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

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2. All markings must be made permanent by engraving, casting, or
stamping in a manner not susceptible to being readily obliterated,
altered, or removed.
3. Borrowing from US best practice, (effective January 30, 2002) all
markings are required to be a minimum height of 1/16 inch (0.2cm)
and a depth of at least .003 inches (0.05cm) for all required markings
placed by importers and manufacturers.
4. Manufacturers are required to mark all weapons prior to removal from
their premises.
5. Importers are required to mark imported weapons and notify the
national record-keeping agency within 15 days of the date of release
from Customs.
Marking Content
Mindful of negotiated agreements, such as the UN Firearms Protocol,
the OSCE Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the OAS
Agreement, the following recommendations respect the national language,
alphabet and numbering systems in use worldwide and take into account
that it has not been possible to agree upon one universal standard.
Nevertheless, in the absence of a set standard, work should continue to
create a minimum standard for all SALW, which ensures that,
1. Upon inspection, the complete unique identifier is immediately
apparent and readily identifiable and;
2. Each weapon is individually marked to identify
• the country of manufacture,
• year of manufacture and
• its unique identifier.
Import Marking
1. Import marking must become mandatory and used as a means of
verifying arrival in the country of permanent import.
(a) Where firearms are produced for a specific export market and the
importer’s details are marked at time of manufacture, the importing
country should apply an additional stamp to verify delivery and
entry into the national records, thereby, validating the importer’s
mark.