HD10 - Nondetectable Firearms and Court Security

  • Published: 1990
  • Author: Virginia State Crime Commission
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 367 (Regular Session, 1989)

Executive Summary:
The full Crime Commission met on October 17, 1989, and received the report of the subcommittee. After careful consideration, the findings and recommendations of the Law Enforcement subcommittee were adopted by the Commission.

The information received by the subcommittee indicated that , at this time, there are no all-plastic firearms in production nor any plans to manufacture such firearms. In addition, results of a survey on courtroom and jailhouse security distributed to all state sheriffs, indicated no outstanding problems overall in Virginia.

A leading gun manufacturer in Virginia, Heckler and Koch, Inc., utilizes plastic component parts to enhance the quality of many of its firearms; however, each firearm still contains a substantial amount of electromagnetic material and can be readily detected by conventional detection equipment.

In 1987, Byron, Inc. proposed a .22 LR plastic pistol with a ceramic barrel liner; however, in June of 1989, Mr. Byron indicated that his company had abandoned the idea of producing an all-plastic firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Report on Undetectable Firearms evaluated detection equipment and identified existing detectors which have the ability to distinguish a security exemplar from other common metal objects. The BATF report concluded that operational location and routing adjustment affect the performance of walk-through device at a rural Virginia courtroom. However, at the time of the testing, the walk-though device was not in its normal operational location.

The subcommittee recognized the need to caution law enforcement agencies about the camouflage paging device and mini revolver and to provide these agencies with information from the BATF report concerning detection capabilities. The subcommittee recommended that the Commission notify law enforcement agencies of both problems. Finding that plastic firearms did not present a particular problem otherwise, no further recommendations were made.