Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
what force would an interstellar SAAMI have to ensure compliance?
It wouldn't be force, it would be the idea that you would be left out. The 3I would only buy rounds that were SAAMI (or whatever) compliant. Manufacturers could go to them to get a new standard set, so their new fancy firearm would be marketable. People "in the know" wouldn't bother to buy rounds that hadn't passed SAAMI certification. Megacorps might use it to manipulate the markets. All-in-all, industries love to have a standards organization that they themselves help run (so they have more say than with a governmental rule) - it keeps out the riff-raff (i.e., small competitors), helps them influence the market, builds brand reputation, etc.
Think Underwriter Laboratories, or IEEE or ISO specifications, Railway Clearing House, the Global Industry Classification Standard, or the W3C (without whom you wouldn't be reading this as easily).
Oh, and government gets the benefit of helping regulate something (because you *know* they'll have their hand in it) without having to pass laws and deal with having to take responsibility - the industry standard group will handle all that!