FIRE ARMS – is an instrument used for the propulsion of projectiles by means of the expansive

force of gases coming from the burning powder.

CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS

1. SMOTH-BORE FIREARMS - firearms that does not contain rifling or perfectly smooth
from end to end.

2. RIFLED ARMS – firearms that contains rifling

AMMUNITION – shall mean loaded shell for rifles, muskets, carbines, shotgun, revolvers and
pistol from which a bullet, ball, shot, shell or other missiles maybe fired.

CARTRIDGE – a complete unfired unit consisting of bullet, primer cartridge case and gun
powder.

PRIMER – used for igniting propellant

GUN POWDER – any of various powder used in firearms as propellant charge

BULLET – a projectile propelled from a firearm

 - A metallic or non metallic cylindrical projectile.

- Originated from the French word “BOULETTE” means a small ball

LEAD BULLET – used in almost all revolver ammunition

JACKETED BULLET – used for automatic pistol ammunition and medium and high power rifle
ammunition.

ARMOR-PIERCING BULLET – is a pointed bullet used to penetrate armored vehicles.

TRACER BULLET – these are intended primarily for machine gun, these bullets when fired
emits a bright red flame from their base.

INCENDIARY BULLET – similar to tracer bullet, for identification purposes this has a light
blue color.

MARKS FOUND ON FIRED BULLET

LAND MARKS – depressed portion caused by the land

GROOVE MARKS – raised on elevated portion cause by the grooves

SKIDMARK – when the bullet enters the rifled bore from a stationary position and is forced
abruptly into the rifling, its natural tendency is to go straight toward before encountering the
regular rifling twist.

SLIPPAGE MARK – bullets fired from a worn-out barrel, oily barrels and slightly over sized
barrels.

SHAVING MARKS – most commonly these marks are found on bullets fired from a revolver
due to a poor alignment of the cylinder with the bore.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS – are those characteristics which are determinable prior or before
the manufacture of the firearm

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS – are those characteristics which are determinable only

after the manufacture of the firearm.

TYPES OF RIFLINGS

STYRE TYPE – 4 lands and 4 grooves, right hand twist

SMITH AND WESSON TYPE – 5 lands and five grooves, right hand twist
BROWNING TYPE – 6 lands and 6 grooves, right hand twist.

COLT TYPE - 6 lands and 6 grooves, left hand twist.

WEBLEY TYPE – 7 lands and seven grooves, right hand twist

ARMY TYPE – 4 lands and 4 grooves, right hand twist

EQUIPMENT USED IN A BALLISTICS LABORATORY

COMPARISON PROJECTOR - two fired bullets or two fired shells can be compared in one
setting.

MEASURING PROJECTOR – Determines the width of the lands, width of grooves, diameter
and twist of a fired bullet.

VERNIER CALIPER – this instrument determines the bullet diameter and barrel length.

ANALYTICAL BALANCE – determines the weight of the bullets, shots and pellets for possible
type.

TAPER GAUGE – used for determining the bore diameter of the firearm
ONOSCOPE – for examining the interior surface of the gun barrel

HELIXOMETER – for measuring the pitch of rifling/rifling.

CHRONOGRAPH – for determining the speed of the bullet or the muzzle velocity of the bullet.

E. QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

DOCUMENT – is any written document by which a right is established or an obligation is

extinguished.

KINDS OF DOCUMENTS

PUBLIC DOCUMENT – is any instrument notarized by a notary public official with

solemnities required by law.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT – any instrument issued by the government or its agent or its officer
having the authority to do so and the office.
 PRIVATE DOCUMENT – every deed or instrument executed by a private person without the
intervention of a notary public or of any other person legally authorized, by which documents,
some disposition or agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth.

COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT – any instrument executed in accordance in the code of

commerce or any mercantile law, containing diphase

CLASSIFICATION OF PRISONERS

1. Nat’l or Insular Prisoner ~ 3yrs and 1day to death

2. Provincial Prisoner~ 6months and 1day to 3yrs

3. City Prisoners~ 1day to 3yrs

4. Municipal Prisoner~ 1day to 6months