Microstamping: What is it and how does it work? T. Christian Heyne Legislative Director 1

“As a firearm owners and technologists, we wondered if we could place a corporate logo on the tip of a firing pin and impress it into the primer of a cartridge casing Our first ever test was a firing pin with a corporate logo transferred to a primer. At that moment, while looking at the logo, under the microscope – both myself and my colleague understood the possible significance of the impression in the forensic field. That was in 1994.” 2 - Todd Lizotte, Inventor of Microstamping Technology -Todd Lizotte, Inventor of Microstamping Technology

3 Firearm Trafficking Routes Possible Theft Ring Possible Straw Purchaser

Tip “Primary” Code Radial Code: 2 nd Counter Measure Gear Code: 1 st Counter Measure

8 Digit Code SW Breach Face Mark Gear Code Head Stamp / Casing Primer SW Firing Pin Mark SW

What can be extracted from the code? 0°0°0°0° Notch Position (12° CW) Year of issue date & Orientation Manufacturers Alpha Code “Makers Mark” Index Code Alpha Numeric (Randomly generated & Not sequentially issued) Gear Code (Eight digit code backup / Compensate for firearm mechanism mechanical imprecision ) Gear Code (Eight digit code backup / Compensate for firearm mechanism mechanical imprecision ) License Plate Approach

From a Study by Lucien Haag Presented to the National Academy of Sciences.45 Cal Cartridges Used

From a Study by Lucien Haag Presented to the National Academy of Sciences

~3800 Rounds ~5400 Rounds

Test fire #841 Optical on the left, Back-Scatter SEM to the right with software enhanced extraction (100% Extraction)

 Illegible marking? 18  Wear and tear?  Easily obliterated?  Confusing law enforcement?  Cost?  Sole Source?

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Contact Information: T. Christian Heyne Legislative Director 22 Josh Horwitz Executive Director (202)