desertdog

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2008, 09:35:01 AM »
Quote
one gun manufacturer, STI International, stopped selling firearms in California as soon as Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the state's microstamping bill into law
Instead of stopping sales in California, they should have a 50% to 75% sale in California until the stamping is required.

Ben

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2008, 12:29:15 PM »
Before this November, I'll be competition for Rabbi and take bets this won't go anywhere (still doesn't mean I won't email the critters about it).

After November, depending on who is in office and the makeup of the Senate and Congress, I won't be taking any bets.
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

CAnnoneer

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Re: Gun Control Advocates Introduce 'Microstamping' Bill (for all USA)
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2008, 02:04:42 PM »
One more proof that whatever happens in "Kommiefornia" does not affect the "free states".  rolleyes