Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, D-Great Neck, was incorrect about stricter federal laws preventing people like Jared Lee Loughner in Tucson from buying a firearm ("Great divide over guns," Jan. 26).

Had the military followed existing law, it would have reported Loughner's self-admitted and test-proven drug abuse to federal authorities. That would have triggered denial of his firearm purchase when the federal background check was conducted.

This state has had COBIS, a ballistic identification system, for several years at a cost of several million dollars. The results have been negligible.

For starters, the program presumes that criminals will use handguns purchased legally in this state.

Also, local jurisdictions, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg's New York City Police Department, do not turn over evidence, such as spent shell casings, to other agencies and COBIS to avoid chain of custody issues. Several states have scrapped COBIS because of its inefficacy.

I mention COBIS because microstamping will have the same lack of positive results. It will have no bearing on revolvers, because they don't leave shell casings.

Just as COBIS failed to turn up a wellspring of New York-purchased firearms mandatorily registered with COBIS and used in criminal activity, microstamping likely will have the same result. Anyone with a modicum of mechanical ability will be able to defeat the proposed identifying measures.

The only good thing about the microstamping proposal is that it will make some legislators sleep better, thinking that they've saved us from ourselves. Perhaps the stockholders in the microstamping industry will also sleep more soundly, assured of another wasted taxpayer handout.

SEAN T. O'BRIEN

Brooklyn

The writer is a retired police officer and member of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.