(Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin sent a letter to Acting Director Craig Burkhardt of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requesting a formal technical assessment of firearm microstamping technology.
Microstamping is described in the letter as "a proposed method of firearm identification that relies on imprinting microscopic alphanumeric or bar and gear codes onto the primer of cartridge casings via a firearm’s firing pin." While it has been presented as a potential forensic tool, the Chairman notes that "serious concerns have been raised regarding its technical reliability, reproducibility, cost, and practical implementation."
The letter asks NIST to evaluate key questions related to durability and reliability, including: "To what extent does microstamping persist through repeated firing and routine firearm maintenance?" The Chairman further seeks clarification on whether codes are "consistently legible and recoverable across different firearm models and calibers," and whether "firing pins vibrating when they strike the primers of cartridge cases… affect the ability of the firing pins to transfer a legible code."
Chairman Babin requested written responses from NIST by May 29, 2026, underscoring the Committee’s commitment to ensuring that any technology proposed for federal consideration is grounded in sound science and practical feasibility.
To read the full letter, please click here.
To read the Daily Caller's exclusive on the letter, please click here.