Gov. (Schwarzenegger) signs bills to track bullets, ban toxic toys

[RamboLiberal]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the nation's first law requiring semiautomatic pistols sold in the state to leave a unique imprint on bullets that are fired, giving police another way to try to link shootings to the criminals who carry them out.

The bill was among dozens that Schwarzenegger signed this weekend, banning toxic plastic softeners in toys for toddlers, blessing the sale of kangaroo-skin soccer shoes and purses, and whacking artery-clogging trans fats in school cafeterias and vending machines.

The governor vetoed several bills, including one that would have made some financial aid at state colleges available to illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools. He also turned down a first-of-its-kind bid to force the labeling of food from cloned animals.

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The Crime Gun Identification Act, by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, forces gun sellers by 2010 to use so-called microstamping technology to imprint characters that reveal a gun's make, model and serial number on bullet casings. It applies only to semiautomatic pistols sold in California.

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Opponents of the measure, AB1471, said the technology was unreliable and could be countered by gun users, and they raised the prospect of criminals dropping shell casings from other weapons at a crime scene to confuse police.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/14/BAKQSPVS9.DTL

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This is going to piss the NRA off. IMHO this won't make a difference in solving crimes for a very long time. And if you're a smart criminal you alter the gun, get a pre-2010 or non-California gun or use a revolver. Sounds to me like another feel good gun law.

[billbuckhead]

1. Sad that it takes Republicans to lead on a issue that a vast majority is for

Despite Large Majorities, Democrats Are Chicken on Gun Control
By Drew Westen, The American Prospect. Posted June 25, 2007.

When it comes to gun control, Democrats fall silent. As with many hot-button social issues, they can't figure out how to reach people's emotions. Here's how they can regain their moral compass -- and their power of speech.
-------------snip-------------------
<http://www.alternet.org/rights/55094/?page=4>

Leave it to Arnold once again to steal an issue that should be a progressive one.

[bperci108]

3. That depends on your location.

Out here in flyover country any sort of gun-control measure (even a common sense one) is a guaranteed loser for the party/group/individual that supports it. Period. Kiss your political ass goodbye, in other words. No deposit-no return.

I'll even go as far as to say it's probably what tipped the scales and turned the Congress over to the repukes during the Clinton administration.

Like it or not: It's the lay of the land here.

In twenty or thirty years, who knows? :shrug:

For now, if the Dems wish to gain any seats whatsoever and the White House, this issue is dead on arrival.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Heck gun control is even a dead issue in Pennsylvania

with the huge part of the state between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

[ProudDad]

7. He signed a bill passed by a Democrat legislature

doubtless vigorously opposed by the repukes in the California Legislature...

The groppensteroidenfuhrer probably signed it because he's a cop's ass kisser.

It's the stuff he vetoes that shows what a FUCKED UP AUTHORITARIAN PRO-CORPORATE ASSHOLE he is...

Don't trust this fucker...

[saigon68]

21. Another stoopid law by a schumer clone

Designed to disarm america for the corporations and their blackwater type security mercenaries.

[derby378]

13. Your friend Drew simply doesn't get it

The only thing his anti-2A screeds will get him, were Congress to act on them, is a Republican Congress. He needs to focus on catching the bad guys, not on turning the good guys into more bad guys.

[billbuckhead]

18. Republicans are in full retreat and gun pushers are desperate to scare Dems

There won't be anymore more Republican congresses for a awhile and the gun lobby and it's sad minions are pissing themselves.

[tomreedtoon]

2. Tech question: is "microstamping technology" real?

This sounds ridiculous. First of all, when is the stamping done? If it's done during discharge of the firearm, stamping the bullet that is blasting its way out of the chamber, isn't that going to mess up the speed and trajectory of the bullet?

Second, just as it's possible to "file off the serial numbers" from a pistol, wouldn't altering or removing this microstamp thing be just as easy?

Has anybody ever heard of this process, or was this a leftover that Schwartzenegger remembered from his script for <i>The Running Man</i> or something?

[bperci108]

4. IMHO, it's a feel-good solution in search of a problem.

Firearm forensics already does this type of identification, but this sounds so much sexier.


:eyes:

[RamboLiberal]

5. What they are talking about stamping is the casing

If they are stamping the primer which takes a hit to set off the powder which then propels the bullet with a microstamp it is probably doable with a micro stamp on the firing pin. If they are talking about stamping the casing as it is ejected that is problematic though I'm no expert on this. Hey I just shoot the gun, except for field stripping and cleaning anything else goes to the gunsmith.

If it's the firing pin I would think it would be easy to get around just by changing out the firing pin.

This one scares me as a gun owner. When shooting at ranges a lot of times we leave our casings behind for a variety of reasons. All someone would have to do is go pick up a few casings with the markings, scatter a couple around the crime scene and the police will be knocking at the wrong door of a law-abiding citizen.

[ProudDad]

8. Then don't leave your god damn litter around (n/t)

[Catch22Dem]

9. Litter?

Let me preface by pointing out that I'm a big gun control fan. To be honest, I could do without them entirely, but I also have common sense. I've fired a lot of guns, and at many ranges, if you're firing their ammo, you have to leave THEIR casings behind.

[Indy Lurker]

11. "re-loaded ammo" loophole.

The next law will be to fix the "re-loaded ammo" loophole.

Can't have casing with more than one microstamp running around, the police won't know which gun owner to arrest.

[NutmegYankee]

14. Litter? They get put into large buckets for reloading/recycling. n/t

[RamboLiberal]

15. You can't gather the casings at a private range

Many end up in front of the firing line - be dangerous to pick up. Brass is left for the employees of the range to sweep up and make money off of.

And at many matches it's called "lost brass match" to keep the shooters moving and not wasting time picking up the brass.

When I'm shooting at a range otherwise I do police my brass, but since I don't reload I usually just throw it in the brass bucket for other shooters who do reload.

[slackmaster]

17. Most of us try to pick up our cases, ProudDad

I reload them, and ones that cannot be reloaded are valuable as scrap brass.

The problem is that it's not always possible to retrieve them all. For example, at a typical indoor pistol range, people are prohibited from going ahead of the firing line for obvious safety reasons.



There are typically push brooms available, but cases very often end up out of reach, to be picked up by the range operators after hours.

It's like leaving slips of paper with your Social Security number on them scattered around. If I ever have occasion to buy a gun with microstamping, I'll disable the feature before I fire it.

Some people leave do their cases at outdoor open ranges. But there are always people who come around to pick up that valuable metal.

[Indy Lurker]

10. NO.

If there aren't at least two manufacturers offering microstamping equipped pistols by 1/1/2010, the thing dies automatically.

The idea is to stamp the cases in two places.

This will allow the police to pick up the cases that criminals leave at the crime scene, look up the owner of the gun, and then go arrest them for the crime they just committed.

The law only applies to purchases and transfers. Once in your possession, there is no requirement to keep the microstamping functional, unless you wish to re-sell the gun.

[benEzra]

16. Supposedly stamps the brass with the serial number, via an embossed firing pin and chamber

or bolt face.

Of course, revolvers don't drop brass at the scene, and anyone could drop brass at the scene they picked up somewhere else (like at a shooting range).

It remains to be seen whether this will even be feasible; the Brady Campaign says it will cost 50 cents per gun, but I've also seen estimates of $250-$300 per gun (i.e., double the wholesale price). Which may be the intended result--make it harder for the law-abiding to own guns.

Guns purchased for private use by LEO's are, of course, exempt, AFAIK.

[derby378]

12. This bill is laughable

I'll admit that microstamping sounded good at first. AT FIRST. But all it's going to do is create more headaches for law enforcement and law-abiding civilians alike.

And let's not forget that pistols carried by law enforcement will not be microstamped. Ooooops.

[ohio2007]

19. Arnold is also putting sanctions on Iran

yeah,
not the most reliable source but the dinosaur MSM will get around to reporting it in a week so, take it with a grain of salt for those with phobias

Mon Sep 24, 11:03am
BREAKING - Schwarzenegger to sign Iranian Divestiture Bill (CA AB221)
SCROLL FOR UPDATES
PRESS RELEASE

09/24/2007 GAAS 50:07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on California's Divestment from Iran

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today regarding legislation to divest from Iran, AB 221.

"California has a long history of leadership and doing what's right with our investment portfolio. Last year, I was proud to sign legislation to divest from the Sudan to take a powerful stand against genocide. I look forward to signing legislation to divest from Iran to take an equally powerful stand against terrorism."

AB 221 by Assemblymember Joel Anderson (R- La Mesa) creates the California Public Divest from Iran Act which prohibits CalPERS and CalSTRS from investing public employee retirement funds in a company with business operations in Iran. CalPERS, the state's employee retirement fund, is the largest pension fund in the nation and CalSTRS, the state's public education retirement fund, is the second largest pension fund in the nation.



snip
http://rocketsbrain.powerblogs.com/

I bet the California "public employee" economy may be larger than Irans entire economy
.

Sunday Ahnold signed into law a divestiture of companies who do business with Iran by the California PERS system (one of the bigger investment blocks on the face of the planet.)


Of course, California is a dwarf to the Chinese toxic toy industry but a snipit worth noting in the home state of Pelosi

[Wcross]

20. Time to invest in Smith & Wesson stock!

"the nation's first law requiring semiautomatic pistols sold in the state"

My guess is revolvers will become popular with criminals. They leave NO brass on the ground & are not covered by this law. The effect of this law will be that semi-automatics will no longer be sold to California residents. For criminals, business as usual. Laws like this only apply to the law abiding.