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Calif Senate passes "microengraving" bill
The California Senate, 22-18, passed a bill to require semiauto handguns to have a feature that microengraves serial numbers onto bullets.
It of course takes under a minute to swap barrels on most semiautos (assuming the gun isn't stolen in the first place). What's also interesting is that unless mfrs adopt special machining for California semiautos, they probably won't sell to law enforcement there, either.
12 Comments
There's no explicit police exception?
Not that it matters, as the police can commit no crime in the eyes of the Callies, but if a manufactor doesn't pick up the space (I'm betting on GLOCK), they're going to end up doing some ugly stuff to keep their police armed.
In the spirit of; "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang seperately.", the nation's firearms manufacturers should let the California market twist in the wind if this legislation passes.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but:
1) the engraving is not on the bullet, but on the cartridge casing, transfered there by the breech face of the slide upon firing. That face leaves marks upon every cartridge fired now, so engraving a particular number to transfer to the cartridge for ID isn't that difficult.
2) Changing the barrel in a semi-auto would not change this engraving. The engraving would be upon the head of the cartridge, so one would have to change the slide to change the micro-engraving.
Don't get me wrong, this is still essentially "feel-good" legislation. But it's not the end of the world. What I frankly believe that the tracing will reveal is that law-abiding, legal owners rarely commit crimes with their guns. Crime guns are routinely stolen or bought illegally, on the street; there's more than enough pre-engraving guns out there to supply the bad guys, and they're cheap. Even here, in 'lil ole' Kansas, I can buy a throwaway gun for less than $100, easily, no paperwork, no trace, no nothing.
Of course, 2 minutes with a Dremel tool and the gun won't stamp a number any more, but don't tell those idiot legislators that...
And what is to stop criminals from picking up shell casings from the local range/game lands and dropping those at a crime scene?
I'm wondering if this is a round about attempt to ban handguns in CA, not buying directly banning them, but by making it almost impossible to legally sell them.
Yes to all of the above ... it's about trying to stop us peasants from owning weapons.
They will happily forbid uncompliant manfacturers from selling unmarked firearms in CA.
The law will not be applied to cops or criminals.
Oh I do hope there's not a Police exception! I've been saying that the firearms industrie needs more owners like Ronnie Barrett. If they would all shut off sales to the 'powers that be' in the anti-gun areas (CA, NY, MA, IL) it would be massivly effective.
What a dumb idea. Even criminals are smart enough to figure this one out. If the gun you use in your crime isn't registered to you, exactly how is this going to provide evidence for the cops? My guess is CA will see a jump in wheel gun interest. Of course the real point of the legislation is to eliminate firearms sales in CA. It might have some effect there.
The law would add a non-engraving gun to the definition of "unsafe," and therefore unable to be sold in California. I couldn't find an exemption for police to buy "unsafe" guns. So, looks like they'd have to add an exemption.
No doubt all currently legal firearms in California will now be deemed illegal. I would be putting a for sale sign up in my yard if I lived there.
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