FORENSIC

BALLISTICS
LLOYD M. SIAT
Instructor
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter the learners should be topics

able to:
Classification of firearms
1. Know the Classification of firearms Legal Definition of Firearms
2. Learn the Legal Definition of Firearms Other Definition of Firearms
3. Know the Technical Definition of Firearms Minor part of Firearms
4. Know the other Definition of Firearms Types of Firearms
5. Identify the minor parts of Firearms Common types of Firearms
6. Learn the Types of Firearms Other types of Firearms
7. Familiarized the Common types of Firearms
8. Know the Other types of Firearms
 Legal definition of firearms Technical definition of firearm
- Refers to any handheld or portable - A firearm is an instrument that is used for
weapon, whether small arm or light weapon, the propulsion of projectiles by means of
that expels or is designed to expel a bullet, the expansive force of gases of a burning
shot, slug, missile or any projectile, which is gunpowder.
discharged by means of expansive force of
gases from burning gunpowder or other
form of combustion or any similar
instrument or implement. For purposes of
this Act, the barrel, frame or receiver is
considered firearm under Section 3, par (I) of
RA 10591 or also know as Comprehensive
Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act.
 What is the minor parts of firearms?
Sec 3 Par (x) RA 10591, minor parts of
firearms refers to the parts of the firearm
other that the major parts which are
necessary to effect and complete the action
expelling a projectile by way of combustion,
except those classified as accessories.
Types of firearms
According to used:
Sec 3 Par (dd) of RA 10591, Small arms refer
to firearms intended to be or primarily
designed for individual use or that which is
generally considered to mean a weapon
intended to be fired from the hand or
shoulder, which are not capable of fully
automatic bursts of discharge, such as:
(1) Handgun which is a firearm intended to
be fired from the hand, which includes:
(i) A pistol which is a hand-operated firearm
having a chamber integral with or
permanently aligned with the bore which
may be self-loading; and

Types of firearms
(ii) Revolver which is a hand-operated
firearm with a revolving cylinder containing
chambers for individual cartridges.
(2) Rifle which is a shoulder firearm or
designed to be fired from the shoulder that
can discharge a bullet through a rifled barrel
by different actions of loading, which may
be classified as lever, bolt, or self-loading;
and
(3) Shotgun which is a weapon designed,
made and intended to fire a number of ball
shots or a single projectile through a smooth
bore by the action or energy from burning
gunpowder.
The general classification of firearms can
be based on the following criteria:
1. Level of harm they produce
a. Lethal – designed with the intent to
eventually kill the target
b. Non-lethal – designed with the intent
to scare or incapable the target,
without killing or producing major,
irreversible injuries
2. Traditional structure
a. Firearms: A firearm is a weapon that
fulfils the characteristic of the
definition in the Firearms Protocol,
Article 3a. Technically, the firearm is
characterized by the action of an
explosive gas or powder to expel a
projectile through the barrel.
b. Conventional weapons: Conventional
weapons are traditionally weapons
that are relatively widely used and
Designed for military purposes, without
being classified as weapons of mass
destruction. The UN Register of
Conventional Arms includes the following
seven categories of major conventional
weapons, plus small arms and light
weapons: battle tank, armoured combat
vehicles, large calibre artillery systems,
combat aircraft including manned and
unmanned aerial vehicles, attack
helicopters, warships, missiles and
missile launchers
c. Non-conventional weapons: Refer to
weapons of mass destruction, also
known as ABC (atomic, biological and
chemical) or NRBC (nuclear,
radiological, biological, chemical)
weapons.
The general classification of firearms can
be based on the following criteria:
1. Level of harm they produce
a. Lethal – designed with the intent to
eventually kill the target
b. Non-lethal – designed with the intent
to scare or incapable the target,
without killing or producing major,
irreversible injuries
2. Traditional structure
a. Firearms: A firearm is a weapon that
fulfils the characteristic of the
definition in the Firearms Protocol,
Article 3a. Technically, the firearm is
characterized by the action of an
explosive gas or powder to expel a
projectile through the barrel.
b. Conventional weapons: Conventional
weapons are traditionally weapons
that are relatively widely used and
The general classification of firearms can The general classification of firearms can
be based on the following criteria: be based on the following criteria:

3. Portability: Depending on their 5. Action of weapon:

portability, weapons can be classified in
a. Action – refers to the firing
these (3) three categories: Weapons that
can be transported by one person system of a firearm, more
without additional support (small arms), specifically the physical
Weapons that can be transported by a mechanism through which
small crew of people (light weapons), cartridges are loaded, locked
Other systems that must be transported and extracted as well as the
with the help of technical means.
4. Physical characteristics, size and
firing frequency when the
support: Short or hand-held firearms trigger is actioned. There are
(handguns) are portable arms designed five common types of action
to be aimed and fired with the action of related to firearms:
one hand. Long or shoulder fired (long i. Single shot – fires a single
guns) are portable weapons designed to
round from the barrel(s) for
be used and fired from the hip or
shoulder with the action of both hands. every depression of the
trigger; requires a repetitive
The general classification of firearms can be
based on the following criteria:
action for the reloading of the barrel(s)
after each shot.
ii. Semi-automatic – fires a single
round from the barrel(s) for every
depression of the trigger; requires a
repetitive action for the reloading of
the barrel(s) after each shot.
iii. Burst – fires a small set of rounds for
every depression of the trigger, and
automatically cycles between
rounds with each trigger pull
iv. Fully automatic – fires continually
upon a depression of the trigger,
until the trigger is release.
The general classification of firearms can
be based on the following criteria:
6. Type of firearm: revolver, pistol,
shotgun, rifle, sub-machine gun and
machine gun. In addition, there is a
generic “Other firearms” category that
includes firearms that either are crafted
or assembled outside production
facilities, and modified and converted,
are using interchangeable parts or take
advantage of new technology, such as
replica, converted, modular, 3D printed,
etc.
Common types of Firearms

The most common classification of firearms is

done by types, and the most used tool for
firearms identification is the Firearms
Reference Table (FRT) develop by Canadian
Royal Mounted Police and it was further
adopted by INTERPOL as a reference
classification tool.

Revolver – is a short or hand-held firearm

with a revolving cylinder typically of five to
nine chambers.

Action: Revolvers are usually repeating

firearms, revolvers can be of double (trigger
cock the hammer) or single action (hammer is
cocked manually).
Common types of Firearms

Pistol – is a short or hand-held firearm

designed for semi-automatic operation. The
chamber is part of the barrel. Cartridges are
generally loaded into a magazine, which is
inserted into the grip.

Action: single shot, repeating, semi-automatic

and automatic
Common types of Firearms

Shotgun – is a shoulder-fired long gun with

one or two unrifled barrels(side-by-side or
over configuration), usually designed to shoot
many small projectiles (shots) rather than a
bullet. The caliber of a shotgun is referred to
as the gauge and is usually larger in diameter
that other small arms.

Action: Usually single shot, may also

repeating, or semi-automatic
Common types of Firearms

Rifle or Carbine – is a shoulder-fired long

gun, with a series of spiral grooves cut inside
the barrel (rifling) imparting spin to the
projectile. A carbine resembles a rifle but has
a shorter barrel.

Action: single shot, repeating, semi-automatic

or fully automatic
Common types of Firearms

Assault Rifle – can be considered a

subcategory of rifles and represent any of
various intermediate-range, magazine-fed
military rifles (such as AK-47 or M16) that can
be set for automatic or semiautomatic fire.

Action: semi-automatic or fully automatic

Common types of Firearms

Sub-machine gun – it is a hand-held,

lightweight short barrel machine gun
consisting of relatively low-energy handgun-
type cartridges and fired from the hand, hi or
shoulder. The term "submachine gun" was
coined by John T. Thompson

Action: semi-automatic or fully automatic

Common types of Firearms

Machine gun – it is a firearm that is capable of

full automatic firing (more than one shot
without manual reloading, by a single function
of the trigger) and that fires rifle ammunition.
It is generally crew-operated, but some forms
may be fired by single individuals. Most
machine guns have the ammunition fed by
belts, although some use magazines.

Action: semi-automatic or fully automatic

Common types of Firearms

Craft Production and Rudimentary Arms

Artisan production/fabrication means an

establishment or business where an artist,
artisan, or craftsperson teaches, makes, or
fabricates crafts or products by hand or with
minimal automation and may include direct
sales to consumers.

Rudimentary arms are essentially arms

manufactured by parts or components that
were not originally designed to be parts of a
firearm or made from parts from other
firearms.
Common types of Firearms

3D Printer Firearms - The material of these

arms is difficult to detect by current detectors
and scanners. These firearms are easy to
destroy after a crime easy making almost
impossible the recovery of the murder
weapon. They are also untraceable.
Common types of Firearms
Unlicensed Copies
The unlicensed copies are encountered in
situations when manufacturers either:
o produce a larger number of firearms that they
are allowed to produce under their license; or
they
o produce firearms, other than those they have a
license to produce.
This is a form of illicit manufacturing. The
unlicensed firearms are not registered, and they
usually end up on the illicit market, being sold at a
fraction of the price of the original firearm. Lack of
registration or serial number duplication makes
these weapons very difficult to trace using the
conventional tracing methods through identification
of firearm type, serial number, model and
manufacturer.
Replica and Imitation Firearms
A replica firearm is a device that is
manufactured to resemble an existing design
of a firearm but is not intended to fire.
Typically, replica firearms are manufactured
for firearm collectors, especially collectors of
antique firearms.
An imitation firearm is a device that is not a
real firearm, but that was designed to look
exactly or almost exactly like a real firearm
(some very realistic toy guns, some molded
guns either in rubber or metal). In some
jurisdictions, imitation firearms are prohibited
or are regulated in a similar fashion to
firearms.
Common types of Firearms
Deactivated and converted firearms
A deactivated firearm is any firearm that was
modified in such a way that it can no longer
fire and expel any form of projectile. Usually,
the deactivation process has to be
permanent. Because these deactivated
firearms do not fall under the same
regulations as the activated firearms, they are
often purchased by criminal organizations
who either remove the deactivation systems
or convert the weapons with spare parts and
the so reactivated firearms are entering the
illicit market.
Conversion is a process that modifies a non-
lethal (e.g. blank or gas weapon) into a lethal
weapon that is further pushed into the illicit
market.
Modular firearms
Modular weapons are produced with
components that are interchangeable in a
way that can change or improve the
characteristic of a firearm. In addition,
changing essential components like the
barrel, extractor/ejector, firing pin etc. will
make ballistic identification extremely
difficult, if not impossible.
One good example in this range is the Glock
pistol, which, although not conceived as a
modular weapon, bears the modularity
characteristics and can be easily transformed
from a semi-automatic pistol into a fully
automatic sub-machine gun with 50 or 100
rounds magazine, scope, silencer, shall
recovery system and other modular parts.