Republican Rep. Brian Babin of Texas, who chairs the House Science Committee, asked the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) to answer questions about the reliability, durability, manufacturing consistency and forensic utility of microstamping in the letter provided exclusively to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Microstamping” involves a firearm using a modified firing pin or other device to leave an identifiable series of marks on a bullet cartridge that could be recovered at the scene of a crime, according to a fact sheet from the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) Institute for Legislative Action.
“Given NIST’s longstanding reputation for scientific objectivity and technical rigor, the Committee believes the agency is uniquely qualified to provide clear, evidence-based responses to these questions,” Babin wrote. “Such information will be essential to informing policymakers and the public about the true capabilities and limitations of microstamping technology before it is considered for broader application.”
Most major anti-Second Amendment groups, including Brady United, Everytown and Giffords, have pushed for legislative mandates to incorporate the technology into firearms. …
“Before Congress considers mandating microstamping nationwide, we need clear, evidence-based answers about whether it actually works,” Babin told the DCNF. “There are serious questions about its durability, reliability, cost, and vulnerability to tampering. NIST is uniquely qualified to provide objective technical analysis, and the American people deserve facts—not assumptions—before policymakers move forward.”
— Harold Hutchison in GOP Rep Asks Agency To Evaluate How Many Ways Fad Favored By Anti-Gun Groups Can Go Wrong