California Assembly Defeats Microstamping/Bullet Serialization Bill

Legislation before the California Assembly (AB 352) that would have required microstamping of firearms and bullet serialization of all ammunition was defeated just prior to this issue going to press. AB 352 would have mandated the use of unreliable, patented, solesourced technology to microstamp firearms and would have permitted the Attorney General to require bullet serialization of all ammunition. "We’re thankful that common sense and sound public policy prevailed," said Lawrence G.

Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. "This legislation would have forced an unproven, costly, and easily defeatable technology upon both firearms consumers and taxpayers, and would have resulted in aban on all ammunition in California.

A recent independent, peer-reviewed study published in a professional scholarly journal for forensic firearms examiners proved that the technology of microstamping is unreliable and does not function as the patent holder claims.

The study also showed the technology can be easily defeated in seconds using common household tools and that criminals would be able to simply switch the engraved ("microstamped") firing pin for a readily available, unmarked spare part. (You can read the study at share/legal/docs/AFTEVol38No1Krivosta Nano Tag.pdf) Opposition to the microstamping and ammunition-banning legislation was not limited to the firearms industry’m ajor lawenforcement groups also did not support the bill.

AB 352 would have led to significant price increases for firearms consumers, estimated at as much as $150 per firearm, and all California taxpayers would have been forced to foot the bill for microstamped law-enforcement guns. "We have always said that further research into microstamping, like the study currently being conducted at the University of California, Davis, would be necessary before the legislature considers mandating this very dubious technology," added Keane. "By defeating AB 352, the California Assembly passed a measure of common sense.