Fact: “The National Fraternal Order of Police does not support any Federal requirement to register privately owned firearms with the Federal government,” the group said. “And, even if such a database is limited to firearms manufactured in the future, the cost to create and maintain such a system, with such small chances that it would [...]
Posts under ‘Ballistic fingerprinting’
Myth: A database of ballistic profiles will allow police to trace gun crimes
Fact: The National Research Council deemed a national ballistics database as impractical due to practical limitations of current technology for generating and comparing images of ballistic markings.1
Fact: Maryland’s ballistics database “is not doing anything”2 and “has not met the mission statement of the state police.”3 In the first five years of implementation, it failed to [...]
Myth: Every firearm leaves a unique “fingerprint” that can pinpoint the firearm used
Fact: A group of National Research Council scientists concluded that this has not yet been fully demonstrated. Their research suggests that current technology for collecting and comparing images may not reliably distinguish very fine differences.1
Fact: “Firearms that generate markings on cartridge casings can change with use and can also be readily altered by the users. [...]
