Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2013 | Page 53

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

Further, there are numerous firearms already in circulation that cannot be microstamped. These guns will limit the capacity for microstamping to successfully change the world of law enforcement and
firearm identification. Criminals will choose to acquire non-microstamped firearms thus creating a high demand, low supply market.

9). Being unable to chart the original chain-of-custody of a recovered
cartridge case or firearm greatly limits the capabilities of microstamping as a tool to help law enforcement solve gun crimes.
One might argue that although issues of chain-of-custody exist and
can limit microstamping as a tool to provide evidence in court, these
same concerns exist in current methods of firearm identification.
Using ballistic imaging or traditional exami