The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

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the tracing process. For example, a British Proof Mark will identify which of
the two Proof Houses, Birmingham or London, inspected the weapon and
the year. Every inspection is recorded on computer to include the following
details:
Manufacturer and Country of origin;
Type/model and Calibre;
Serial No./unique identifier;
Importer or arms dealer;
Dates of import and/or submission; and
Other weapons in the consignment.
Systems for recording stocks of military small arms do not necessarily
need to include this level of detail. What is required, however, is that
adequate records are held elsewhere by the relevant importers, Proof
Houses and Regimental Armourers. It is important that the use, meaning
and relevance of all supplementary markings are made available to law
enforcement and intelligence agencies to assist in the identification and
tracing process. For example, the British Proof Authorities (BPA), together
with the other 12 CIP members, provide ready access to their computerized
archives.
3.1.7 Correct Identification of Weapons and Markings
Correct identification of the weapon is vital. Problems arise when a
number of countries mass produce similar model weapons copied or
manufactured under licence from an original design, such as the Russian
AK-47 “Kalashnikov” assault rifle, which has since been manufactured in as
many as 19 different countries, and some of these are shown below to
illustrate the problem. (None of these are marked with the name of the
country of manufacture).
China Type 56-1
East Germany AKM