By Carl Weiser
Enquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine became the first Republican in Congress on Tuesday to endorse a national database for ballistic images, saying it was foolish not to use all available technology to catch criminals.

"It will solve crimes. It will save lives," the former Greene County prosecutor said.

Mr. DeWine's announcement puts him at odds with other congressional Republicans, the National Rifle Association and the president, who has said he has reservations about whether the technology is reliable.

The deadly sniper shootings in the Washington area revived the debate on whether to use the procedure, often called ballistic fingerprinting, for every new handgun and rifle.

A bullet fired from any gun is scratched as it passes through the gun's barrel, leaving it with its own markings, or unique fingerprint.

That means a bullet potentially can be traced to a specific gun.

Gun control groups cheered Mr. DeWine, saying his support could help the bill get passed next year.

"This measure would have no hope of a success as a purely Democratic bill, but Mike DeWine gives it important bipartisan support," said Matthew Bennett, spokesman for Americans for Gun Safety.

But Glenn Kestler, a Westwood retiree and National Rifle Association activist, said ballistic imaging was pointless. He likened it to taking the tire prints from a brand new car.

"If you drove it around the block, or put the brakes on a couple times, that would change," he said. "The same identical thing with a firearm. Every time it's cleaned or shot, it changes."

He said the database was the first step toward national registration of guns, which eventually would lead to the government confiscating them.

The National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre said such a registry would squander billions in tax money and lead to wrongful suspicion of some gun owners.

House Republicans representing Southwest Ohio - all endorsed this fall by the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund - have not signed onto such a bill.

"Ultimately, it's kind of feel-good legislation that is well intentioned but probably wouldn't have much of an effect," said Steve Forde, Rep. John Boehner's spokesman.

With the more than 200 million guns already in circulation or with stolen guns, the database would be useless, he said.

Mr. DeWine is not up for re-election until 2006. This is not the first time he has enraged gun-rights activists:

He voted for the Brady Bill, which required a waiting period to purchase guns.

He supported a ban on some assault rifles.

He was one of only five Republican senators to vote for background checks at gun shows.

In his previous election, Mr. DeWine faced a Republican primary challenge from Ronald Dickson, an Oxford Republican who organized gun shows. But Mr. DeWine easily beat him, getting 80 percent of the vote.

"I think most Ohioans believe as I do, that police should have the tools necessary to solve crimes," Mr. DeWine said Tuesday.

The bill authorizes $20 million a year to create the database, which would contain images of fired bullets from the 4 million new guns sold every year in the United States.

Police now compare bullets and shell casings recovered from crime scenes with weapons suspected of being used in the crimes.

Since the mid-1990s, they also have been able to check a database of weapons seized at other crimes for a match.

The legislation, introduced this month by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., expands that existing nationwide information network to include new guns and imported guns. Known as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, it is operated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Ohio has nine network sites, including one at the Hamilton County Coroner's lab in Cincinnati.

Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., introduced a similar bill in the House in February. House members began adding their names as sponsors during the Washington sniper spree this month. So far, no Republicans have signed on, according to the Library of Congress' Web site.

Toby Hoover, director of the Toledo-based Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said most gun owners are law-abiding citizens. But the database would allow police to track guns back to those who aren't.

Asked about Mr. DeWine's stance on the issue, Ms. Hoover said: "Well, good for Ohio."