A California micro-stamping law that was signed by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007 is now in effect. The micro-stamping law is the nation’s first of its kind and requires that all semiautomatic handguns to be equipped with technology that stamps the gun’s serial number into the casing.
The idea behind micro-stamping is (supposedly) that it will make solving crimes involving firearms easier. The elevator pitch usually goes something like this. If a spent casing is found at a crime scene, the serial number could be retrieved from the casing, and its owner could be located using the state’s firearm registry.
However, as it turns out, unicorns and leprechauns aren’t real.
The idea behind micro-stamping sounds good on paper, but when you actually start to think about it, it’s not hard to imagine a world where the law is wholly ineffective. First, the law exempts guns currently on the state’s allowed firearm list, and since criminals don’t much care if the weapons they are obtaining illegally are on the state’s allowed firearms list or not, the result is that all guns currently in circulation in California will not have micro-stamping.
Second, let’s fast-forward 10 years and pretend that somehow most guns have micro-stamping. Guess what? How hard is it to go to a range, gather up a bunch of spent brass and spread it around the next time you off someone?
The number of star alignments and Sasquatch sightings that need to take place before micro-stamping is effective is staggering. But common sense has never mattered much to most politicians.
Backdoor Ban?
Some have speculated that this law will result in banning any new guns from being added to the state’s allowed firearms list. Their argument is that manufacturers won’t go through the expensive process of retooling just for California, and some have even gone so far as to speculate that this was the politicians’ plan all along.
While I can’t rule out that being the intent of the law, I disagree with the speculated outcome.
The reason is simple: the California gun market is huge. So huge in fact, that a lot of manufacturers already make a California compliant version of their weapons, and I predict the same thing will happen in this case. The end result will just be that Californians will pay more (manufacturers will have to recoup the production cost) for an already neutered weapon.
My advice remains the same – vote with your feet, and let California drown in its insurmountable debt.
lots of luck on that one, Dumb from the start
yo bro- you stepped way over the line here- “offensive” doesn’t even begin to encompass how the sasquatch community feels right now. right on about the gun thing though.
I really hope you’re joking…
Gov “Ahnuld” should have been worrying about how many illegitimate kids he had brought into this world instead of technology that will do absolutely nothing to stop any shootings
How about just doing a light grind on the firing pin?
My understanding is that would make the gun inoperable, but we should find out soon enough, once the first batch of Rugers hit the market.
First of all it does not put the serial number on the case. It puts it on the primer. The firing pin can be replaced with a new one. Some say you can grind the firing pin but not a good idea, you could have misfires quite often. It’s all about control…….any kind they can get! California is a cancer on America that needs to be lanced!
Can’t you just get an old unstamped firing pin. Or if you’re going to off someone wouldn’t be easier to use a revolver
Maybe this means we will finally start seeing Ruger dispense with the California mandated loaded chamber indicators and other needless moving parts on their firearms since they may be forced to realize it is neither worth the expense nor hassle to service customers who choose to live in tyrannical states.
As much as I’d like to think (hope) that Ruger and everyone else would tell California to pound sand, I think you’re right. They will modify to make their weapons CA compliant.
That would be nice, but w/ publicly traded companies like Ruger and S&W, That won’t happen.
I sure do love living in California but I sure do hate the useless gun regulation we have. After spending some time in Texas last fall, the idea of jumping ship is sounding better and better to me.
On another note, I’m pretty sure gen 3 glocks, XDs, and M&Ps will continue to be the top selling hand guns now that this passed, so I guess it works out well for them.