Should there be a ballistics registry for every gun? Critics make four arguments against it:.
– They say it would not cover existing guns. Require all sales and gun registration renewals to supply a current sample. Gradually most legal guns would be covered.
– They say the pattern on the bullet is changed by time and by alteration. Many guns are not fired that much. Deliberate alterations will often make the gun less accurate, perhaps sparing lives. Even if the pattern changes, many guns can still be ruled out as possible sources for a bullet, helping people prove they are innocent, just as DNA has freed innocent people even when the guilty party hasn’t contributed a sample.
– They say a registry would not help when guns are stolen. No doubt stolen guns are more likely to be used in crimes than legal guns, but legal guns are used to commit crimes and in accidents too. Even the records of guns that were stolen can be useful. Perhaps the thief was caught, but the gun wasn’t recovered. The thief could be questioned further about what happened to it, and additional penalties could be attached to stealing a gun later used in a crime.
– They say it is like fingerprinting ordinary people rather than criminals. It is not. The gun is fingerprinted, not the owner. Thegovernment knows the vehicle identification number of your car or truck. Why not your gun too?
A registry may aid the solution of many future crimes.
