MILLER: Backdoor gun ban

 

Microstamping drives up costs without solving crimes

 

 

By Emily Miller

-

The Washington Times

 

Gun grabbers need to be sneaky to accomplish their goals. Their latest trick is to convince anti-gun states to mandate that handguns be microstamp-ready. That means the weapon's firing pin is redesigned to imprint a code on the primer so that, in theory, it will give law enforcement the ability to identify a specific gun from shell casings left at a crime scene. Like most left-wing endeavors, this one isn't going to work.

That didn't stop the New York State Assembly on Tuesday from passing a microstamping bill backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The legislation, which passed 85 to 60, specifically says guns manufactured in New York or delivered to a dealer after January 2014 have to produce a unique alpha-numeric marker on at least two locations of each spent cartridge that identifies the make, model and serial number. Fortunately, the state Senate blocked the bill on the last day of this session on Thursday, as it has done in four previous sessions.

Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Cuomo don't care about the negative impact of their proposal, which they estimate to be $12 per pistol. Manufacturers stuck with the actual duty of implementing the legislation put the cost at hundreds of dollars per gun. "We don't know how to do microscopic etching. The equipment to do it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we would also need a scanning electron microscope to verify it's on the pin," said Jeff Reh, general counsel for Beretta USA. "We wouldn't invest a half-million dollars to sell guns in one state."

A spokesman for Remington Arms said if it had to add microstamping to all its pistols, it would "reconsider its relationship with New York and certainly the manufacturing of our handguns in the state." New York-based Kimber Mfg. Inc. said the law would make the firm rethink its current expansion in Yonkers. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which represents firearm and ammunition manufacturers, estimates this bill would send 5,200 New Yorkers to the unemployment lines.

"Manufacturers will simply stop selling handguns into a state that requires microstamping," explained NSSF's senior vice president, Lawrence Keane, of the ultimate consequences for the industry. "This is, in effect, a handgun ban."

California and the District of Columbia are the only places in the country that have passed the mandate, but neither has actually implemented the law because the technology isn't ready. Several independent, peer-reviewed studies, including one conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, have concluded that microstamping is still flawed and unreliable.

Maryland, New York and the District required ballistics testing on spent casings for each gun sold - until they realized it was extremely costly and didn't actually solve any crimes. Each of these jurisdictions recently jettisoned the testing requirement.

The gun grabbers talk about fancy technology, but nothing will stop the bad guys from merely using an emery board to scratch the stamp off the firing pin. It also won't work on revolvers, which don't leave casings behind when fired. It's obvious that the only purpose left is to discourage the sales of handguns and infringe on Second Amendment rights.

Emily Miller is a senior editor for the Opinion pages at The Washington Times.

© Copyright 2012 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

1. Will NOT stop criminals.
   
2. Possibility of putting people out of work.
   
3. Takes revenue away from the state.
   

Good job Bloomberg

Hmmm. Good reason to have so many revolvers like I do plus moon clips................

 

Are politicians born this stupid or does it come with the job?

Are politicians born this stupid or does it come with the job?

 

See post #938 here...

 

http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/30795-daily-humor-thread/page__st__930

It amazes me that after the failure of CoBIS (Combined Ballistic Identification System) in New York which was eliminated recently after more than a decade with no measurable results or impact; they would implement something else! More death by a thousand cuts.

 

references:

http://www.ammoland..../#axzz1yZxmhtUH

 

http://hudsonvalley....-to-save-money/

 

http://www.troopers....Firearms/CoBIS/

Really surprised NJ hasn't passed such a law.

Really surprised NJ hasn't passed such a law.

New Jersey has "smart gun" technology looming in the background.

 

http://www.foxnews.c...3,73763,00.html

 

http://www.njit.edu/...5/jan/index.php

New Jersey has "smart gun" technology looming in the background.

 

 

Am I the only one who though It would be nice if we would have "a smart politician" looming in the background???

Am I the only one who though It would be nice if we would have "a smart politician" looming in the background???

 

The ultimate oxymoron

If NY passed it, you'd see the last couple of manufacturers left there move....I wonder what would happen if the entire Industry did what Barrett did in California? Refuse to sell to ANY NY Local, County or State LE agency over this law being passed.

Like it or not folks, all this 'smart technology' is coming to a gun near you. NJ and similar states are going to be, without question, "models" for the rest of the country. Only a matter of time since we already have 'smartphones', not a huge stretch of the imagination for 'smartguns'.

 

Even my Hk P2000 from 2005 already has a slot for a RFID chip in it, visible when you remove the adjustable backstrap, of which I have pics of it from yrs ago on Hkpro.com

 

Plus im still waiting for unmanned drones to 'augment' police surveillance, of which I predict MANY cities, metro areas will adopt (with thunderous applause) coming/flying to a backyard near YOU.

Hold on BRB,,,, now where did I leave that box of tinfoil.. lol

Like it or not folks, all this 'smart technology' is coming to a gun near you. NJ and similar states are going to be, without question, "models" for the rest of the country. Only a matter of time since we already have 'smartphones', not a huge stretch of the imagination for 'smartguns'.

 

Even my Hk P2000 from 2005 already has a slot for a RFID chip in it, visible when you remove the adjustable backstrap, of which I have pics of it from yrs ago on Hkpro.com

 

Just FYI, smart guns are already a legislative fact in NJ. The AG is just waiting for a manufacturer to come up with a viable commercial design - the law is already in place.

 

As for RFID chips - I believe that Europeam manufacturers are required to use them but for inventory control and manufacturing, but it is a slippery slope. People have come up with RFID readers that are effective at several hundred feet, so the potential for legislators to do something stupid is definitely there.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

Not liking it... Only 90% at this point? Blah... no chance in changing hands or another legally enabled person to use it when you are down. Bull-Dinky.

http://sciencenetlin...ates/smart-gun/

RFID chip + microwave oven for 5 seconds = dead RFID chip.

Maybe they need one of these to reverse engineer...

 

 

Or This better in action explanation..

 

Maybe firearms manufacturers should just not sell guns to law enforcement in NY to make a point. Heh

Just FYI, smart guns are already a legislative fact in NJ. The AG is just waiting for a manufacturer to come up with a viable commercial design - the law is already in place.

 

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,73763,00.html

http://www.foxnews.c...3,73763,00.html

 

The law was enacted ten years ago, and NJIT said they'd have it up and running in two years. rofl

I don't even think they are working on the project anymore.

We really need to stop this from spreading. Quick everyone, send your blank checks to the NRA so they can .....something.....something... PRO 2A.....

I don't even think they are working on the project anymore.

 

I think the legislature stopped funding the project, BUT, that doesn't make the law go away. A manufacturer could come up with something that might tickle the AG's fancy and then we'd all be screwed. Anschutz did come up with something, but fortunately it wasn't commercially viable - but we all know how technology gets more cost effective with time.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob