Forensic Ballistics

Chapter 6
Cartridge Case
Definition
Cartridge Case - is the metallic or non-metallic tabular con tainer usually made of brass
(70% copper and 30%zinc); it is de signed to unite the bullet, primer and the gunpowder into one
unit. It is also known as a shell or casing.
Traditionally, a cartridge case is made of brass although there are many present day
cartridges that are made of plastic, var-nish steel, zinc-coated or even chemically coated are t use.
Functions of the Cartridge Case
1. It properly locates the bullet relative to the bore of the fire arm.
2. It is used to carry the means of ignition.
3. It provides gas seals at the preech against an unwanted escape of propellant gas upon firing.
4. Serves as the waterproof container for the propellant or powder charge.
5. Acts as the insulator between the propellant and the hot walls of the chamber in a rapid firing of
firearms.
Figure 44. Various Types of Cartridge
Cases Parts of the Cartridge Case
1. Base - the bottom portion of the cartridge case which contains the head stamp marking on the base
of the shell containing the caliber, manufacturer and in some cases including the date, trade name,
and batch number.
2. Rim - is that part of the cartridge case designed to limit the forward movement of the cartridge to
the chamber.
3. Extracting grooves is the circular groove near the rim of the shell designed for automatic
withdrawal of the case from the chamber.
4. Primer Pocket - is that part of the shell which provides the means for the primer to be put in the
central position. Its function is extended to: (a) hold the primer in place; (b) to provide means to
prevent the escape of gas; (c) to provide solid support for primer anvil.
5. Body - is the cylindrical part of the shell which houses the gunpowder.
6. Shoulder - that part of the cartridge case which supports the neck of the cartridge which is evident
in a bottleneck type.
7. Cannelure - is the cylindrical groove in the outer surface of the cartridge case designed to secure
the shell to the cha ber as well as to prevent the bullet from being pushed down to the powder charge.
In some instance it is even being utilized for identification.
8. Neck - is that part of the shell which is actually occupied by the bullet. This is obvious in a
bottleneck type of shell but not with the straight type.
9. Crimp - is the cylindrical groove on the mouth of the shell designed for two purposes: One (1) is
to hold the bullet and prevent it from being pulled out from the shell and Two (2) to offer resistance
to the bullet out of the neck to ensure the burning of the gun powder.
10. Vent or Flash hole - is the hole at the bottom of the primer pocket that serves as the passage way
for the priming mixture to impart an ignition to the propellant charge.
Figure 45. Parts of the Cartridge Case
Types of Cartridge Case
1. Straight type= a type of a cartridge case or shell which has a straight shell body usually found on
cartridge used in an automatic weapon.
2. Tapered type= a type of a cartridge case similar to a flower base. It is found in caliber 22
magnum-jet.
3. Bottle-neck = a type of cartridge commonly found in ammunitions for rifles.

Assignment Sheet No. 6

I. What is a cartridge case or shell?

II. What are the functions of a cartridge case?

III. Draw and label the parts of a cartridge case.

Chapter 7
Primer
Definition
Primer (also called CAP) is the ignition system of the cartridge used in a center fire type,
containing a highly sensitive chemical compound that would easily ignite or burst into flame
when struck by the firing pin. It may either be Berdan, Boxer type or battery type. These are the
three kinds of primer according to construction. It is also known as the percussion cup.
 Figure 46. Primer of a cartridge fired from: Pistol (left, fired, as indicated by the dimple
from a firing pin) and shotgun (right) primers against an inch and scale.
The Berdan is a type of primer construction, which was designed in the 1860s by Colonel
Hiram S. Berdan of the US Army Ordinance Department. Its distinction over the boxer is that,
its anvil forms part of the cartridge case and a number of flash holes to serve as the passage of
ignition usually two (2) This is common in almost all military ammunition.
The Boxer on the other hand, was developed by Col Edward M. Boxer of the Royal
Laboratory at Woolwich Arsenal in the year 1866. This type of anvil was formed separately from
the shell and became a part of the ignition cap making a single flash hole to serve as the passage
of ignition. Despite the difficulty in manufacturing, it has become popular because of its
adaptability for reloading.
Origin of Ignition System
The term 'lock' has been used since the ancient times to refer to the ignition system. Many
kinds of ignition system were used in ancient weapons such as the muskets. The earliest of these
is the "match lock" also referred to as refined "serpentine lock" with a s-shaped piece of metal
pivoted on the stave, the forward end holding the hump fiber treated with saltpeter, twisted and
tied by a thread to retain the twists to make it slow burning. It burns at about 3 to 5 inches per
hour.
The match lock was later superseded by a "wheel lock" in the early years of the 16th century.
This ignition system is comparable to the modern principle of our cigarette lighters. A roughened
wheel driven by a spring that needs to be first would up or spanned producing sparks igniting the
priming powder and passed through a touch hole burning the powder charge.
Fifty years later, the "flint lock" ignition system was developed (also known as "snap-lock").
In this system a simple mechanical fire striking lick called "snaphaunce" replace the wheel
mechanism and an iron right-angle pan cover hinged over the priming pan constituted the flint
lock. The hinged will be stricken by the cock upon release of the trigger, causing the hinged
cover to be thrown back, exposing and igniting the priming powder by the sparks produced by
the scraping flint along the iron. This system was used until the start of the 19th century when the
percussion system was finally been developed.
Alexander John Forsyth, a minister of Belhelvie in Scotland, known as the father of
percussion system developed a better system of ignition in the year 1805. He devised a formula
composing of mercury fulminate that would easily ignite upon a single struck. The percussion
system was spread and almost totally replaced the flint lock in the year 1840. This led to the
making of the famous percussion cap of Joshua Shaw in 1814 and finally adopted by the British
Army in the year 1838 and by the American in the year 1842.
Parts of the Primer
1. Primer Cup - is the brass gilding metal cup which contains the priming mixture, the disc and
the anvil.
2. Priming Mixture- is the highly sensitive chemical compound which ignites by the mechanical
blow of the firing pin. It is also called as percussion powder.
3. Anvil - is the portion of the primer which provides solid support and absorbs the blow of the
firing pin causing friction that would initiates ignition.
4. Disc-is a thin paper or foil which is pressed over the priming mixture in order to protect it from
moisture attack.
Types of Priming Mixture Compound
1. Corrosive = one containing potassium chlorate which when ignited produce moisture causing
the formation of rust in the bore of the firearm. Other components are antimony sulfide and
mercury fulminate.
2. Non-Corrosive = one which is designed for less chances of rusting by replacing the potassium
chlorate with barium nitrate.
Assignment Sheet No. 7
1. Discuss the evolution of Ignition System in not less than 100 words.

II. What are the parts of a primer and what are their functions?
Chapter 8
Propellant (Gun Powder)
Definition
Gunpowder (also called as propellant or Power Charge). is the mixture of chemicals of
various compositions designed to propel the projectile by means of its expansive force of gas
when burned.
The Development of Gun Powder
If there is much of literary works on firearm identification, the History of Gunpowder is the
most controversial of all topics incorporated in their field of study. Powders, explosives are at
most times credited to the Chinese and the Arabs; they have had pyrotechnic composition of
sorts-fireworks long before anything of the kind was known in Europe, but there is no warrant for
considering that they had invented gun and gun powder. On the other hand, according to Prof.
J.K. Partington, a British Chemist, at about 1000 A.D., the Chinese knew about saltpeter-based
gun powder.
A question of where it was discovered, who first used it for gun and who invented it is still a
mystery. Maybe this is caused by lack of proof beyond doubt as to the claim of various writers as
to who invented the gun powder and realized its capabilities. Two of the most popular individual
whose name is always attached to gunpowder discovery were Roger Bacon and Berthold
Schwartz Let's take a short description of how their names are always mentioned in the history.
 Roger Bacon, (1242 A.D.) a Franciscan monk, who wrote the-De Mirabili Potestate Artis et
Naturae" (On the Marvelous Power of Art and Nature), including an anagram. This anagram was
only re-arranged and properly punctuated by a British Artillery Officer named Colonel Hime, and
it read -"but of salpetre takes seven part, five of young hazel twig and five of sulfur, and so thou
wilt call up thunder and destruction of thou know the art". This is practically a working
gunpowder formula.
Bacon did not make any claim of its discovery but suggest that by 1266 the gunpowder was
already of a common knowledge and he was merely reporting it as a fact. Maybe another reason
why he never made any claim is due to the prohibition existing during his time that no forms of
an article involving explosives should be made. If he was to directly print the same it might even
cause him his life.
Berthold Schwartz(whose real name was Constantin Anklitzen), a mysterious monk of
Freiburg, who according to legend that is supported by an engraving dated 1643, while
experimenting on some powder in a cast iron vessel he ignited a charge and thus blew off the lid,
and from this deduced the principle of containing a charge in a tube and propelling a shot
(Encyclopedia of ammunition) The engraver dated the scene 1380, and it was evident that well
before that date, cannons were already in use.
Another person in the year 1325 A.D. wrote his own literary works entitled "De Officiis
Regnum", which illustrated the firing of a cannon. There is no explanation of the picture but it is
clearly shown a bulbous tube, with an arrow protruding from the muzzle, being ignited by a man
with a hot iron.
Explosives
Definition
An explosive is any substance that may cause an explosion by its sudden decomposition or
combustion. It is a material either a pure single substance or mixture of substance which is capable of
producing an explosion by its energy.
Classification of Explosives
1. Propellants or low explosives= burns but do not explode and function by producing gas which
produces explosion. E.g. black powder and smokeless powder.
2. Primary explosive or initiators = explodes or detonate when they are heated or subjected to
shock. They do not burn; sometimes they do not even contain the element necessary for combustion.
The material themselves explode, and the explosion result whether they are confined or not e.g.
mercury fulminate, lead ozide, lead salts or picric acid.
3. High explosives = detonates under the influence of the shock of the explosion of a primary
explosive. They do not function by burning; in fact, not all of them are combustible, but most of them
can be ignited by a flame and in small amount generally burn tranquilly and can extinguished easily
eg TNT, dynamite, nitroglycerine, picric acid.
Other forms of Explosives
 Nitroglycerine (NG)= a high explosive substance widely used in industrial explosives. It has
been the main component of many dynamites. It is an oily liquid made of nitric acid, sulfuric acid
and glycerine.
Trinitrotoluene (TNT) = it is the most widely used explosive, usually used in military
explosives.
RDX also called hexogen cyclonite or = or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. It is the most
important military explosive used today.
Nitrocellulose (NC) = or cellulose nitrate or nitro-cotton, is the nitrate ester of cellulose that
serves as the main ingredient of many smokeless powder.
Bomb = is poorly defined as a hallow projectile of iron generally spherical, containing an
explosive material which is fired by concussion of by time fuse. Modern bombs are no longer
constructed on such pattern.
The Black Powder
Black Powder the oldest known explosive, was initially made from saltpeter (75%), charcoal
(15%) and sulfur (10%). This formula varies in percentage and even in composition in different
countries throughout the world. This mixture is being ground into fine dust, called "Serpentine"
which was said to have been used until the middle of the 16th century. After such form, a "corned
powder was used to replace serpentine, for being more stable. But due to its high sensitivity leading
to accidents modifications had been made to develop other forms. Some used potassium nitrate while
the other used sodium nitrate. But whatever forms or composition of black powders there is generally
great disadvantage of this powder. IT creates a dark smoke and causes fouling. This creates a
problem not only to the gunner but also to the gun itself.
These problems in the use of black powder were later remedied with the introduction of the
smokeless powder. According to Harrison, Captain E. Schultze of the Prussian Army, made the 1st
successful use of smokeless powder in shotgun in the year 1864. Although historically nitroglycerine
compound was first discovered in 1846. The basic ingredient used for smokeless powder is a
nitrocellulose that was first produced by adding a nitric acid to cellulose fiber.
Later, M. Vieille of French developed the first smokeless powder for riffle in the year 1884
and named it "poudre B" taken after Gen. Boulanger's name.
In 1887, Alfred Nobel invented a smokeless powder with nitroglycerine (40% and
nitrocellulose (60%) as the main composition and called it "Ballistite". In Great Britain, they utilized
picrid acid in addition to cellulose powder which they called "Lyddite” while in germany TNT (Tri-
nitrololeune) was used. The latter is more powerful than picric acid but much difficult to detonate.
Also In the year 1889, Prof. Abel, a British War dept. Chemist developed "Cordite" a smokeless
powder with same composition as Nobel in the form of cords or sticks. And in early 1890's
smokeless powder had replaced black powder and became uniformly used worldwide by the year
1900.
Figure 47. Gun Powders (Propellants)
 Assignment Sheet No. 8
1. Briefly Discuss the History of Gun Powder.
II. What are the two kinds of gun powder? Describe them briefly