Our S&W 4006 Microstamping Test Vehicle - Hits ~3200 Rounds & Counting

As of December 18th, 2007 the Microstamping S&W 4006 Test Vehicle has hit the ~3200 round mark. In late November the S&W 4006 was handed to the armorer at the Providence Police departmet for a live fire demonstration of microstamping. S&W truely manufacturers a remarkable firearm. The S&W 4006 was the side arm of the CHP in California, but was replaced by a newer S&W model. Oue S&W 4006 shows considerable dynamic stability even when fired in rapid succession. We beleive this stability is based on the quality of the workmanship and the particular mechanism design of S&W semiautomatic pistols. We should hit ~5000 rounds by mid/late 2008. We have a number of firearms being tested and currently our focus is on rim fire .22 cal pistols.

Ruger Mark III (RimFire .22 Cal) - Testing Underway

Well, we have been testing a variety of firearms and getting ready to offer the royalty free license to firearms manufacturers in the United States for the civilian firearms market, starting in January. We have already begun talking to manufacturers who have preemptively come to us seeking to get the ball rolling.

One question that has kept coming up was about the UC Davis study is about rimfire. What many people do not understand, is that we told the researcher at UC Davis that what they were testing was a R&D project, since we were not allowed access to the firearms or to optimize the firearms.

One specific model pointed out as a complete failure by UC Davis was the .22 cal Ruger Mark II. We were specific about the Ruger Mark II that they were using, since it had serious wear and tear and oxidation and since we could not evaluate the firearms dynamics, taking into consideration its operation and the condition it was in, it would fail. This is a guarantee without running the optimization protocol, i.e. allowing us to analyze the firearms dynamics and then match the characters geometry to those dynamics. On three separate occasions in emails we stated without question that the .22 cal test would probably not work out. We had requested fired cartridges so we could get a better understanding, but the graduate student did not have access to the firearms, since they were held at the CA DOJ.

So, when asked about why it failed, we always tell people, the UC Davis project confirmed our findings back from 1996, if you do not optimize the microstamp to the dynamics of the firearm, it doesn't work well. It is simply shake and bake, you set an experiment to fail, it will fail. We had hoped the UC Davis project was about the graduate student applying forensic methods to analyze the potential benefits or to extract the characters. What happened was disappointing, but in the end as the UC Davis Chancellor states, this project was not commissioned by the legislature or the California Policy Research Center.

Since, people are concerned, we decided to create a special test on a new model Ruger Mark III and purchased a brand new Ruger Mark III, for about $260.00. What was interesting is that even at $260.00 it had the new California round in chamber indicator and magazine requirements. The price hasn't changed much since prior to those requirements.

We are in the midst of firing 5000 rounds on the optimized Mark III. Initial 50 rounds show excellent results show 100% code extraction (the ability to read the entire code). We will post images mid January when the first 2500 rounds are complete. We are imaging every cartridge.

Best regards,
Todd Lizotte

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs AB1471 Into Law

Planted Cartridge Theory: Having Faith In Forensic Science

Forensic investigators use crime scene reconstruction methods to analyze various patterns; foot prints, projectile trajectories to track back to the firing location and to match projectile location to cartridge location, i.e. cartridge ejection patterns. Projectile locations have a location and a angular trajectory (They can show movement of the shooter or angle of the firearm), so it is possible to match the two patterns.

In an exchange of gun fire; the criminal is firing the handgun and potentially moving at the same time. These actions are mirrored in the pattern of the cartridge casings. If the person then randomly drops or plants cartridges, those dropped cartridges would not follow the pattern that occurred during the actual action. A common criminal who has committed a murder or has drawn a firearm in a fire fight, is not going to be in the right frame of mind, nor in an opportune moment to take into consideration these types of ideas. Fight or flight response takes over.

The physical evidence is also analyzed; powder or gun shot residue (its type, age, and oxidation), oxidation of the cartridges themselves (fresh versus old), finger-prints on the cartridges, odd things (cartridge with pocket lint, dirt) and the standard ballistic markings on the projectile (rifling land marks, twist).

The planted cartridge scenario is not realistic for nearly >90% of gang or moment of opportunity based heinous acts or crimes.

Another point is that planted cartridges have a history and by planting them at a crime scene the criminal is just leaving more leads to follow. Maybe those planted cartridges will lead the place where the cartridges were taken, maybe that range has video taping system, or requires people to show drivers license and sign a form to enter the range area or maybe by finding these cartridges to plant that means there is more of an opportunity to recover good finger prints.

The fact is that planting cartridges is an interesting theory, but it reality, it doesn't happen now and modern forensic crime scene investigation methods are more than capable of overcoming this type of scenario.

Microstamping: Doesn't Work On Flintlock Pistols Either

Another argument that keeps popping up on various blogs is the idea that microstamping doesn't work on revolvers.

I will agree 100%, doesn't offer benefit for revolver based incidents if they don't drop their cartridges. this is why we had targeted semi-automatic handguns.

Another argument is microstamping will just create a shift in criminal firepower selection, by creating a deterrent to using semi-automatic firearms. The argument is you could drive criminals towards revolvers or to knives or baseball bats.

We don’t see a downside. Use of a revolver means that they are limited to six rounds per engagement or it offers their intended victim the chance to escape with their lives. Revolvers used in crime tend to not have the same impact as a semi-automatic handgun.

Reducing a criminal’s firepower is a benefit, if microstamping shifts them from semi-auto handguns to revolvers, once again we don’t see a downside.

Plainly speaking firepower is the amount of damage you can cause within a given time frame. However, effective firepower is a combination of variables including the type of firearm, the ammunition, and most importantly the gun handling skill of the shooter.

Firing a revolver accurately takes more skill than a semi-auto handgun. And when you have no skill at all in firing, odds are you are not going to do as much damage.

Another point is revolvers are “dual action”; the criminal has to pull the trigger fully for each round fired where as semi-auto are typically single action firearms.

Most drive by shootings cause death by the fact that a hail of bullets is fired randomly.

Others incidents are close quarter engagements where the need for skilled aiming was not necessary.

The issue is there is a rise of semi-automatic handguns being used. Microstamping makes sense for that segment.

Microstamping (How does it help law enforcement?)

Microstamping identifies the firearm when a firearm is not recovered at the crime scene. How does that help law enforcment? It is a good question.

Many opponents state that the only thing microstamping does is identify the original purchaser and needlessly harasses them. However, this argument is hollow. If a law abiding gun owner has a firearm stolen, it behoves me to think they would not report the theft, having to figure that the theft would be part of a possible home invasion and other personal items of far greater value would be stolen.

However if the theif borke into the gun owners home to only take the firearms, than more than likely, the theif was aware of the firearms location and the personal schedule of the lawful owner. This also brings up the question: why wouldn't you report the theft?

Further it is not out of the question that the lawful firearm owner might have been identified by a theft ring operating in the area and possibly at teh firing range where the gun owner enjoys their sport. Once again i think it is in the best interest of the lawful gun owner to report the theft, to allow the police to investigate this potential.

So, I am a law abiding gun owner and my firearm is stolen, I report the theft to my local police, they being an investigation and file the report.

Now, if my firearm is used to committ a murder and it is found at the scene, guess what I am am getting a phone call or visit by the police no matter what. that is just eh way it goes. Luckily I have my report. Hopefully the firearm is recovered fast, since it is better to clear the issue as soon as possible instead of years later.

Now, if my firearm is stolen and it is outfitted with microstamping, and it is used to committ a murder and the police find cartridge with the code, but do not recover the firearm, guess what, same situation, I am getting a phone call or a visit. However, once again the matter is taken care of the first time the firearm is used, whether it is recovered or not.

So, how does this help lawenforcement? first it identifies the firearm, it also leads tehm to the area where it was stolen and possibly dovetails into the theft investigation. maybe their is a theft ring operating in the area where the firearm is stolen and maybe the police have suspects, which leads to know associates, which leads to the possbile purchaser of the firearm.

The key is Intel and crime patterns. Microstamping is a piece of Intel that can be used, the newer the intel the better the analysis.

The FBI and ATF has developed ways of analyzing certain criminal enterprises by the patterns they form when they engage in criminal behavior. The critical element to defining these patterns and analyzing them is good INTEL or “real-time” data.

This has become even more important with the formation of homeland security. Now new tools are being adapted from military methods of INTEL analysis, such as link analysis and social network analysis. By overlaying INTEL data from firearms trafficking to known networks of gangs, gang associates and known drug trafficking networks a complete picture is developed. Of course these maps or links are only as good as the INTEL, i.e. fresh information.

The FBI states that through their work, criminal enterprises or gangs are creatures of habit, and they often establish specific patterns in their activities. For firearm trafficking, this means they might prefer a certain type of straw purchaser, a specific source location or licensee, or a favorite method of distribution. Such patterns can be found through analysis of data; the problem is the current data is acquired when the firearm is recovered, instead of when the firearm is first used. The key once again is faster INTEL.

Law enforcement is now dealing with a migration pattern of gangs and other criminal enterprises and this network is now stretching farther across the country.

If microstamping data can be gathered at the instant the firearm is used in a crime, the greater chance for better linking and mapping through analysis.

Firearm trafficking becomes vulnerable to these new techniques such as link analysis and social network analysis, when an analysis of the data can form into patterns within a narrower window of time.

So, when trying to find unique ways of getting law enforcement the information they need to combat trafficking, while maintaining the rights of law abiding gun owners, it seems possible, microstamping could strike that balance.

Microstamping (What is it?)

Microstamping simply is the utilization of surfaces within a firearm that currently have unintentional microstructures (currently used for forensic firearm identification) formed during the manufacture of the firearm, by adding intentional (alphanumeric or geometric codes - holograms / barcodes) on those surfaces.

The idea is to not change the dynamics of the firearm and use the same forces that currently transfer the unintentional tooling marks.

Microstamping is simply an evolutionary step in firearm identification technology, augmenting, not replacing current firearm and toolmark analysis. Microstamping is a method to identify the firearm, when the firearm is not recovered.