Anti-gun politicians in the U.S. Congress have proposed two gun control measures in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
One, dubbed the Make Identifiable Criminal Rounds Obvious (MICRO) Act<\/a>, was introduced last month and would require pistols be capable of stamping identifying characters onto ammunition at firing.<\/p>\n The second proposal has yet to be officially introduced but was advanced on Twitter<\/a> by Democratic Senator Kamala Harris:<\/p>\n It\u2019s long past time we renew the assault weapons ban in this country. It is in the best interest of keeping all of us safe.<\/p>\n \u2014 Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 10, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Harris hasn\u2019t indicated whether a renewed \u201cassault weapons\u201d ban is actually in the works, but she appears to be interested in reviving the conversation despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress.<\/p>\n There is no evidence<\/a> that the Clinton-era \u201cassault weapons\u201d ban had a positive effect on crime, and only about 2 percent<\/a> of homicides are committed with rifles of any sort. Harris may not be able to convince many of her colleagues that a renewed ban is worth the political capital necessary for the proposal to gain traction.<\/p>\n The MICRO Act could present a more legitimate threat to gun rights in the U.S. The technology required by the bill imprints a microscopic array of characters onto ammunition that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol. The characters are etched onto the pistol\u2019s breech face and firing pin, which transfer the characters onto the primer and case when a round is fired.<\/p>\n In theory, microstamping would allow law enforcement to more easily identify and trace weapons used in crime.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must do everything we can to ensure gun violence can be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,\u201d said the bill\u2019s author, U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., in a statement. \u201cMicrostamping offers law enforcement the chance to track bullet casings to the source of the crime, and is one more step we can take to ensure the safety of the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n But microstamping is less straightforward than Rep. Brown would have his constituents believe.<\/p>\n California introduced the first microstamping requirement in 2007, but the technology was far from ready to be implemented. In 2013 then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris determined the technology had cleared the necessary hurdles, and the law went into effect.<\/p>\n The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers\u2019 Institute (SAAMI) disagreed. The groups filed a lawsuit in 2014, which is currently being considered by the California Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n
SEE ALSO:\u00a0California: Microstamping Challenged, Extra Waiting Period Back In<\/a><\/h2>\n