(August 1, 2001) The state's ballistic registration mandate (requiring all new guns to be 'fingerprinted' by sending a shell case to the state police crime lab) continues to bar sale of many handguns in Maryland. As reported last newsletter, MSP is set up to fire such guns and will collect the evidence directly for a dealer. This offer is good to December 2001. But administration of this temporary program apparently leaves much to be desired, and based on our survey, few dealers are availing themselves of the service. Contrary to the testimony of Superintendent David Mitchell before the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee, dealers are rationed to only 3 handguns per visit. (Mitchell testified dealers could ask troopers to fire unlimited numbers of handguns in the program.) Dealers say they can't afford to lose a day of business away from their shop in order to get only three new handguns approved for sale in a one-week period of time. Pay a visit to your dealer's shop, see what he thinks of it, and let us know!