Sometime in the late 1990’s I had heard of the ability to grind off handgun serial numbers yet believe guns should always be traceable. After much deliberation and research, I conceived an idea that may make handguns with permanent identification. It involves adding elements having a permanent magnetic quality into the molten mixture to cast a gun.
I wondered if some added quantity of, say, manganese (and/or cobalt, nickel, Samarium, ???) to the normal carbon and iron mixture would allow a way to permanently identify the weapon. I hope something as simple as placing the gun atop a thin veneer of iron filings would form a pattern unique to that gun.
In 1998, I applied for a grant to develop my idea but was denied. A professor at Polytechnic University (Brooklyn, NY) helped me ascertain the viability of the idea, and to apply for the grant.
I applied for a grant from 3 philanthropic organizations seeking ideas to decrease gun violence, but was told they fund ideas to decrease the desire to be violent (rather than being able to catch violent criminals).
Anthony (Tony) Maresco
154 N Clinton St
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 242-9608
I more recently did a web-search for substances with permanent magnet qualities. I found www.magcraft.com and within found:
“Permanent Magnet Types:
- Ceramic
- Alnico
- Samarium Cobalt
- Neodymium Iron Boron”.
I cannot afford to research the thermal stability of those substances, even though my idea involves adding such a substance into the molten mixture to cast a gun.