New submitter robkeeney writes "Legislators in several states
are working on laws that would require certain gun manufacturers
to implement 'microstamping' to help law enforcement solve gun
crimes. 'Lasers engrave a unique microscopic numeric code on the
tip of a gun’s firing pin and breech face. When the gun is
fired, the pressure transfers markings to the shell casing and
the primer. By reading the code imprinted on casings found at a
crime scene, police officers can identify the gun and track it
to the purchaser, even when the weapon is not recovered.' As
with any gun-related legislation, many people oppose these new
laws. In California, a law passed in 2007 requires that when
microstamping (which is easily defeat-able) is no longer patent
encumbered, all new guns in CA must use it. To fight it, an
organization called the Calguns Foundation paid a fee to extend
the patent in order to prevent the law from going into effect."