Restoration of firearm serial numbers with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)

•Serial number analogues are stamped in stainless steel and polished away.•EBSD is used in the scanning electron microscope to view the sub-surface damage.•The shape of the imprint is clearly restored using EBSD pattern quality maps.

Firearm serial numbers are a critical identifying mark, and restoration of destroyed serial numbers is often crucial for prosecution of a criminal case. A method is presented utilizing electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) which allows for clear visualization of die-stamped imprints which have been completely polished away. Evidence of the stamp can be observed to a depth of approximately 760 μm below the surface. With further development, the described method is capable of reconstructing an 8 character serial number in approximately 1 h.