Lawmakers Advance Competing Versions Of Bullet ID Bills

Sacramento, Ca — State lawmakers approved competing versions of proposals to put serial numbers on handgun bullets Thursday, despite concerns that the requirements are impractical or would harm law-abiding citizens.

Ammunition manufacturers would be required to laser-cut each bullet with a serial number under the Senate bill.

The Assembly version requires each gun to microstamp each bullet casing with a unique identifier as it is fired.

Both are designed to aid police investigations of shootings. Opponents say the Senate measure is impractical and would punish law abiding citizens for a legal activity, the ownership of ammunition.

They say with the Assembly version, criminals could file down the guns to remove the microstamping or use revolvers, which don´t eject shell casings.

But proponents compared the markings to the use of fingerprints or DNA in crime solving.