NCJ Number
222219
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2008 Pages: 54,56,59
Date Published
January 2008
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines microstamping technology.
Abstract
On October 13, 2007, California lawmakers signed into law Assembly Bill 1471 (AB 1471) which implements microstamping technology, making California the first State in the Nation to mandate its use. The bill requires that all semi-automatic handguns purchased in California, beginning in 2010, have the ability to imprint identifying information on cartridges fired by the weapon, turning spent cartridges into potential evidence in civil and criminal cases. Microstamping differs from conventional ballistic fingerprinting which results from extreme pressures present in the chamber to the cartridge. The microstamping method would use microscopic engravings on the firing pin to record make, model, and serial number data on the cartridge primer, useful when matching gun casings found at a crime scene. This tool would be used to help law enforcement link victims to suspects. Pros and cons of using the technology in the future investigations are detailed.