Date: Friday, October 25, 2002 1:55 PM
From: Brian Tabone ([email protected])
Subject: Gun Add-On Sets Sights on Killers
I am writing in response to the article "Gun Add-On Sets Sights on Killers," October 25, 2002.
You mention stamping the gun's serial number in the shell casing. I was thinking that during the barrel machining process, small groves spaced at certain intervals could encode the serial number in a series of streaks left behind on the bullet as it passes through the rifling.
These prominent streaks would follow an industry standard coding for numbers and letters. Law enforcement could then use these markings to positively ID the gun by serial number and then track its owner. Manufacturers could add these markings midway up the barrel, making them difficult to remove without destroying the gun.
It would add some cost to the machining process of the barrels, but shouldn't be overly costly.
