MAN BEHIND FIREARMS
1. Col. Calvin H. Goddard - Father of modern
ballistics
2. Horace Smith - Founded the great firm Smith
and Wesson and pioneered the making of the
breech-loading rifle.
3. Daniel B. Wesson - An associate or partner
of Smith in revolver making.
4. John M. Browning - wizard of modern
firearms and pioneered the making of breech
loading single shot rifle.
5. John T. Thompson - pioneered the making
of Thompson Submachine Guns.
6. David "Carbine" Williams - Maker of the first
known carbines.
7. Alexander John Forsyth - Father of
"percussion ignition".
8. Elisha King Root - designed the machinery
for making Colt Firearms.
9. Eliphalet Remington - One of the first rifle
makers.
10. John Mahlon Marlin - Founder of marlin
Firearms Company.
11. James Wolf Ripley - stimulated the
development of the Model 1855 rifle-musket.
12. Samuel Colt (1814-1842) - produce the first
practical revolver.
13. Henry Deringer - he gave his name to a
whole class of firearms (rifles and pistols).
14. John C. Garand - designed and invented the
Semiautomatic US Rifle, Cal.30, M1.
15. Oliver F. Winchester - One of the earliest
rifles and pistol maker.
MARKS FOUND ON BULLETS, SHELL AND BASE
ON AMMUNITION;
A. MARKS FOUND ON FIRED BULLETS:
1. Land marks
2. Groove marks
3. Skid marks
4. Stripping marks
5. Shaving marks
6. Slippage marks
B. MARKS FOUND ON FIRED SHELLS:
1. Firing pin mark
2. Breech face marks
3. Extractor marks
4. Ejector marks
5. Shearing or secondary firing pin mark
6. Chamber marks
7. Pivotal marks
8. Magazine lip markings
IMPORTANT DATES IN THE STUDY OF FIREARMS
a) 1313 - Gunpowder as propellant was used in
a projectile
b) 1350 – Portable firearms were introduced in
the 14th century. These guns were ignited by
a hand held hot wire or lighted match.
c) 1498 - Riflings the first reference to rifled
barrel happened around this year.
d) 1575 - Cartridge Paper cartridge were
developed.
e) 1807 - Percussion system discovered.
f) 1835 - Samuel Colt patented the first
practical revolver.
g) 1836 - Pinfire Cartridge The pin fire cartridge
was developed by Le Faucheux.
h) 1845 - Rim fire cartridge developed by
Flobert.
i) 1858 – Development of Center fire
Cartridge.
j) 1884 - Automatic machine gun was built by
Hiram Maxim utilizing the recoil.
k) 1885 - Smokeless powder developed by In
France, Vieille.
MAIN TYPES OF FIREARMS
a. Artillery Arms - These are firearms that
propels projectiles of more than One (1) inch
in diameter.
Examples are; cannons, bazookas, mortars.
b. Small Arms – It propels projectiles of less
than (1) inch in diameter.
Examples are; Machine guns, Shoulder weapons,
and Hand weapons.
Machine Guns - Designed to fire
automatically more than one.
Examples are Thompson Sub-machine Guns and
Grease Guns.
Shoulder Weapons - Fired by the use of a
shoulder.
Examples are Rifles and Shotguns.
Hand Arms - Fired with the use of either right
or left or both hands.
Examples are Pistols & Revolvers.
Crew-served Weapons - Designed to be
operated by two or more persons.
GUN POWDER
- That mixture of chemicals of various 3. Terminal ballistics
compositions designed to propel the projectile - The study of the interaction of a
by means of the expansive force of gas when projectile with its target.
burned. Terminal accuracy - Size of the bullet grouping on the
- Also called propellant or powder charge. target.
There are Different Types of Powder Propellant; Terminal energy - Energy of the projectile when it strikes
- Black powder the target. Also known as striking energy.
Terminal penetration - Depth of entry of the bullet in the
- Smokeless powder
target.
- Semi-smokeless powder Terminal velocity - Speed of the bullet upon striking the
target.
PRIMER 4. Forensic Ballistics
- The cup containing the highly sensitive - It is the science that deals with the
priming mixture of chemical compound, which motion, behavior and effects of
when hit or struck by the firing pin would projectiles.
ignite. Such action is called "percussion".
Classification of cartridges according to the MANUFACTURER OF FIREARMS
location of the primers; 1. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
1. Pin Fire Cartridges - A pin protrudes and - Those properties or attributes of firearms
connected to the priming mixture. which can be determined even before the
2. Rim Fire Cartridges - Priming mixture is manufacture of the gun
placed around the rim of the base of the - These are factory specifications
cartridge case. - These serve as basis for identifying a
3. Center Fire Cartridges - Priming mixture is certain group or class of firearms
located at the center of the base of the - Examples of which are bore diameter or
cartridge case. caliber, number of lands or grooves,
width of lands, width of grooves, direction
RIFLINGS of twist, pitch of rifling’s and depth of
- Consist of a number of helical grooves cut in grooves.
the interior surface of the bore 2. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
- The purpose is to impart a motion of rotation - Those characteristic markings peculiar
to a bullet during its passage inside the barrel and not found in all other firearms
in order to ensure gyroscopic stability in its - These serve as basis in identifying a
flight and so that it will travel nose-on towards particular firearm
the target - These are determinable only after the
manufacture
BRANCHES OF BALLISTICS a. Bore diameter (caliber)
1. Interior or Internal Ballistics - The diameter in which the bore was
- It is the study of the processes originally reamed
accelerating the projectile. b. Number of lands and grooves
2. Exterior or External Ballistics - the number of lands and grooves
- It is the study of the passage of the are always the same
projectile through space and air c. Direction of twist
Muzzle blast – noise created at muzzle point of the gun - The rifling inside the gun barrel may
Muzzle energy – energy generated at the muzzle point twist either to the right or to the left
Trajectory – the parabola-like flight of the projectile from the d. Pitch of riflings
time it leaves the muzzle until it hits the target; - The measure of the twisting of the
Range – distance between muzzle of the gun & the target lands and grooves
Velocity – the rate of speed per unit of time e. Riflings
Pull of gravity – downward reaction of the bullet - Consist of a number of helical
Air resistance –encountered by the bullet in its flight grooves cut in the interior surface of
the bore