Yllana Bay View College

Balangasan District Pagadian City

“The Builder of Future Leader
FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Module 5 (2st Pre lim)
Objectives: at the end of the topic the student is expected to identify the different types
of bullets. at the end of the topic the student is expected to classify the different function
of bullets. at the end of the topic the student is expected to Discuss the function and
parts of bullets.
BULLET - A projectile propelled from a firearm. A metallic or non-metallic cylindrical
projectile. Originated from French word “boulette,” a small ball. In common police
praline, a bullet may be called “slug”.

MODERN CONCEPT
BULLET in its modern concept or sense has become to mean primarily a projectile
propelled from a rifled firearm, which is cylindrical in shape.
There are two basic types of commercial bullets in common use today. LEAD BULLETS
are used in almost revolver ammunition and in some low and medium powder rifle
cartridges. JACKETED BULLETS are used for automatic pistol ammunition and medium
and high power rifle ammunition.
LEAD BULLETS are produced in automatic swedging machines from extruded wire
containing the proper percentages of tin and antimony for hardening.
JACKETEC BULLETS most frequently met within crime and simple cupro-nickle or
gliding metal envelope covering lead cores fired from automatic pistols. The most
common are those from the blowback .25ACP, .32ACP, .330 ACP, 9 mm luger, .45ACP
(Automatic Colt Pistol) and several types of high velocity .30s. These are all made
automatic by swedging a cup of metal around a lead core.
 ARMOR – PIERCING BULLET
- Is a pointed, flat base bullet with a gliding metal jacket. The core is of pointed,
boat – tailed shape and is made of hardened tungsten, chrome steel and has
a blackened tip. Used to penetrate armored card and vehicles.
 TRACER BULLET
- These bullets when fired, emit a bright red flame from their base, thereby
showing the gunner by the trace of flame, the path as well as the striking point
of the bullet, the flame continuing to burn and trace for about 600 yards.
These are intended primarily for machine gun use and can be seen day or
night. The point of the bullet colored red is for identification. These are used
only in military service, and were never sold to individuals. Should an
individual obtain one or more of these cartridges, he should at once return it
to military control or else dispose of these by throwing into a deep river or
lake, as they are exceedingly dangerous to have around. These should never
 be “monkeyed” with, and particularly no attempts should be made to unload
then for examination, as these may ignite and cause exceedingly serious
burns of fire. The ingredients used in tracer and igniter mixtures confidential.
 INCENDIARY BULLET
- are similar in construction to tracer bullet, but the composition contained in
the cavity burns fiercely on impact with a very hot flame which will quite
reliably ignite anything that the bullets strikes. For identification purposes the
incendiary bullet has a light blue color. The same precautions should observe
as with tracer cartridges.
 DUM – DUM BULLETS
- This word and type of bullet were invented by British Ordinance force
stationed at their arsenal at Dum-Dum, India. The British army was engaged
in extensive Pumitive expeditions on the Northwest Frontier of India, fighting
against Afghan and Pathan tribesmen. It soon developed that such a full-
jacketed bullet was of no practical effect against primitive natures. So the
English made some of these bullets expanding by grinding off the nose of the
bullet jacket. These are now known as Hollow point bullet and soft point
bullet.
 GAS CHECK BULLET
- To prevent the melting of the base, lead bullets intended to be fired at higher
velocity have their gases protected with a small copper cups. The bullet is
cast with a slightly tape-ring lightly on the bore; the cup remaining on the
bullet when it is fired.
 WAD CUTTER BULLET
- A cylindrical bullet design having a sharp shouldered nose intended to cut
target paper clearly to facilitate easy and accurate scoring.
 WAX BULLET
- A bullet made from paraffin and other wax preparation usually used for short
range indoor target shooting.
 SHOTGUN CASES
- Consist of a brass head with, which is fixed a stout paper tube, which
constitute the walls of the case. All shotgun cartridges have a rim of a larger
diameter round the extreme edge of the base. Shotgun cartridge cases are
now also made entirely of metal, either zinc, aluminum or brass. In shotgun
cartridge, the projectile consists principally of shots, although there are also
some wads, which ought to be included. Shot as is generally known consists
of small lead balls or pellets. There are of different sizes, and these sizes are
denoted by numbers. The very largest size of shot is commonly called
“Buckshot”. The thick felt wad however serves an other essential purpose. It
acts as a piston and seals the bore, thus preventing the expanding cases
from escaping.

CARTRIDGE CASE. It is the tubular metallic container for the gunpowder. Also called
“shell” or “casing”.
 Function of the Cartridge Case

1. Holds the bullet, gunpowder, and primer assembled into one unit.

2. Serves as a waterproof container for the gunpowder.

3. Prevents the escape of the gases from the rear as the sidewalls of the
cartridge are forced against the walls of the chamber by the pressure. Serves
as a gas seal at the breech end of the barrel.

PARTS OF THE CARTRIDGE CASE

1) BASE
- the bottom portion of the cartridge case which contains the head stamp
containing the caliber, manufacturer, and in some cases, the date, trade
name and batch number
2) RIM
- the part of the cartridge designed to limit the forward movement of the
cartridge to chamber
3) EXTRACTING GROOVES
- the circular groove near the rim of the shell designed for automatic withdrawal
of the case from the chamber
4) PRIMER POCKET
- the part which provides the means for the primer to be put in the central
position
5) BODY
- the cylindrical part of the shell which houses the gunpowder
6) SHOULDER
- supports the neck of the cartridge
7) CANNELURE
- the cylindrical groove formed in the outer surface of the cartridge case
designed to secure the shell to the chamber as well as prevent the bullet from
being pushed down to the powder charge
8) NECK
- the part actually occupied by the bullet
9) CRIMP
- the cylindrical groove on the mouth of the shell designed to hold the bullet
and prevent it from being pulled out from the shell
10) VENT OR FLASH HOLE
- the hole at the bottom of the primer pocket serving as the passage way for
the priming mixture to impart an ignition to the propellant charge.

SHAPE OF CARTRIDGE CASE

Straight
Tapered
Bottleneck

Shells or Shotgun Cases - It is made up of paper tube, metal base, base wad,
battery cup, primer cup, anvil, priming, propellant powder, over powder wad, filler
wad, shot and closing wad.
To validate your answer please contact your course facilitator. For any clarifications you may contact
me during this consultation hour. MWF – 1pm – 2 pm, TTh 10am – 11am.
Phone no: 09187276442
Fb Account: Armando Buyco

Yllana Bay View College

Balangasan District Pagadian City
“The Builder of Future Leader

FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Module 6 (2st Pre lim)
 Objectives: at the end of the topic the student is expected to identify the different kinds
and components of gun powder. At the end of the topic the student is expected to
classify the different the components of gunpowder. at the end of the topic the student is
expected to Discuss the function of gunpowder.

GUN POWDER

The mixture of chemicals of various compositions designed to propel the projectile by

means of the expansive force of gas when burned it is also called propellant or powder
charge.

Gunpowder is discovered by Berthold Schwartz (real name is CONSTANTIN

ANKLIZEN) a Franchiscan monk in the town of Freiburg in Germany .

TWO TYPES OF GUNPOWDER

1. BLACK POWDER – Consists of jet black and rather shiny grains. Although
black and rather shiny grains. Although black powder has been in use for
about six centuries, and although improved methods of manufacture have
naturally led to greater efficiency in action, its composition has remained
practically the same in all countries.

THE COMPOSTION ARE:

1. Potassium Nitrate - 75%
2. Charcoal - 15%
3. Sulphur - 10%

2. SMOKELESS PODER - a mixture of nitrocellulose 60 parts, nitroglycerine 35

parts and vaseline 5 parts. These substances are almost entirely smokeless
in action.
They are all give in the generic term of nitro powders and are legion in
number. All nitro powders used in rifles, pistols ad revolvers are
gelatinized powders, that is they are made by forming a dough into sticks
or grains.

To validate your answer please contact your course facilitator. For any clarifications you may contact
me during this consultation hour. MWF – 1pm – 2 pm, TTh 10am – 11am.
Phone no: 09187276442
Fb Account: Armando Buyco
 Yllana Bay View College
Balangasan District Pagadian City
“The Builder of Future Leader

FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Module 7 (2st Pre lim)
Objectives: at the end of the topic the student is expected to identify the different types
and function of primer. At the end of the topic the student is expected to classify the
different types of primer. At the end of the topic the student is expected to discuss the
function of the primer.

PRIMER

The primer cup is containing the highly sensitive priming mixture of chemical compound,
which when hit or struck by the firing pin would ignite. Such action is called
“percussion”.
Percussion is discovered by Alexander John Forsyth.

PARTS OF THE PRIMER

1) PRIMER CUP
o the brass gilding metal cup which contains the priming mixture, the disc
and the anvil
2) PRIMING MIXTURE
o the highly sensitive chemical compound which ignites by the mechanical
blow of the firing pin
3) ANVIL
o that portion of the primer which provides solid support and absorbs the
blow of the firing pin causing friction that would initiate ignition

1. DISC
- a thin paper or foil which is pressed over the priming mixture in order to
protect it from moisture attack

PARTS OF AMMUNITION PRIMER KINDS OF PRIMER

1. Potassium Chlorate 45% Boxer - ONE flash vent or flash hole.
2. Antimony Sulfide 23% Berdan - TWO flash vents or flash holes.
3. Fulminate of Mercury 32% Boxer-Berdan - THREE vents/flash holes
Battery Cup Type - for shotgun ammo
To validate your answer please contact your course facilitator. For any clarifications you may contact
me during this consultation hour. MWF – 1pm – 2 pm, TTh 10am – 11am.
Phone no: 09187276442
Fb Account: Armando Buyco