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CHAPTER V

CHARACTERISTICS OF FIREARMS and FIREARMS

IDENTIFICATION
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter the learners should be able to:

1. Understand the Individual and Class Characteristics of Firearms and ammunitions

2. Know the meaning of Rifling
3. Learn the Standard Type of Rifling’s
4. Identify the different marks founds on the fired bullets
5. Know the principles of identification of fired bullets
6. Determine the different marks found on the shells

Class Characteristics
This pertains to those characteristics which are determinable prior to the manufacture of
the firearms, these are considered to be a manufacturer’s design or specification and security. Class Characteristics of Firearms
1. Bore Diameter – it is the caliber or gauge.
2. Number of Lands and Grooves
3. Lands – are the elevated portion of the bore.
4. Grooves – are the depressed portion of the bore
5. Width of the Lands – is dependent upon the bore of the diameter
6. Width of the Grooves – is measured as the shortest distance between the
two edges of grooves.
7. Direction of the Twist – it will depend on the manufacturer it’s either to
the left or to the right.
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8. Pitch of Rifling – it is the measure of the twisting of the lands and grooves.
9. Depth of the Grooves – it is measured on a radius of the bore. Markings found on Fired Bullets and Cartridge Cases
On Fired Bullets
Individual Characteristics
1. Land Marks
This refers to those characteristics which are determinable only after manufacture of the
firearm. These are the result of machine imperfection, metal irregularities and beyond the control These refer to the negative impressions on the bearing surface of a fired
of the manufacturer are usually determined by the test firing which will give us both test bullet bullet, which are caused by the lands of the rifling in the barrel from which it was
and test cartridge case on every cartridge fired from it. fired.

Rifling
Composed of lands and grooves found at the internal portion of the gun barrel, it makes
the bullet spin when fired turns making the bullet stable (Gyroscopic Stability) while in flight.
The number of rifling would be from 3-16 but 5-7 are the most common.

Standard Types of Riflings

1. Steyr Type – 4R G=L
2. Smith and Wesson Type – 5R G=L
3. Browning Type – 6R G2X 2. Groove Marks
4. Colt Type – 6L G2X These are the elevated or negative impressions on the bearing surface of
the fired bullet, which are caused by the grooves of the rifling in the barrel from
5. Webley Type – 7R G3X
which it was fired.
6. Army type – 4R G3X
3. Skid Marks
FIREARM IDENTIFICATION
These are marks that appear on the bearing surface near the nose of the
Refers to the science by which one can determine whether or not a particular bullet was bullet and are required as the bullet enters the rifling of the barrel before the bullet
fired from a gun. It is the knowledge with which one is able to reveal any pertinent facts about rotates. Also known as “slippage marks”.
firearms or ammunition.
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4. Shaving Marks
2. When a bullet is fired from a rifled barrel, it becomes engraved by the
These are the partial shavings near the nose of a fired bullet, resulting from cylinder
rifling and this engraving will vary in its minute details with every
misalignment in a revolver. These are also known as “shearing marks”.
individual bore. Thus, a bullet fired from one barrel will have different
minute markings from a bullet fired from a different barrel.

3. Every barrel leaves its thumb mark or fingerprint on every single bullet
fired through it.

On a Fired Cartridge Cases

1. Breech Face Marks

5. Striations
These are the microscopic marks of the firearm’s breech face found on the
Are common to cartridge cases that have passed through the action of an auto loading or
base of the cartridge case and primer after firing. These marks are produced by the
repeating firearm. Striated action marks can be produced on cartridge cases by contact with a
breech block of the firearm due to the pressure generates by the explosion.
number of different areas within the firearm.

Principle Of Identification of Fired Bullets

 
1. No two barrels are microscopically identical as the surfaces of their bores all possess
individual and characteristic markings of their own.
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2. Chamber Marks
These are the microscopic marks left on a cartridge case by the chamber wall, which are
the result of any or all of the following: loading, and expansion of the cartridge case against the
chamber wall during firing, and extraction upon firing.
4. Extractor Marks
These are the microscopic marks left on the cartridge or cartridge case as it
comes into contact with the extractor. These are found on or just ahead of the rim
extracting grooves of the cartridge.

3. Ejector Marks
5. Firing Pin Impression
These are the microscopic marks left on the head of cartridge case, generally at or near
the rim, resulting from the contact with the ejector. Ejector marks can be either striated or This refers to the indentation of a centerfire cartridge case on the primer or
impressed but the impressed ejector marks bot only can be used to identify a cartridge case as on the rim of a rimfire cartridge case and is produced by the firing pin during
having passed through a firearm’s action they can also be an indication that the cartridge case firing.
was fired in the firearm.
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Principle Of Identification of Fired Cartridge Case

1. The breech face and the striker (firing pin) of every single firearm have microscopic
individualities of their own.
 
2. Every firearm leaves its “fingerprints” or “thumb mark” on every cartridge it fires.
 
3. The whole principle of identification is based on the fact that since the breech face of
every weapon must be individually distinct, the cartridge cases, which it fires, are
imprinted with this individuality.

Recovering and Preserving Evidence

1. Any item that may need the services of a firearms examiner must be handled with care to
make sure it is not altered or damaged.

2. Firearms evidence to be sent to the lab to learn when the weapon was last fired or for
powder residue should not be processed for prints before the lab examines it. Latent print
techniques may hinder the examinations of the firearms examiner. At the lab, the
fingerprint and firearms examiners will coordinate their efforts.

Markings of Firearms Evidence Bullet’s base

1. Place your initials and the time and date of recovery on each item of evidence so you can On the nose never on the body
positively identify it at a later date. When several like items are found, add an identifying
number on each item. No two items of evidence in the same case should bear the same
identifying numbers. All identifying marks and a description of items to which they are
affixed should be put in your notes. The identifying number has no bearing on the
numbers of the exhibits in the report of investigation.
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2. Marking tools may be used for inscribing identifying markings on firearms evidence.
Diamond point or Carborundum pencils are ideal.

Marking a pistol On the barrel, (example:

engraved marked “ABC” 10-14-
08)

Frame or receiver Slide, and (example:

(example: engraved engraved marked
marked “ABC 10-14- “ABC” 10-14-08
08”
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Marking a revolver
TRANSMITTAL OF THE RECOVERED EVIDENCE TO CRIME LAB:
1. All collected evidence must be transmitted to the Firearms Identification
Division and concerned CL offices for examination as soon as possible.

2. All evidence must be photographed for future identification.

3. Take precautions to preserve the evidence.
Barrel, “ ABC” “10-25- 4. Wrap and seal each item of evidence separately to avoid contamination.
04”
5. Pack live ammunition in a clean, dry cardboard container separately from
firearms. Pillboxes, plastic vials, and the like that have cotton packing
material are fine. Seal the container with paper packaging tape of
Cylinder, “ABC” “10-25-04”
equivalent.
Frame, “ABC” “10-25- 6. When revolvers having loaded cartridges or fired cases are obtained, make
04” a diagram of the rear face of each cylinder. Show the position of the
loaded cartridges or the fired cases with respect to one another and to the
Marking a rifle firing pin. Scratch an arrow on each side or rear face of the cylinder lying
Upper receiver, (example: Barrel, (example: engraved under the firing pin when the revolver was found. 0do this on the revolver,
engraved marked “ABC” marked “ABC” “10-25-04” itself, and also on the diagram. Your diagram, complete with legend, lets
“10-25-04” the lab examiner relate the fired cartridges to the chamber of the cylinder
in which they were fired.

7. Stabilize the evidence to avoid movement or friction during shipment.

Bolt, (example:
Lower receiver, engraved 8. Seal the container with tape.
(example: marked “ABC”
engraved marked ”10-25-04” 9. If any of the evidence needs to be examined for latent prints, label
“ABC” “10-25-04” LATENT on the container.
9. Label the outer container with “Evidence” label.
10. Always observe the Chain of Custody.
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Problems in Firearms Identification

1. Given bullets, to determine the caliber and type of firearm from which it was fired.

2. Given fired cartridge cases, to determine the caliber and type of firearm from which it
was fired.

3. Given a bullet and a suspected firearm, to determine whether or not the bullet was fired
from the suspected firearm.

4. Given a fired cartridge case and a suspected firearm, to determine whether or not the
fired cartridge case was fired from the suspected firearm.

5. Given two or more bullets, to determine whether or not they were fired from the same
firearm.

6. Given two or more fired cartridge cases, to determine whether or not they were fired
from the same firearm.

7. Given a firearm, to determine whether firearm is serviceable or not.