DC on the Heels of California with Microstamping

Washington DC is the only place in the US where microstamping is required other than California. As I reported yesterday, both Ruger and Smith & Wesson are allowing many of their firearms to fall off of the “not unsafe” handgun list in California.

It appears that Washington DC, who also passed a microstamping law which was set to go into effect on January 1, decided to postpone the microstamping requirement for another two years.

According to Emily Miller, they did this for two reasons:

1. Take heat off of the Heller II case. Essentially banning more guns in DC wouldn’t help them win the case, it would just add more oomph to those that are fighting for their rights in DC.
2. They think that pushing it back a couple years until microstamping is completely implemented in California will create a bigger market where microstamping is required, which will help to push manufacturers into making pistols that microstamp cartridge casings.

Unfortunately for California and DC, I believe that most firearms manufacturers these days are pretty strongly in support of 2nd Amendment rights, and I’d bet they would rather close their doors than spend millions on a technology that doesn’t work, and is so easily defeated.