Microstamping Research Paper Published

A new research paper was presented at the SPIE Optics & Technology Conference in San Diego, August 2008. The paper was part of the Optical Technologies for Arming, Safing, Fusing and Firing IV Conference and introduced research covering the testing of a Colt 1991 A1, 1911 style, .45 ACP semiautomatic pistol.

This represents the first peer reviewed publication of fully optimized and current state of the art microstamping technology as applied to firearms. Over the last 14 years, the invetors of the technology, Todd Lizotte and Orest Ohar have presented their work informally due to the proprietary nature of the technology. Since they have offered the technology royalty free for domestic civilian markets, further archive datasets are going to be shared with the scientific community.

So far many of the research papers, such as the UC Davis study which was a wear study of the firing pins themselves and others, had all utilized R&D test pins that were never optimized to the specific firearms that were being tested. Even with this worse case scenario, the results from these non-optimized firearm were still very good, if not remarkable.

The SPIE paper discloses the power of the the extraction method for forensic benefit, a key feature over looked by all other research papers. A unqiue feature of the research paper was a very basic comparison of microstamping in relation to existing methods of firearms identification. It should be stated, microstaming is an evolution of firearms identification, it augments the science - It doesn't replace it.

The SPIE research reported a 1500 round test of a 1991 A1 (1911) model firearm that was fully optimized. It consistantly had an extraction rate of >90% over teh entire 1500 rounds. Extraction is the process of assembling the code found on the cartrdiges at a crime scene. The 1991 A1, .45 ACP semiautomatic firearm had an extraction rate of >90% with a single cartridge and ~98% when two cartrdiges are found at a crime scene.

Pivotal Developmnet is presenting a comprehensive series of research and application papers next year which will show some of the latest data completed in 2008.