1995年美国国会听证会
情报和安全

体育武器弹药制造商学院，INC。6月13日，罗伯特T DELFAY执行董事体育武器弹药制造商1995年的口头声明“关于学院1710 H.R。1995年GOOD MORNING的全面反恐怖主义法。我叫罗伯特DELFAY。我执行主任体育武器弹药制造商学院（SAAMI）的。SAAMI, FOUNDED IN 1926 AT THE REQUEST OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, CONDUCTS A NUMBER OF ONGOING STANDARDS AND SAFETY PROGRAMS THAT HELP ASSURE THAT U.S.-PRODUCED SPORTING FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION ARE BUILT TO SAFE AND UNIFORM STANDARDS AND THAT THESE PRODUCTS ARE USED IN A SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER. THE 19 MEMBERS OF SAAMI INCLUDE THE NATION'S LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF SPORTING FIREARMS, AMMUNITION AND SMOKELESS PROPELLANT POWDERS. A MEMBERSHIP LIST IS ATTACHED TO OUR WRITTEN STATEMENT, AND I REQUEST THAT BOTH BE SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD. H.R. 1710--THE COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 1995-WOULD DIRECT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CONDUCT A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT USEFULNESS OF PUTTING DETECTION AND TRACER TAGGANTS INTO EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS. SAAMI SUPPORTS THIS PROPOSED STUDY. THOSE SAAMI MEMBERS WHICH MANUFACTURE SMOKELESS POWDERS ARE COMMITTED TO ASSISTING IN THE STUDY DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION AND IN PROVIDING SUCH TECHNICAL INFORMATION AS MAY BE HELPFUL AND APPROPRIATE. SAAMI MEMBERS HAVE ASSISTED GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN SIMILAR STUDIES IN THE PAST, AND IT IS URGED THAT ANY NEW STUDIES WOULD NOT DUPLICATE THE EXTENSIVE AND AUTHORITATIVE TESTING ALREADY CONDUCTED AND THAT THEY BE DESIGNED TO ALLOW FULL AND REALISTIC ASSESSMENT OF THE SAFETY AND THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF TAGGANT TECHNOLOGIES. THE MEMBERS OF SAAMI SUGGEST THAT SIGNIFICANT SAFETY, MANUFACTURING, AND DISTRIBUTION ISSUES MUST BE RESOLVED BEFORE CONSIDERATION CAN BE GIVEN TO ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM REQUIRING THE USE OF IDENTIFICATION TAGGANTS IN SMOKELESS POWDERS, USED IN SPORTING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AMMUNITION. THE FIRST OF THESE ISSUES IS SAFETY. PAST STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE ADDITION OF IDENTIFICATION TAGGANTS TO SMOKELESS POWDERS POSES SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS. IN 1979 AND 1980, SAAMI MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN AN EXTENSIVE TESTING PROGRAM DESIGNED BY A BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS CONTRACTOR. THE TEST RESULTS WERE EVALUATED BY THE OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT. TESTING SHOWED, AND OTA CONCURRED, THAT THERE WAS A "SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STABILITY" OF THE TAGGED MATERIAL DUE TO AN INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE SMOKELESS POWDER AND THE TAGGANT. THE DESTABILIZING EFFECT OF THE TAGGANT WAS CONFIRMED BY FURTHER TESTS AT TWO GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES. OTA CONCLUDED THAT A "DEMONSTRATION OF SAFETY WOULD HAVE TO BE QUIRE CONVINCING TO OVERCOME THE CURRENTLY PERCEIVED INCOMPATIBILITY." IN ANOTHER SERIES OF TESTS, THE TAGGANTS CAUSED LOW FIRING PRESSURE. THE OTA REPORT STATED THAT "SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BALLISTIC PERFORMANCE, ... AND EVIDENCE OF IMPROPER IGNITION OCCURRED" AND THAT "IMPROPER IGNITION WOULD CONSTITUTE A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE ROUND MIGHT NOT CLEAR THE BARREL." FIRING THE NEXT SHOT MIGHT DESTROY THE FIREARM AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO THE SHOOTER OR BYSTANDANDERS. OTA CONCLUDED THAT "AS A RESULT OF THIS UNCERTAINTY, NOT EVEN PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS OF SAFETY ARE POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME, MUCH LESS THE DEMONSTRATIONS NECESSARY BEFORE A TAGGANT PROPOSAL COULD SAFELY BE IMPLEMENTED." ASSUMING THAT THE SAFETY ISSUE COULD BE RESOLVED, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT OTHER ISSUES AS TO THE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR AND COST OF ADDING IDENTIFICATION TAGGANTS TO SMOKELESS POWDERS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THERE ARE NECESSARILY DOZENS OF SIZES, SHAPES AND BULK DENSITIES OF SMOKELESS POWDER GRAINS USED FOR SHOTSHELLS AND THE VARIOUS RIFLE AND PISTOL CARTRIDGES. FOR EXAMPLE, POWDER GRAINS MAY BE SPHERES, FLAKES, OR PERFORATED CYLINDERS. SPHERES CAN VARY IN DIAMETER FROM ABOUT 1/1000 TO 3/1000 OF AN INCH; FLAKES, FROM ABOUT 9/1000 TO 1/10 OF AN INCH; AND CYLINDERS, FROM 2/100 TO 5/100 OF AN INCH . TO BE EFFECTIVE, AN IDENTIFICATION TAGGANT MUST "MATCH" THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PARTICULAR POWDER OR POWDER BLEND. IF IT DOES NOT, SCREENING OF THE BLENDED POWDER IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS WOULD REMOVE ANY TAGGANTS NOT OF THE SAME SIZE OR SHAPE AS THE POWDER. SIMILARLY, TO PREVENT A TERRORIST FROM REMOVING TAGGANTS BY SCREENING, BY VIBRATION SETTLING, OR BY POURING THE POWDER THROUGH AN AIRSTREAM, THE TAGGANT MUST BE A GOOD MATCH TO THE SIZE AND DENSITY OF THE POWDER. APART FROM INVITING REMOVAL BY A TERRORIST, FAILURE TO MATCH THE TAGGANT WITH THE POWDER COULD RESULT IN STRATIFICATION OF THE TAGGANT IN CANISTERS DURING SHIPPING AND STORAGE. STRATIFICATION OF TAGGANTS COULD ALLOW USE OF POWDER THOUGHT TO BE TAGGED WITHOUT TAGGANTS ACTUALLY BEING IN THE POWDER OR COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS IF A PORTION OF THE POWDER INCLUDED AN EXTRAORDINARY CONCENTRATION OF TAGGANTS. AN IDENTIFICATION TAGGANT PROGRAM WOULD REQUIRE A NEW, VAST AND COSTLY RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM TO LINK A SPECIFIC LOT OF SMOKELESS POWDER MANUFACTURED WITH A PARTICULAR TAGGANT AND THE LAST LEGAL PURCHASERS OF THE CANISTERS PACKED FROM THAT LOT A PRODUCTION LOT OF SMOKELESS POWDER IS TYPICALLY BETWEEN 10,000 AND 20,000 POUNDS, WITH A RANGE OF 5,000 TO 50,000 POUNDS. SINCE THE HANDLOADER NORMALLY BUYS A 1/2 POUND OR 1 POUND CANISTER OF POWDER, THE LAST RECORDED PURCHASERS OF A GIVEN LOT OF POWDER WOULD NORMALLY BE IN THE RANGE OF 15,000 TO 30,000. IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONCEIVE WHAT BENEFIT LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL COULD OBTAIN FROM EXPENDING THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO COMPOSE LISTS OF THE 15,000 TO 30,000 SUSPECTS, MUCH LESS TO CONDUCT A MEANINGFUL INVESTIGATION OF EACH. IN ADDITION, CRIMINAL AND TERRORIST MISUSE OF EXPLOSIVES OCCURS FREQUENTLY AS A RESULT OF THEFTS. A TAGGING PROGRAM OPERATING AT OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY WILL ONLY LEAD INVESTIGATORS TO THE LAST LEGAL PURCHASERS. IN SUMMARY, AS MANUFACTURERS, SMMI MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THERE ALSO ARE MAJOR QUESTIONS AS TO THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY AND COST OF ADDING IDENTIFICATION TAGGANTS TO SMOKELESS POWDERS. SMMI URGES THAT THESE CONSIDERATIONS BE FULLY EXPLORED IN THE STUDY CALLED FOR BY THIS LEGISLATION AND, AGAIN, VOLUNTEERS ITS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STUDY. THANK YOU.