The variety and longevity of the small-calibre ammunition used in conflict and crime makes it burdensome for law enforcement and other authorised actors to efficiently and accurately document it for intelligence purposes. Automating the documentation of fired and unfired cartridges seized in operations and found at crime scenes adds powerful new capabilities for helping to understand and ultimately disrupt illicit ammunition flows.

With support from UNSCAR and the European Union, Tech 4 Tracing and VFRAME are applying new technologies to create the first global identification tool and associated master dataset (known as a Reference Table) for small calibre ammunition, starting with the types most frequently used in conflict and crime.

The workflow for creating this tool combines computer vision algorithms (“facial recognition for ammunition”) and optical character recognition, with ammunition experts overseeing the creation of annotated ammunition data. Data points include not only headstamp markings but overall cartridge geometry, metal type, primer marks, and other distinguishing characteristics.

In 2024, the project plans to roll-out and field test the beta identification and documentation tool in a mobile deployment with law enforcement as part of the EMPACT Firearms platform operational actions. Tech 4 Tracing is an active participant in the EMPACT Firearms Operational Action 1.5.