1. (a) A Microstamping Producer demonstrates that a representative sample of the Microstamping components they manufacture produces legible Microstamps with reasonable reliability when installed on at least three Semiautomatic pistols with different types of firearm actions including:

   1. (1) One single-action only Semiautomatic pistol,
   2. (2) One double-action Semiautomatic pistol, and
   3. (3) One striker-fired Semiautomatic pistol.

2. (b) To verify that a Microstamping component produces a legible Microstamp with reasonable reliability, each of the three Semiautomatic pistols on which the Microstamping component has been installed must be tested as follows:

   1. (1) After installing the Microstamping component in the pistol, the pistol must be fired 600 times.
   2. (2) The Examiner must stop to collect and retain for later analysis the first five and last five cartridge casings expended from each pistol. The Examiner must retain the first five cartridge casings expended from each pistol separately from the last five cartridge casings so that they may be analyzed separately.
   3. (3) The Examiner must stop after each series of 50 rounds has been fired for five to ten minutes to allow the pistol to cool.
   4. (4) The Examiner must stop after each series of 100 rounds has been fired to tighten any loose screws and clean the pistol according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   5. (5) The Examiner must stop, as needed, to refill the empty magazine or cylinder to capacity before continuing with the test.
   6. (6) The ammunition used shall be of the type recommended by the handgun manufacturer in the user manual, or if none is recommended, any standard ammunition of the correct caliber in new condition that is commercially available.
   7. (7) The 600 rounds shall be fired with no more than six malfunctions that are not due to ammunition that fails to detonate and without any crack or breakage of an operating part of the pistol that increases the risk of injury to the user.
   8. (8) Using a Stereo zoom microscope, the cartridge casings collected from the first five and last five test fires of each Semiautomatic pistol shall be separately examined to determine whether the pistol's Microstamping component has transferred a FIN imprint onto the cartridge casings.

   9. (9) The Examiner shall evaluate the cartridge casings collected from the first five test fires of each Semiautomatic pistol as follows:

      1. (A) The Examiner must be able to discern each pistol's complete FIN based on the information imprinted onto the first five cartridge casings.
      2. (B) All eight characters of the FIN do not need to be clearly decipherable under a Stereo zoom microscope on each of the five cartridge casings, but the Examiner must be able to decipher the full FIN after examining all five cartridge casings.
      3. (C) If the Microstamping component transfers Supplementary Microscopic Code onto each of the first five cartridge casings which is visible under a Stereo zoom microscope, the Examiner may use the Supplementary Microscopic Code to help decipher the complete FIN, if all the information necessary to translate the Supplementary Microscopic Code into the corresponding alpha and/or numeric FIN is in the public domain and available to the Examiner.
   10. (10) The Examiner shall repeat the process in paragraph (9) to evaluate the cartridge casings collected from the last five test fires of each Semiautomatic pistol.
   11. (11) If the Examiner can discern, for each of the three pistols on which the Microstamping component has been installed, the pistol's complete FIN from both the first five and last five cartridge casings collected during the Examiner's test, the Microstamping component produces legible Microstamps with reasonable reliability.

Note: Authority cited: Section 27532, Penal Code. Reference: Section 27532, Penal Code.

History

1. New article 2 (section 4601) and section filed 8-29-2025; operative 8-29-2025. Exempt from the APA pursuant to Penal Code section 27532(g) and submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code section 11343.8 (Register 2025, No. 35).

2. Repealer of subsection (b)(12) filed 12-29-2025; operative 12-29-2025. Exempt from the APA pursuant to Penal Code section 27532(g) and submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Government Code section 11343.8 (Register 2026, No. 1).