Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2013 | Page 49

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

plus it leads to the firearm’s source, or where it was purchased (Lizotte
and Ohar, “Extracting,” 6). As more firearms are traced with microstamping, law enforcement will develop a broader understanding of
gun traffic patterns. Once both the starting point and ending point
of each firearm used in a crime are established, law enforcement can
identify travel patterns, conduct analyses, and determine where each
firearm may next appear.

face finish to ensure a clear, reliable code transfer. Since each firearm
is engraved with a personalized code according to its performance
through a process called optimization, these intentional marks repeatedly transfer successfully (Lizotte and Ohar, “Forensic,” 6).
The optimization process consists of a rigorous three-part test that
occurs before a firearm is outfitted with a microstamping code. The
optimization tests assess a firearm’s force of explosion, pressure, heat,
gases, and any conditions that would affect the transfer process of
the stamp onto cartridge casings (Lizotte and Ohar, “Forensic,” 6).
The first test is the ‘cy