NEWS RELEASE

Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA  98005

URGENT ACTION: CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE PUSHES JUNK SCIENCE AGAIN

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2007

AB 1471 REQUIRES MICROSTAMPING OF PISTOL CHAMBERS

AB 1471, sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-West Hollywood), would amend the current handgun “safety” act by requiring the chambers of all semi-automatic pistols sold in the state to have a unique serial number etched into the pistol’s chamber. Upon firing, the number would be imprinted on the cartridge case, thus allowing police to track the case back to the firearm’s registered owner.

Sounds like a simple, common sense crime-fighting tool, however… Most firearms used by criminals are stolen, and criminals don’t bother to register stolen guns. In fact, criminals are exempt from firearm registration by a U.S. Supreme Court decision (U.S. v Haynes, 1968). In addition to that, the technology is easily defeated in a number of ways: the etching can be marred or ground out, brass picked up at a firing range can be reloaded and used, steel cased-ammunition won’t take the imprint, etc.

This questionable and unproven technology is just another attempt to limit access to affordable handguns by gun control extremists in the state legislature. Industry sources estimate this will add as much as $150 to the cost of each handgun with microstamping. Where will it stop? Microstamping the chambers of ALL firearms next? What about revolvers? A $900 additional charge to stamp each separate chamber?

AB 1471 may come up for Assembly floor action as soon as Thursday, May 24th. You need to contact your Assemblyman or Assemblywoman ASAP and ask them to oppose this meaningless and wasteful legislation. If you have internet access, you can reach your Assemblyman at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Your legislators’ telephone numbers are listed in the blue “Government” pages at the front of the telephone directory, under “State Government.”

If you don't live in California, pick a legislator or all of them, and call anyway. What starts in California will be coming to your state soon!

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.

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