Microstamping and the Serialization of Ammunition

One of the most divisive topics in America is gun control law. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” There are many individuals and representative associations on both sides of the political spectrum when it comes to gun ownership and the laws that regulated associated equipment. Laws that limit ownership on the bump stocks and large-capacity magazines, and most recently, the background checks for ammunition are just a few that have people up in arms over Second Amendment #2A rights.

But incidents such as the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and 2019 El Paso shooting has the other side of the topic calling for even more stringent requirements on guns. I do not advocate one position over another, but I want to identify those technologies involved in munitions.

One law that is making reemergence is the establishment of a statewide database to maintain and track coded ammunition such as the 2019 NY State Bill A03779. The law is different than legislation passed in 2007, in California Penal Code § 31910, which became the first state to require the use of handgun microstamping of ammunition. While the two laws may seem similar, there is a difference between the two and how they related to ammunition. The technology behind the regulations allows law enforcement to find the owner of the ammunition using serial numbers to track back to the retail store where ammunition was purchased. The number assists in the identification of the owner without having the actual weapon. The serial number markings add to the current markings for ammunition identification.

The most common is the headstamp of ammunition, done during the manufacturing process. But with Tracing Firearms and Ammunition, there is limited space on the cartridge case, and there are limitations with the stamping technology, where the information can be minimal. The Cartridge Identification: Starts With the Headstamp that has information which varies from civilian cartridges that identify the specific chambering, and the manufacturer. Military cartridges may include the date and place of manufacture along with other identifying markings, such as a NATO symbol.

Figure 1. Headstamps from How 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO Came to Be.

Microstamping of ammunition takes stamping to a minute scale, and in combination with the weapon, provides a serial number impression on rounds where the naked eye can barely see it. Intentional Firearm Microstamping (IFM) procedure, which uses a laser-formed deformation process on structures on internal components of firearms, such as the firing pin and or the breech face which contacts the bullet cartridge when cycled and fired through the firearm. It is providing a serial number to the weapon in addition to usual forensic tools marks. Also, with ongoing litigation of “dual placement microstamping” in California and fierce opposition by gun associations on the merit of the technology. There is just as much support for the technology from gun violence coalitions that microstamping proves its worth. Nonetheless, the technology is there for good or bad, depending on your point of view.

Figure 2. Micro stamp bullet casing. Photo: Reed Saxon / Associated Press 2007

While microstamping is done on the weapon and marks the ammunition. Bullet Serialization is a process for individual rounds of ammunition that are marked with a laser engraved serial number. Even the co-inventor of microstamping Todd E Lizotte has stated,

“I only object to the two technologies being associated, because they are two different approaches with far greater differences than complementary attributes. Bullet Serialization is not microstamping; it is true serialization or product registration.”

One example is Laser Photonics, which has laser marking and engraving systems designed to create unique ID codes to allow traceability to the individual ammunition purchase. Product registration is not new, and certain munitions already have them. Usually for larger items, such as a missile system or shoulder-fired rocket launchers. Bulk items are accounted for by a manufacturers’ lot number. But often, it is only placed on the packaging material.

Figure 3. Industrial grade 3D marking. Photo: laserphotonics.com.

While serialization has become entrenched in litigation in many state courts, other countries have found a middle ground when it comes to registration of ammunition. In Brazil, the security forces’ ammunition has production requirements in lots of 10,000 rounds, with lot-marked on the ammunition. The markings allow for tracking of owners by the batches of ammunition sold to specific customers. Other nations have Small Arms Ammunition Lot Marking, for example, Austria, Colombia, France, and Germany have national regulations that require some or all their security forces to use only lot-marked ammunition. The regulations, while broad, allows for manufacturers to just add batch numbering to their lots of production versus having a serial number for each round.

Figure 4. Laser lot marking within the extractor groove of a CBC cartridge

Photo: Civilian Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

One company at the forefront of serialization is The Bullet ID Corporation. Their technology, etches unique bar codes onto shell casings of ammunition or ordnance. For ammunition inventory to the individual round.

Figure 5. Bullet ID Corp etched unique bar code ammunition. Photo: Bullet ID Corp.

While the issue of Microstamping and Bullet Serialization is controversial and has many opponents and just as many proponents, the technology is continuing to grow and becoming more cost-effective. The requirement for tracked ammunition has a growing market, and overseas has a large portion of countries’ security forces. As the need for accountability rises, for better or worse, an increase will be seen, and the technology will not disappear. Ammunition managers must be able to understand how to incorporate any new requirements and what serialization may mean to the overall improvement of stockpiles.