Smith & Wesson said it won't sell its newest firearm in California because of a state law that requires firearms to imprint a unique stamp on bullet casings.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney said the law would prevent Californians from having “access to the best products with the latest innovations.”
Only newly designed semiautomatic handguns and updated or modified older models are covered under the 2007 law. The microstamp would leave a tiny etching identifying the make, model and serial number of the weapon that fired a bullet, said the Los Angeles Times.
Two gun manufacturer organizations filed a lawsuit earlier this month seeking to overturn the law. The lawsuit said the technology is unreliable and that costs to gunmakers are too high, said Los Angeles Times.