Handguns being shipped with fired cartridge?

J

JD88

New member
So whats this about handguns being shipped with fired cartridges. It says it certain states these test fired cartridges will be forwarded to state police laboratories. Does anyone know what states this law applies to?
 
Maryland, among others. I'd be surprised if California was not also doing this. To me, this isn't a civil liberties or constitutional issue, but it does beg the question - what on EARTH are the states doing with all these fired cartridge casings? How are they keeping them accounted for and inventoried? And are they observing the evidentiary rules of custody in how the casings are being handled?

I'm not aware of even a single instance of a test casing being used as evidence at trial - perhaps someone else is aware of such a case?
 
I was peeved when I got my G29 because Glock had used that crappy aluminum cased CCI Blazer crap.

I wanted those cases to reload! :D
 
I'm an informal cartridge collector and I hold on to them. They might have some collector's value in the future. They should be left unopened, I think.
 
My P30 came with one when i bought it. My FFL told me it had to do with imported guns....but then again my Sig did not come with one.
 
Can't remember which, but one of my new guns came with a shell. MD needs it for registration or somesuch so if the gun is used in a crime it can be traced back easier. Or so they say.
 
Maryland requires a fired shell casing for new handguns. As a Marylander, I can tell you that this can make buying online VERY inconvenient, and adds yet another thing you've got to ask about. If the gun doesn't come with a shell casing, you've got to have an FFL 07 SOT make one for you (the law specifies "a" manufacturer, not "the" manufacturer) for a fee or hope that the manufacturer of the gun will do it for you gratis if you send it to them.

As to what happens to said casings, as best as we can tell, absolutely nothing. The program was supposedly defunded a few years back, and they're just getting tossed into storage. Certainly, they are not serving any _productive_ purpose, as no crimes have ever been solved with them.
 
this is obligatory in new york state

see url:

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/FAQS/Firearms/CoBIS/


cobis has solved something like two crimes in the years it
has been law, and it costs something like 2 million a year
(not exactly sure of the number but it is insanely small)

if the NEW gun doesnt have the fired rounds, then the ffl
has to make an arrangement with the ny state police to have
the gun fired so they can have the round registered

there is too much info in that url, but it does cover the program

solution: buy used guns and you dont have to do the cobis
 
can they even get enough of a "thumb" print from a spent cartridge to identify one firearm. i know you can from a bullet, but i do not recall the cartridge.

even if they can how can they prove the bad guy didn't make a trip to the local range for some 'evidence'.
 
Originaly they did this and when they got the cases they took a piture of the primer. Each firing pin leaves a type of fingerprint on the primer. They then stored the case as a back up. They usualy are in a coin envolope with a label that contains the serial #, and maker, and caliber of the handgun. It was in hopes if that gun were ever used in a crime that the marks on the spent cases recovered from a crime scene could be matched to the gun.
I am unsure of wether or not it has actualy solved a single crime yet. It is kinda like the Canadian Handgun Registry (been in effect since the 30's and not solved a single crime yet.)
 
i think the dumbest thing was that they didnt include the bullet as well. might as well have BOTH pieces of evidence.

i guess those scientists guys could find a casing from the crime scene and then match them with all the casings from handguns that were legally obtained.

personally, if my hand gun had casings that were submitted to some crime lab, and the gun is traceable back to me, i would NEVER sell/trade/give away that gun
 
Every handgun I have ever purchased (Smith & Wessons and H&K) came with a fired shell casing. For my S&W Model 60 they were required to test its accuracy (something about Federal law requires a certain accuracy out of revolvers with barrels less than 3" out to 7 yards). My semi-autos just came with a sealed little envelope containing the fired brass. I consider it a nice jesture, showing that yes indeed the gun I just purchased works.
 
I used to think that It was a sign that they had proof tested the gun... I realized that was not the case when I received a my .357 with two spent .38 brass in the box. (:o Don't work to hard now guys.)

Also, I can dimly imagine how the loading/extraction process of a semi-auto would put some marks on brass, but a revolver? Seriously? :confused:
 
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