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

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It is, in fact, important that marks cannot be easily obliterated, altered
or removed. Those who hold and trade weapons, such as handguns, for
criminal purposes have a strong interest in disguising their sources of (often
legal) supply, particularly if they are sourced reasonably directly from a
supplier such as a dishonest registered firearms dealer. Criminals will
therefore try to remove or obliterate identifying marks, for example by
grinding, drilling or gouging them away with metal working tools. Where
successful, this process is known as “sanitization”. 14
Attempts to sanitize illicit SALW have, to date, been less common in
conflict zones, where there has been less likelihood of tracing attempts and
in any case the lines of supply are typically complex, with extensive recirculation
among armed groups. Nevertheless, it appears that increased
efforts to trace illicit arms in conflict zones have prompted an increase in
sanitization efforts. 15
It is therefore important to sustain, indeed intensify, efforts to make
sanitization more difficult. For example, US regulations specify a minimum
depth of 0.003 inches and a height of 1/16 th inch for all firearm serial
numbers. Manufacturers can place marks in less visible or accessible
components of the weapons, or on delicate but essential components that
would be damaged by attempts to remove marks. Marks may also be
stamped on two or more locations of the same component in order to
facilitate the retrieval of erased information.
It is in this context that the concept of covert secondary marking has
developed. This has been facilitated through the use of less traditional
marking techniques, including laser etching, embedded electronic chips,
and the mixing of chemical tracers in materials from which weapons parts
are constructed. These can be used to make “back-up” marks that may
prove essential to the future identification of the weapon. Laser etching, for
example, can engrave detailed information in an area so small it will usually
escape the notice of those attempting to sanitize the weapon.
Techniques also exist for marking ammunition and explosives.
Cartridges (rounds) for small arms are generally marked by head stamping,
although this information generally identifies the batch, as opposed to
individual rounds. Practices vary widely with more complex forms of
ammunition, such as shells and missiles. Explosives can most easily be
marked during manufacture with the use of chemical tracers, which