Are You Self Conscious About Guns & Fingerprints

[runco]

Are you self conscious when you handle someone else's gun say at a gun shop, gun show, parking lot, Armslist meeting, etc. that you are leaving your fingerprints. Assuming of couse you do not end up acquiring the item? Many years ago, I had a girl friend who was very conscious about this with my own guns, and would never handle my guns due to this reason. That got me thinking, could I innocently be looking at someone's weapon, and then days/weeks later the weapon is used in a crime, and the weapon was recovered, and my prints were discovered on the gun? Though I could highly likely explain this happenstance situation, but the anguish, grief and worry it would cause from an innocent encounter, would be tremendous. I for one still handle guns, but just wandered if someone thought like this?

[CM1021]

I'm not too worried...I wipe all my guns down just because I don't like seeing fingerprints on mine lol...just my OCD kicking in!

[Guest Grout]

No,I don't worry about it.If the gun is in a shop or at a gunshow it is going to be covered with layers upon layers of prints.

[shaftbass]

Are you self conscious when you handle someone else's gun say at a gun shop, gun show, parking lot, Armslist meeting, etc. that you are leaving your fingerprints. Assuming of couse you do not end up acquiring the item? Many years ago, I had a girl friend who was very conscious about this with my own guns, and would never handle my guns due to this reason. That got me thinking, could I innocently be looking at someone's weapon, and then days/weeks later the weapon is used in a crime, and the weapon was recovered, and my prints were discovered on the gun? Though I could highly likely explain this happenstance situation, but the anguish, grief and worry it would cause from an innocent encounter, would be tremendous. I for one still handle guns, but just wandered if someone thought like this?

I've thought these exact same things with both other people's guns and ammunition. Unlikely that it would come back to cause you a problem, but still possible.

[Jonnin]

you need quite a bit of clear, undamaged print to get anywhere with them. They probably have better luck with your dna residue than partial prints these days. Its possible to leave behind a usable print, but the odds are stacked greatly in your favor --- the specific gun you touched being used in a crime with a usable print left behind and double up you not having an alibi and there being no evidence that someone else did it so they are grabbing at straws ...

I would not be paranoid over this.

[MacGyver]

As a forensics professional, unless they were to shoot someone with immediately after you handled it, there simply isn't going to be enough of a print left to be an issue.

Fingerprints have many enemies besides being wiped off with something. They degrade naturally in the air as well. The usable lifespan of a fingerprint, even in ideal conditions is actually pretty short.

[shaftbass]

As a forensics professional, unless they were to shoot someone with immediately after you handled it, there simply isn't going to be enough of a print left to be an issue.

Fingerprints have many enemies besides being wiped off with something. They degrade naturally in the air as well. The usable lifespan of a fingerprint, even in ideal conditions is actually pretty short.

Ah, what do you know? You can't even fix your own car!

[MacGyver]

Ah, what do you know? You can't even fix your own car!

Those Audi's are tough to figure out

[Mike.357]

you have a better chance of being the MVP in the Super Bowl than you will ever have of being accused of a crime based on having handled a gun at a gunshow.

[RobertNashville]

I've heard it said that 90% of what we worry about will never happen and that of the remaining 10%, half of that we can't impact in any way.

In other words, stop worrying.

[Guest Broomhead]

Not to mention that your prints have to be on file somewhere for them to have a match. If you've never been fingerprinted by getting in trouble, getting an HCP, or working at the federal/state level you should be clear.

Macgyver, didn't know about the natural degredation. What other enemies do they have? You know, in case I ever need the information, LoL.

[peejman]

I worry about it more from the perspective of rust. I don't want my fingerprint to rust someone's gun. Crime? nah.

[Jonnin]

Not to mention that your prints have to be on file somewhere for them to have a match. If you've never been fingerprinted by getting in trouble, getting an HCP, or working at the federal/state level you should be clear.

Macgyver, didn't know about the natural degredation. What other enemies do they have? You know, in case I ever need the information, LoL.

Presumably lots of us have been fingerprinted though, for the HCP if nothing else. Many as kids by paranoid parents are also on file. Whatever other reasons. Feds employ a lot of folks here, tva alone is a big deal in my city.

I don't get the poster. Is that the actor who played mcgyver? Dad hated that show's anti-gun vibe.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Jonnin

[Handsome Rob]

I'm more concerned about the latent prints that could be recovered from the tinfoil of my previously discarded helmets.

[MacGyver]

I'm more concerned about the latent prints that could be recovered from the tinfoil of my previously discarded helmets.

Yep. Hard to get one of those off without leaving some hair behind.

As to other enemies of prints: Heat - especially a lot of heat cycles and surface porosity are both big variables that can affect things. Think about the grip on your weapon - it's not an ideal surface for lifting a print. Then, there's the natural breakdown of the oils that make up the print. There's a natural acidity there - that's why fingerprints were so bad to classically blued weapons.

[runco]

Guys thanks for your comments. I for one have no real fear about the fingerprints, just curious if anyone does or has ever just simply thought about this. I just never have met somone like I knew 20 years ago (before wifee), and this gal would not even touch a gun for that fear. Don't know how she got spooked.