Controversial microstamping identification requirements now achievable via advanced laser marking and engraving systems
LAKE MARY, FL, April 3, 2016 – Laser Photonics today announced application-specific advancements in the controversial area of microstamping, a method of tracing bullet casings and cartridges back to the weapons from which they were fired. The application involves using the advanced laser technology found in Laser Photonics systems to engrave microscopic markings onto the tip of a firing pin or onto the breech face of a firearm; individually-identifiable markings are transferred to the cartridge by the pressure created when a round is fired.
Variants of the controversial law, first signed in 2007 in California by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and currently under consideration in seven other states, mandate that certain types of firearms be fitted with at least two mechanisms inside the internal workings of the gun which imprint microscopic serial numbers onto the cartridge. Under these laws, each serial number must be unique to the gun from which it was fired.
Expenses associated with compliance have proven prohibitive. Citing increased costs of manufacturing, the two largest handgun manufacturers in the U.S., Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co., announced in 2014 their intent to stop selling new semi-automatic handguns in California.
Previous methods for physically creating a reliable microstamp on the highly-reflective metal parts used in firearm construction, including dot peen marking, have proven ineffective, creating microstamps which lose definition and clarity as the weapon is repeatedly fired. Conventional laser marking methods, involving CO2 lasers, are not effective or efficient at marking highly-reflective metal parts.
Laser Photonics advanced laser technology supports a variety of microstamping applications for firearms, and is particularly effective at marking and engraving highly-reflective metal surfaces, including all metals used in firearm construction. When compared to contemporary CO2 laser technology of equal wattage, Fonon laser technology is three times faster when processing steel.
Power consumption by Laser Photonics laser equipment is less than five percent the consumption of a comparable C02 system, and the lifespan of Fonon equipment is rated at a five to ten times longer. Additionally, the Laser Photonics laser is maintenance-free and requires no consumables.
Laser marking, engraving, and cutting systems in the Laser Photonics product family have been selling into the gun manufacturing industry for several years, used to engrave designs, unique identifiers, and inventory numbers on such items as barrels, handles, and hammer pins.
“The Laser Photonics MegaCenter, the Canyon deep engraving system, and several of our specialized systems have proven quite popular in the gun manufacturing and weapons accessory industries,” said Jay Schlegel, vice president of Fonon Corporation. “The microstamping requirement is controversial and potentially costly for firearm manufacturers and consumers, but the capability of our systems to rapidly and accurately engrave highly-reflective metal surfaces will certainly shoulder the burden of satisfying the requirement, and in the long run reduce costs.”
Laser marking, engraving, and cutting systems from Fonon are now available for microstamping and other weapons marking and manufacturing applications.
For more information on ammunition microstamping, see the Fonon blog articles on “Laser Marking for Microstamping and Ballistics Identification,” by following this link, and “Best Practices in Weapons Marking, Etching, and Engraving,” by following this link, or contact Fonon for additional details.