CHAPTER I

BRIEF HISTORY IN THE STUDY OF FORENSIC

BALLISTICS

FORENSIC 32 Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter the learners should be able to:

1. Understand the historical background in Forensic Ballistics

2. Familiarized the person behind the Development of Firearms
3. Know a brief history of firearms.

FORENSIC 4. Learn about the primitive and modern firearms.

BALLISTICS Introduction

Ballistics involves the study of the scientific properties of projectiles,

their behavior and their terminal effects on biological tissues and other
materials. Wounds ballistics deals with the analysis of injuries caused by
projectiles and the behavior of projectiles within human or other biological
tissues.

Ballistics is the study of the flight path of projectiles. And when used in
criminal investigations, forensic ballistics, or ballistics fingerprinting (also
called forensic firearm examination) helps in the reconstruction of a crime
scene involving firearm.

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What is Ballistics?
- derived from the Greek word “ballo or ballien” which means to
throw. It was also derived from early Roman war machine known as
“ballista” which means a “gigantic bow” or “catapult” which used
in missiles or large object at a particular distance to deter animals or
enemies.
- is a science that deals with the study of motion of projectiles and
conditions affecting the motion.
What is Forensic Ballistics?
- is the study of firearms identification by means of ammunitions fired
through them.
- refers to the investigation and identification of firearms by means of
ammunitions fired from the submitted suspected firearms.
- it is also a scientific study of firearm identification with the use of
laboratory examination.
- the subject gives emphasis on the study of ammunitions, projectiles,
gunpowder, primer, and explosives, including the use of the bullet
comparison microscope.
- It also deals with the principles in the microscopic and macroscopic
examination of firearm evidence and the preparation of reports for
legal proceedings in the solution of cases involving firearms.
What is Forensic?
- Is dealing with the application of scientific knowledge of legal
problems.
- Derived from the Latin word “forum” meaning a “public place”
were people gathered for public disputation or public discussion.
Origin of the word Ballistics
- Was derived from the two Greek words Ballo or Ballien which
literally means “to throw”.
- And from the Roman war machine
- Ballista a gigantic catapult that was used to hurl missiles or large
objects at a distance like stones, dead animals, or even dead person.
The earliest known ballistics projectiles were stones, spears, and the
throwing stick.
The oldest evidence of stone-tipped projectiles, which may or may not
have been propelled by a bow, dating to 64,000 years ago, was found in Sibudu
Cave, South Africa.
The oldest evidence of the use of bows to shoot arrows dates about
10,000 years ago; it is based on pinewood arrows found in Ahrensburg valley
north of Hamburg. They had shallow grooves on the base, indicating that they
were shot from a bow.
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 The oldest bow so far recovered is about 8,000 rears old, found in the
Holmeguard swamp in Denmark.
Archery seems to have arrived in the Americas with the Arctic small
tool tradition, about 4,500 years ago.
The first devices identified as guns appeared in China around 1000AD,
and by the 12th century the technology was spreading through the rest of Asia,
and into Europe by the 13th century.
What is Projectile?
- Is any object projected into Space (empty or not) by the exertion of a
force. Although any object in motion through space is a projectile,
the term most commonly refers to a ranged weapon. Mathematical
equations of motion are used to analyze projectile trajectory.
First Use of Ballistics in Forensics
Forensic fingerprinting – the forensic examination of firearms and other
evidence (bullets, cartridges, etc.) recovered from the
crime scene to link them to suspects or the specific
weapons used in a crime.
1835 – the first case of forensic firearm examination to be documented. That
was Henry Goddard applied ballistics fingerprinting to link a bullet
recovered from the victim to the actual culprit.
The Birth of Magnification
1902 – Oliver Wendell Holmes, who later became the justice of the US
Supreme Court, is said to have used a magnifying glass to examine a test
bullet that he fired into cotton wool to compare its striations with those
found on the bullet recovered from the victim during an autopsy.
1912 – later in Paris, Professor Balthazard took numerous photographs of the
circumferences of the bullet found at the crime scene. He then enlarged
these photographs to compare the markings with those obtained on the
bullet that he had test-fired from the suspect’s weapon.
History of Firearms
Firearms in India
So far in India is concerned, a stanza appears in Atharva Rahasya about
the existence of a mixture consisting of charcoal, sulphur and other materials
providing fire powder. This is testimony to the fact Indians were familiar with
gun powder even in remote times. Indians used gun powder much before
Chinese as was reported by the Hindustan Times, dated Oct. 7, 1980
Sukraniti a work contemporaneous with manusmriti which is assigned
by many scholars as she works of 2nd century BC prescribes guns & projectiles
as standard equipment’s of a king’s war chariot.
Nitishastra described an account of smoke balls containing gun powder
among weapons to be used against the enemy. Vaishampayan, who is also
credited with the authorship of Yadurveda, wrote this book. It is believed by
scholars to have been composed between 1000-800BC.
Opperk G. mentions that gun powder in known in Sanskrit literature as
“Agni Choorma” or fire powder and the expression “NALIKA” in the refers to
the gun made in ancient India out of bamboo pipes. He further adds that they
even made elephants of clay which could be exploded from a distance through a
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fuse to destroy an invading army Alexander as well as Temerians had faced
such devices in India.

China had invented gun powder in the 9 th century and firearms in the
14th century. These inventions were later transmitted to the Middle East &
Europe.

Primitive Weapons

Roman Candle Tube - The Wheel lock

- The first to use gun powder to throw objects without any intention of
hurting or injuring, through penetration but for the sake of fun was
made by Roman and the device is known as “Roman candle tube.”

- The tube was loaded from the muzzle end with alternate charge of
powder end urine diary bomber.

- Were secured with hemp in loaded condition. Balls were ignited - The Flint lock
through the muzzle end. As the fire worked around each ball, a
certain quantity of gas was produced which developed pressure to
launch the balls ahead. To provide strength to the hollow tube, the
outer surface used to be secured by wrapping with hide, hemp,
strong thread or metallic wires.

Gradual improvement of different locks such as:

- The Match locks.