Thoughts on Gun Control...

Sadly, the idea has been around for far too long...

While doing research on another topic, I had occasion to go through the database of US Patent filings at patents.google.com.  Me being me, I ended up going in several directions at once, and a couple of those directions meant using search terms that had to do with either "micro-stamping" or "smart guns," as generally used by gun-grabbers.  Turns out the first idea has been around for far longer than we thought - the first patent I've found for it was filed in 1924, and granted in 1927!

Anyhow, you can find these at patents.google.com, if you're interested enough to go through these on your own.  I just want to present the list so you know what you're looking for:
"Micro-Stamping," US Patent Issued
- 1,650,908 "Method & Apparatus for Identifying Ammunition" (Ramsey)
- 4,035,942 "Bullet Identification" (Wiczer)
- 4,150,624 "Bullet Identification Means" (Hammond)
- 4,175,346 "Firearm and Bullet Identification" (Zemsky)
- 4,222,330 "Magnetically Tagging Ammunition" (General Electric)
- 5,406,068 "Authorization Card for Purchase of Ammunition and Method of Using" (Nusbaum)
- 5,554,841 "Article Marker and Decoding Method" (Lynn LTD)
- 5,646,365 "Bullet Identification" (Collier)
- 5,685,100 "Bullet Cartridge Casing Identification System" (Atchison)
- 5,698,816 "Identifiable Bullet and Method of Manufacturing Same" (Boeing)
- 5,758,446 "Fired Bullet Identification System" (Atchison)
- 6,209,459B1 "Method for Etching Characters on Bullets and Bullets Made By the Method" (Blount)
- 6,293,204B1 "Code-Labeled Ammunition" (Regen)
- 6,462,302B1 "Rifled Weapon Barrel Engraver and Scanner" (Bar Code Bullet Industries)
- 6,779,716B1 "Rifled Weapon Engraver & Scanner" (Grow)
- 7,240,619B2 "Identifiable Bullet Which Is Unduplicatable" (Kinoshita)
- 7,533,614 "Memory Enhanced Ammunition Cartridge and Method of making and Using the Same" (Reich)
- 8,607,707B1 "Identifiable Ammunition and Related Methods" (Arnon, et al)
- 9,052,176B1 "Shell Casing Marker" (Stefano)
- 9,266,370 "DNA Marking of Previously Undistinguished Items for Traceability" (APDN, Inc)
- 9,908,321B1 Systems and Methods for Identifying Cartridge Cases Based on Ink Marking" (Kalvani IP Holdings)
(Submitted & Documented, not yet Granted)
- 2001-0027619 "Firearm with Identifiable Ejecta" (Randall, et al)
- 2001-0039690 "Firearm with Redundantly-Identifiable Projectiles" (Randall & Randall)
- 2002-0007580 "Shotgun with Automatically Marked Ejecta" (Randall & Randall)
- 2002-0174784A1 "Tagging of Bullets with Luminescent Materials" (Lowden, et al)
- 2002-0178959A1 "Ammunition Tracking System" (Rennard)
- 2003-0217665A1 "Ammunition Tracking System" (Rennard)
- 2004-0027630 "Method and Apparatus for Reading Firearm Microstamping" (Lizotte)
- 2004-0200108A1 "Firearm ID System & Method for Forensic Purposes" (Doiron, et al)
- 2004-0217273A1 "Method & Apparatus for Reading Firearm Microstamping" (Lizotte)
- 2004-0220883A1 "Ammunition Cartridge Identification System and Method" (Lizotte)
- 2004-0227001A1 "Gun Identification Kit" (Lightfoot, et al)
- 2005-0005806A1 "Apparatus & Method for Identifying Ammunition" (Mace)
- 2005-0027630A1 "Method & Apparatus for Reading Firearm Microstamping" (Lizotte)
- 2005-0045056A1 "Serial PIN-Numbering, or Coding of Bullets, Bullet Casings, and Other Projectiles as an Improvement for the Use of Ammunition" (Ositadinma)
- 2005-02141203A1 "Method & Apparatus for Cartridge Identification Imprinting in Difficult Contexts by Recess Protected Indicia" (Lizotte, et al)
- 2006-0174531A1 "Method & Apparatus for Reading Firearm Microstamping" (Lizotte, et al)
- 2008-0184873A1 "Process for Manufacturing Trackable Ammunition" (CBC)
-*2010-0295717A1 "Weapon Detection & Elimination System" (Rourk)
- 2012-0300065A1 "Optical Device for Measuring and Identifying Cylindrical Surfaces by Deflectometry Applied to Ballistic Identification (Willemann, et al)
-*2014-0083318A1 "Radio-Controlled Ammmunition" (Alcatel Lucent)
- 2014-0272097A1 "DNA Marking of Previously Undistinguished Items for Traceability" (Applied DNA Sciences)
-*2015-0007741A1 "Remotely Detectable Ammunition" (Nath & Nath)
- 2016-0216087A1 "Method & Device for Marking Ammunition for Identification or Tracking" (SICPA Holding SA)
- 2016-0257132A1 "Method & Device for Marking Ammunition for Identification or Tracking" (SICPA Holding SA)
-*2017-0160065A1 "Remotely Detectable Ammunition" (Nath, Nath, & Nath)
- 2017-0221115A1 "System for Tagging & Tracking Ammunition (Jarvis)

"Smart" Guns - Patents Issued
- 5,177,318 - Device for Identifying and Checking Ammunition of Auto-Loading Firearm and Process for Implementation (Mechanique Creusot-Loire)
- 5,915,936 "Firearm with Identification Safety System" (Brentzel)
-*6,283,034B1 "Remotely Armed Ammunition" (Miles, Jr)
-*6,735,897B1 "Fire Control Authorization System for a Firearm" (Schmitter, et al)
(Submitted & Documented, not yet Granted)
- 2002-0112390 "Automatic Weapon User ID & Safety Module" (Harling, et al)
- 2013-0019510A1 "Firearm Locking System" (Kemmerer, et al)

I know, it's a bit of a long list.  That's exactly my point - people keep trying to find a way to effectively disable firearms.  The ones I've starred should be particularly worrisome - either on Constitutional grounds (2015-0007741A1, Remotely Detectable Ammunition is an obvious violation of the Fourth Amendment, and possibly the Fifth,) or because your sidearm or rifle can be disabled without your knowledge (everything else starred.)  Whether the firearm is disabled or the ammunition doesn't effectively matter - either way, it won't fire.  However, if the firearm contains the disabling mechanism, it will drive up the price, but you only pay it once.  If the ammunition contains the disabler, then it drives up the price of the ammunition that you'll pay every single time you buy ammunition!

Nevermind that they'll spend the first 5-10 years it's on the market "ironing the bugs out" of "smart" guns (and they'll never be able to deal with batteries going flat - what do you do then?  Especially for a sidearm that lives on standby?) and I'm sure "smart" ammo will take even longer (miniaturized electronics.)  And who know what's going to power the ammo, or what form those batteries will take (or how much ballistic energy will be lost as a result.)  And then there's this little gem:

- 5,773,748 "Limited-Life Cartridge Primers" (Makowiecki, et al,)

which is exactly what it says on the tin.  And the inventor comes right out and says that the whole entire purpose is control of ammunition supply!  Sure, he says it's supposed to slow down violence from gangs and "subversives," but aren't those of us who are taking exception to the direction our government is taking labelled "subversive?"

The "limited life" of primers is given as being between 6 and 60 months, dependent upon storage temperature (ranging 0-50C)  Now yes, one should rotate their stocks of ammunition, but how many people in hot climates would not have been told about this (I'm willing to bet it would have been slipped it without us being told, if it hasn't already...?) and find out that their stored ammo is N/F and NG?

So-called "smart" guns would be something we'd have to be told about (new ones would be fairly obvious, and we'd be largely mandated to retrofit what we've got.)  "Smart" ammo?  We may or may not be told about it - the first indication may be if you're too close to a "Gun-Free Zone" and try to stop something, and find out your sidearm doesn't go bang! like it's supposed to.  Limited-life primers?  I can damn near guarantee you that we won't get told about that little "feature" being added to our ammo, and we won't find out until we run headfirst into it...

Feel free to look up the patents if you like, and please let me know if you find any I haven't gotten listed!

And, as always: Discuss.

Just a couple of passing thoughts...

-  "Sedition" - Rebelling against lawful authority.  What if the authority you're rebelling against is unlawful?

-  "Treason" - Giving aid & comfort to the enemy.  Generally assumed to be an enemy of the government.  But, what if the enemy is the government?

-  "Overthrow" - To depose or remove from authority by force.  I've been accused before of wanting to "overthrow" government, so let me go on record here:

I do not want to overthrow the government

I want to reboot the government

When you come right down to it - for all its flaws (to which I am not blind,) we did start out with a pretty damned good system of governance.  "A Republic, sir, if you can keep it."  Unfortunately, we're losing our Republic.  Government is taking more & more control - not only of us, but of the actions of the Several States - and if the new Democrats have their way, we'll be transformed into the USSA (with a new revolution to soon follow.  Socialist/communist governments don't last very long...)  Activist judges are ruling by diktat from the bench (creating law, vice interpreting it,) and Congress is beginning to ignore its own rules (remember the whole Obamacare flap?  Remember the "penalty/fee/tax/individual mandate/what-the-Hell-ever-it's-called" for not having coverage?  That's a tax measure.  Recall your high school Civics - tax measures are only supposed to originate in the House.  This one originated in the Senate, and it should have been struck on that measure alone!)

Just a couple of thoughts, at 0330 this fine morning.  Watch your six, and keep your powder dry.

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS!