GROUP 5:

Firearm characteristics & Investigation of Ballistic Cases

(Crime Scene Procedure)

What are the firearm characteristics?

1. Number and twist of lands and grooves
-it is the number of the lands and grooves protruding up and down in a helical pattern
within the bore. Twist and land of grooves in the direction in which helical pattern proceeds in
the bore of firearm that has been subjected to conventional rifling.

2. The depth, width, and pitch of lands and grooves

-the distance between two lands in a bore is the width of the lands and grooves. The depth
of land and grooves is describe us how deep the raised portion of the barrel to the actual caliber
of the firearms. The groove edge angle about the width and steepness of the groove is the pitch
of land and grooves.

3. Rifling
-It refers to the spiral grooves cut in to the barrels bore, which imparts a stabilizing spin
to the projectile. Base on the direction, there are two types of rifling, namely leftwards rifling
and rightwards rifling. Base on the shape, there are six rifling patterns.

Left and Right wards rifling

6 SHAPES OF RIFLING PATTERNS

CALIBER and GAUGE

- In smoothbore firearm, the number of lead balls of a particular diameter it would take is equal
to around known as gauge. The distance between the opposite lands or grooves in the rifled
firearms is known as caliber.
Firing Pin Marks
-the primer of the centerfire cartridge case or the rim of the rimfire cartridge caseThese are the
marks or indentations created when the firearm’s firing pin strikes.

Breech Face Marks

-These are the marks developed when the projectile recoils rearward under the impact of high
pressure and strikes with the breech face of the firearm.
Extractor and Ejector Marks
-The striations formed by the extractor of the most auto loading or repeating firearm are called
extractor marks.

CLASS CHARACTERISTIC ACCORDING TO TYPES OF RIFFLING

1. Steyer type - 4 lands, 4 grooves, right hand twist ands and grooves are of equal width. (4- R-
G = L).
2. Smith and Wesson type - 5 lands and grooves, right hand twist, and lands and grooves of
equal width. (5-R-G=L).

3. Browning type- 6 lands and grooves, right twist, narrow lands and broad grooves.(6-R-G-
2X).
4. Colt type – 6 lands and grooves, left twist, narrow lands and broad grooves.
(6-L-G-2X).

5. Webley type- 7 lands and grooves, right twist, narrow lands and broad grooves.
(7-R-G-3X).
6. Winchester type – 6RG3X (six lands and grooves, twist to the right, groove width is three
times wider than the land.

FIELD OPERATIONS INVOLVING FORENSIC BALLISTICS PRINCIPLES

A. POLICE OPERATIONS AND FORENSIC BALLISTICS;

1. Field investigation- this is the task of first responding officers at the crime scene where
firearms and or ammunition have been used.
2. Technical examination- this is performed by forensic ballisticians or firearm examiners at the
crime laboratory, which may include marking of ballistic related evidence. (Ballistic exhibits)

3. Court presentation- this covers the responsibility of the firearm examiner or forensic
ballistician to appear before the court and provide testimony for being the expert witness.

B. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Upon arriving at the crime scene, responding officers should consider performing the following
steps;
1. Record the date and time of arrival
2. Render assistance for injured persons or arrange for medical attention, identification and
removal.
3. Locate and conduct initial interview on victims and or witnesses.

4. Arrest any suspected offender found at the crime scene or in its general vicinity.
5. Protect the crime as seen as possible.
6. Determine and record the identities of those persons present at the scene, including those who
may have entered and already left.
7. Immediately start crime scene documentation in any manner necessary to preserve the original
appearance of the crime scene and the possible evidence it contains.

C. SEARCHING FOR SEARCHING FOR BALLISTIC RELATED EVIDENCES

1. Point- to- point search the search and collection of ballistics exhibits based on obvious
location of physical evidences.
2. Strip method applicable if shooting incident took place in close small rectangular area.
3. Grid search also called “ double-strip search” , this is applicable if incident took place in a
bigger rectangular area.

4. Spiral – search the type of search usually applied in outdoor crimes scene although it can be
used also in doors.
5. Wheel method this is applicable in wide outdoor crime scene and requires two or more
investigators.
6. Sector method this is also applicable in wide outdoor scenes or indoor crime scene
encompassing two or more rooms.
D. COLLECTING FIREARMS EVIDENCE AT THE CRIME SCENE

The rule in recovering firearm at the crime scene is – “do not lift or handle suspected firearms by
inserting objects at the barrel”. The proper method is to insert a string at the trigger guard then
lift it. Modern onoscope, helixometer and similar instrument are capable of detecting minute
clues from interior of the gun.

Reporters:

ARCIO, C.

BANATAO, C.

BINOLOC, S.

COLALONG, C

EGUIAB, G.

LAGUINDAY, F.

MANZANO, J.

PIYAC, J.

WANDAGAN, M.