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Finger printed bullets

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10 comments

  • duckhunter
    Has been done for years. Some GREAT states require the shell.
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  • nmyers
    It's called "ballistic fingerprinting"; it's based on the assumption that you can link a fired case to a specific gun.

    Problem is, it's junk science. That is, it doesn't work. California tried it, finally came to the conclusion that it doesn't work & repealed the legislation requiring it. Maryland still requires it, although after 7 years they have yet to solve a single crime with the technology. And, they even require it for revolvers, where it's even less likely that the police will require a shell casing at the scene of a crime. A couple of other states still use it.

    Neal
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  • cabnetman
    Well it's reasuring to know that it doesn't work. I would hate to think that they had that ability.
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  • dfletcher
    quote:Originally posted by nmyers
    It's called "ballistic fingerprinting"; it's based on the assumption that you can link a fired case to a specific gun.

    Problem is, it's junk science. That is, it doesn't work. California tried it, finally came to the conclusion that it doesn't work & repealed the legislation requiring it. Maryland still requires it, although after 7 years they have yet to solve a single crime with the technology. And, they even require it for revolvers, where it's even less likely that the police will require a shell casing at the scene of a crime. A couple of other states still use it.

    Neal


    With respect to CA,last year CA passed a ballistic fingerprinting law of sorts for semi auto pistols. It is supposed to take effect next year and requires that newly introduced semi auto handguns imprint an ID mark on the cartridge case upon firing. Fortunately the bill as written has a few legal conditions regarding the technology that make it unlikely the law will ever be enacted.

    I've been in CA since about 1985, so far as I know this is the only law that has been passed regarding what could be called ballistic fingerprinting - but I wouldn't be surprised if they had tried something like it. I believe even MD State Troopers admitted it has no value.
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  • shooter09
    They shoot a round at the manufacture to make sure that the gun work and then they have a guys sign off on it.
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  • 11b6r
    Sorry shooter- wrong. Firearms ARE test fired- with a proof load- but the envelope refered to is to satisfy state law. And yes, it is for providing a "fingerprint"sample of the firing pin and extractor marks on the cartridge case.
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  • cabnetman
    Wow! What's happening to our country? The good guys are getting buried alive and the bad guys are winning. I remember when you could take a gun to school and no one thought anything about it and now you can hardly buy a gun. And there were never any school shootings either.
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  • redneckandy
    quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
    Sorry shooter- wrong. Firearms ARE test fired- with a proof load- but the envelope refered to is to satisfy state law. And yes, it is for providing a "fingerprint"sample of the firing pin and extractor marks on the cartridge case.

    How does it provide a firing pin and extractor mark sample when the case is shipped with the gun? I thought it was just a test round.
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  • cabnetman
    I thought they were finger printing the slug not the casing. The slug would be the only thing left at a crime scene because the casings could be taken by the perpetrator.
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  • dcs shooters
    The firing pin and extractor leave marks on the shell that come from the gun that it was fired in. The marks are supposed to be different for every gun made. CSI'S are supposed to be able to tell if it was fired in that gun [?][?]
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