By now I’m sure you’ve heard that both Ruger and Smith & Wesson have decide to, more or less, pull of out of the California market rather than comply with state’s waste-of-time microstamping law.
Although this isn’t an article about the (lack of) merits of microstamping, a little background is in order. Microstamping works by engraving a marking on to the top of the firing pin. When the weapon is fired, a serial number is imprinted on the shell casing. In theory this makes it easier for law enforcement to trace the round back to the gun, hence catching the bad guy. Of course, this assumes the crooked SOB didn’t steal the gun, doesn’t pick up his shell casings, and doesn’t know how to use a standard file you can pick up at Home Depot.
By requiring the use of microstamping technology, the People’s Republic of California is forcing both Smith & Wesson and Ruger off the state’s “Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale.” This includes S&W’s entire M&P line (with the exception of the Shield) and most, if not all, of Ruger’s semiautos (exact models are not known at this time). Revolvers are unaffected as the microstamping only pertains to semiauto pistols.
Make no mistake, this is backdoor gun control at it’s finest. By implementing these draconian rules, the state of California is doing it’s best to stop the sale of new semiauto pistols. This has nothing to do with “saving lives,” as they’ll try to tell you. This is about taking guns out of the hands of citizens, plain and simple.
Although I applaud both companies for not complying with the microstamping rule, in reality it does nothing except hurt the consumer, as, of course, law enforcement is exempt from microstamping. A real “line in the sand” would be drawn if Ruger and Smith & Wesson took the Ronnie Barrett route and stopped sales to ALL of California. Period. Including law enforcement. Alas, being that both are publicly traded companies, the chances of that happening are slim to none.
Having said that, and I know it’s a long shot, I’m calling on Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Smith & Wesson, two of America’s oldest and finest gunmakers, to do the right thing. Stand with us, shareholders be damned. We’re all in this together.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Christopher Crowell
Owner & CEO
Hammerhead Armament LLC
Hammerhead Armament 