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July 22, 2010

NSSF Statement on Firearms Microstamping Study


The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, fully supports the Firearms Microstamping Evaluation and Study Act (H.R. 5667), which calls for federal study of the ill-conceived and flawed concept of firearms microstamping.  NSSF is supporting this legislation because we have grave and serious concerns about this concept. We believe that a comprehensive study will add to the scientific body of evidence now available demonstrating that microstamping is an easily defeated, fundamentally flawed concept that holds the potential for pricing firearms out of the reach of the average American. The gun-control movement, lead by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Brady Center, support legislation to mandate microstamping, knowing full well it is fundamentally and inherently flawed. These same anti-gun groups oppose studying microstamping because they fear that a study will reconfirm the results of earlier independent testing that conclusively established microstamping to be a flawed and unreliable concept. 

Though some states have given credence to the independent studies that concluded microstamping should not be mandated, other states remain intent on pursuing this concept.  A national study, building upon these earlier studies, is exactly what is needed to demonstrate why tax dollars should not be wasted on a flawed concept that is being pushed as a backdoor way to ban handguns.  In the past, ballistic imaging (BI) was erroneously considered, like microstamping today, to be a panacea to solving crimes involving firearms.  After it was adopted by New York and Maryland, the National Academy of Sciences conducted a study on BI technology that confirmed earlier testing showing a national BI database would be flawed and unworkable.  While that NAS study was pending, states around the country declined calls from gun-control advocates pushing BI legislation. These states wanted to see the NAS study results before they acted.   

The supporters of this bill in Congress, stalwart defenders of the Second Amendment, understand this political reality.  That is why they are backing this study and in the process supporting members of the firearms industry, gun owners and law enforcement.  The more than 6,000 members of the NSSF, including all major firearm and ammunition manufacturers, thank them for their efforts.

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