New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is America’s best known gun-grabber. The billionaire founder, head and financier of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) never fails to find a media ear willing to listen to his anti-gun agenda, disguised as it is as “common sense.” In this case, the NY Post has given Mayor Bloomberg and his pet AG space to hawk their latest hair-brained gun control scheme. Microstamping saves lives: Senate must resist gun lobby and pass crime-fighting the headline proclaims, despite the fact that A) the technology is expensive, dubious and unproven and B) it can’t save a life because no one’s done it (see: A). So . . .

Microstamping is a technology that imprints a unique mark on every bullet casing that is ejected when a semiautomatic is fired. These marks help detectives make the connection between a gun and a crime scene, generating important leads in shooting investigations. Right now, if shell casings ejected from a gun are left behind at a crime scene but the gun itself is not recovered, the case can go cold – leaving the criminals free to pull the trigger again.

If police find one microstamped shell casing at a crime scene, they have a 54% chance of identifying the gun. Right now, using existing ballistics technology, they have a 2% chance.

Let’s review: microstamping only works on semi-automatic pistols IN THEORY, it helps detectives solve crimes IN THEORY, New York’s multi-million dollar program to keep a record of ballistic fingerprints for hundreds of thousands of guns is a total failure (swept under the carpet), NY detectives’ inability to solve crimes is largely technological, and here are a bunch of BS stats from God-knows-where (the company that wants to sell microstamping?) justifying a completely unproven technology.

But that’s OK because . . .

The fact is that microstamping poses no threat or inconvenience to law-abiding gun owners; it is solely about crime fighting. The technology is invisible and does not have any impact on the operation of guns.

And the bill only covers semiautomatic handguns – not long guns favored by sportsmen – and even then, the requirement would be waived if microstamping costs more than $12 per firearm, a minor expense for guns that typically cost more than $300. The argument that New York-based gun manufacturers would bear an unfair burden is flat-out false: The bill applies to guns sold in New York regardless of whether they’re manufactured in New York State, New Mexico or anywhere else.

Let’s review: it’s OK to tax handgun owners but not “sportsmen”, a five percent (roughly) tax on handguns is A-OK, all guns sold in New York will have to include microstamping devices, which means most gunmakers won’t bother, which means NY gun owners will be denied a wide choice of weapons with which to defend themselves.

All I’ve got to say about all that: God bless the Internet. Specifically, the comments section underneath articles. jushadenough:

Another example of government reaching too far into our lives. The police state attempts to sink its ever expanding set of tentacles deeper into society. Only the people who legally buy guns will pay and be inconvenienced by this law. They don’t bother to tell you the amount of guns legally bought in New York that are used to commit crimes do they? Conveniently forgot to include that number. In addition, the criminal who uses a gun to commit a crime doesn’t really take the time to obtain the gun legally. The government won’t be happy until the few who legally obtain guns will be reduced to a big 0.

Oh and this: nail file.

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29 COMMENTS

  1. My understanding is that the whole thing is nothing but a well-funded scam by the microstamping patent holder….all the gun companies are going to have to license this “technology” from them.

  2. By the same (lack of) logic, unicorns save lives. Also unobtanium, dragons, and telepathy. All of these fictional things (theoretically) save lives, just like the fictional microstamping.

    I’m surprised he doesn’t want the James Bond fictional fingerprint reading safety lock as well…

  3. Even if you could link a particular shell casing at a crime scene to a particular gun, doesn’t the existence of the casing indicate that the life is already lost?

    Also, if you could link a particular casing to a particular gun and then to a particular owner, wouldn’t a criminal (as is typical) use an illegally obtained gun or simply modify the micro-stamping feature? Guns are exceptionally simple machines.

    My intuition is that this micro-stamping scheme is a hidden hand out to a company that lobbies well under the guise of public interest.

    -D

    • Come on Don! Obviously a forward thinking, brilliant state like NY is going to be thinking ahead of the criminals. It will be a crime to alter a gun’s micro-stamp feature! And since there are probably criminals that will say they can’t afford the feature, NY will offer free trades so that all criminals can be equipped with the new technology. Otherwise, some of those sneaky criminals might use older guns and try to blame it on the weak economy. You make it sound like criminals in NY would just ignore the law!

  4. Perhaps I am not fully understanding the microstamping process, but does that mean that when my pistol fires a cartridge it imprints a “fingerprint” onto the casing that can then be linked back to my gun?

    If so, then I guess I would need to be extra vigilant is collecting my spent brass at the range. I would not want my brass to be collected and sold for reloading, as is common, and then end up at a crime scene I was nowhere around. I assume that casing would then have 2 microstamps, one for my gun and another for the gun that also fired it. Am I wrong on this?

    • The micro stamp must imprint in the primer, which would change when it is reloaded. However, someone might take your spent shell and leave it at the crime scene to set you up.

  5. Already law in california, yet it as been held up in court since its passage and the lack of sharing by the owerner of the tech. Also what does the law say about modifiny or repalce the microstamping parts? To be honestly this would just force criminal to swicth to revolvers and then they will leave no shell casing. I also agree the if this works it means someone is dead or wounded already.

  6. Nail file, Dremel tool, Emery cloth, take your pick. There’s no way MY hypothetical New York pistol would fire a single round until I gave the breech and chamber a *mirror-polish* to ensure reliable feeding and remove any tiny burrs or (intentional) stampings.

    I doubt any stamping would survive this. In fact I’m sure it wouldn’t. Sorry, Mayor….

  7. As I understand, this has already become law in California (for about 2 years) but there is a caveat where the law will not go into effect until the technology can be implemented!! IOW, Microstamping is bullshit.

    This legislation is proposed every year in Albany. Fortunately, it has failed to pass the senate every year, so far. But it’s only a matter of time. It has already passed the legislature this session. I don’t know when the senate plans to vote but if you live in NYS, please contact your senator.

    http://www.longislandfirearms.com/forum/m-1306280323.92073/
    http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A01157&term=2011&Summary=Y

    • I wonder if they’ll also make it illegal to tamper with the smoke detectors in the lavatories of intergalactic starships, pending the invention of said starships.

  8. I would like to propose a new safety feature in Mayors and other politicians.Its a permanent personal lie detector,with a red and a green light to put on their heads.Because without it the public only has a 2 procent chance of knowing if they are telling the truth,but with the Personal Portable Lie Detector the public will have a 54% chance of identifying a lie!!!. So the P.P.L.D saves lives!! Its common sense really!!!

  12. If the firing pin is the component that microstamps the primer, then the law would affect revolvers as well as semi-autos, right?

    • I would assume so, but since revolvers don’t inherently leave spent casings behind the evidence trail leaves with them. Of course, the careful criminal could just pick up their brass anyway.

  13. Most criminals use stolen guns that can’t be traced back to them, so it won’t matter it you find the spent shells.

  16. This will not just affect those who purchase handguns for personal protection or the commons sportsmen, it will have an impact on all those that practice shooting including LE. Spent brass that is not picked up at the range is sent to a recycling plant. If they are now stamped with a unique ID which can be traced back to the owner of the pistol, he may find himself defending himself if that spent casing is used (or purposely left at) in a crime. My opinion is that this is a waste of money and time. If Bloomberg want eradicate the city of crime, he should start with the currupted politicians he share a bed with let the people arm and protect themselves. You’ll see how fast the crime rate drops once the wolves find out the sheep is packing. BTW what charge will be giving if a wolf is found with a stolen gun which he/she used to commit the crime? Does it carry any significant weight?

  17. the law would be complete BS! It does not include revolvers or any other type of weapons except semi-auto pistols they think are scary? a 1911 45 auto can hold 8 rounds, and most revolvers chamber between 6-8 rounds and are chambered in any caliber you could think of minus some rifle calibers. the whole bill makes no sense when read and you can tell law enforcement was not involved . I understand wanting a better way to find a shooter. But, do not single out one type of firearm because that just shows it is all about gun control. This is just a way and an excuse to take away your rights and blame random people for crimes they never committed because there stamp was found on a street corner. Go after criminals not guns. what is next pocket knives ,golf clubs,hammers, your fist or the words that come from your mouth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. Yeah, because nobody could just tape a mesh onion bag onto the side of their semi-automatic handgun to catch the spent casings.

    “loophole” cost, about two cents.

  19. “A made up story about tell tale bullets solving the crime.”
    This tale takes place after the NY gun laws have passed and people are celebrating that “peace and safety” have come at last.
    (I always wanted to be a mystery writer. Here’s my chance)
    It goes like this.
    A good guy and bad guy get into a gun fight. Unfortunately, like so many bad guys do, the bad guy didn’t play fair.
    The bad guy was lying wait and attacked the good guy from ambush, the good guy goes down, but not before firing a few (newly minted, micro stamped) rounds in self-defense. The bad guy, knowing about this micro stamp thing picks up his brass and departs.
    The police arrive and find the dead good guy. How sad. Somehow the new gun laws STILL aren’t working? Oh, well.
    There are no clues at the scene, except … police manage to find some mirco stamped brass, YEA!
    They go over the evidence and ponder the case for six months and finally conclude, “based on the evidence”
    …….. the good guy committed suicide!

    Good huh?

    Oh, no, wait! Sorry, that’s a silly story. I forgot, it couldn’t have happened like that. The good guy lived in NY and wasn’t allowed to carry a gun for self defense in the first place.

    MY writing career is toast.

  20. Just think of all the FUN you could have as a NYC contract killer now or after this is enacted!

    Off Tony THE RAT! then calmly drop 3000 empty brass casings next to his body, that you got over the last 5 years at the local guns clubs!
    The cops have to contact each and every gun owner across 5 states! —ohhh the laughter!

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