FORENSIC BALLISTICS

Q and A
Presented by
DR. JEZREEL B. VICENTE, CSP, CCS, CST
Faculty, University of Baguio
1. The science of motion of projectile is _____.
a. ballistician
b. forensic ballistics
c. firearms identification
d. ballistics

Forensic Ballistics - is the study of firearms

Identification by means of the ammunition fired
through them.
2. What is the characteristics of a DUM-DUM
BULLET that was invented in INDIA?
a. boat tail bullet
b. incendiary bullet
c. soft and hollow point bullet
d. sharp pointed military bullet
3. The caliber of firearms can be determined through
the bore diameter which is measured from the:
a Rifling
b. Two opposite grooves
c. Two opposite lands
d. Lands and grooves
4. What do you call the the breech end of the
chamber of the firearm that is sealed by a solid
flat block of metal against which the barrel comes
into position when the weapon is closed for firing?
a. Extractor
b. Breech face
c. Head space
d. Breechblock
5. The firearms that propelled projectiles more than
one inch in diameter is called _____.
a. Short arms
b. Small arms
c. Artillery
d. Handguns

Small arms – less than 1 inch in diameter. Jurisdiction

of Ballisticians.
6. A SMITH & WESSON type of firearm has a
class characteristics of:

A. 4 Rifling, RHT
B. 5 Rifling, RHT
C. 6 Rifling, RHT
D. 7 Rifling, RHT
 TYPES OF RIFLINGS
A. Colt type = 6 Rifling, LHT
B. Steyr Type = 4 Rifling, RHT
C. Army type = 4 Rifling, RHT
D. Browning Type = 6 Rifling, RHT
E. Webley type = 7 Rifling, RHT
F. Smith and Wesson Type = 5 Rifling, RHT
7. When the bullet enters the breech end of the
barrel, what marks are left when bullet moves
straight forward without yet turning motion
because the Rifling did not yet get the bullet.
a Land marks
b. Skid marks
c. Slippage marks
d. Shaving or stripping marks
8. These marks are found on bullets fired from a
Revolver due to a poor alignment of the cylinder
and barrel of a revolver and is common to Home
Made Guns.
a. Shaving or stripping marks
b. Skid marks
c. Pivot marks
d. Landmarks
 MARKS ON BULLET
A. Land Marks – caused by lands in the barrel
B. Groove marks – caused by grooves in the barrel
C. Skid marks – caused by the bullet that moves
forward before rifling catch the bullet.
D. Slippage marks – caused by rifling in a worn out,
oversize or oily barrel.
E. Shaving/Stripping marks – this is done with the bullet
when the chamber and the barrel are not aligned.
9. The inventor of gunpowder is credited to _____:
a. Alexander John Forsyth
b. Philip O. Gravelle
c. Berthold Swartz
d. Roger Bacon
Wu Ching Tsun – the unrecognized inventor of gunpowder.
Roger Bacon (1248) - an English monk and scientist, credited with
the invention of gunpowder (blackpowder).
Constantine Anklitzen (a.k.a. Berthold Schwartz) (1300) - A
German monk was credited for the application of gunpowder
for propelling missile.
10. What is the equipment that measures the pitch of
rifling?
a. Chronograph
b. Helixometer
c. Micrometer
d. Heliometer
 EQUIPMENT USED IN BALLISTICS LABORATORY
1. Vernier Calipers – determines the diameter of bullet and
length of barrel.
2. Chronograph – determines the speed of bullet or the muzzle
velocity of the bullet.
3. Onoscope – used in examining the interior surface of gun
barrel.
4. Taper Gauge – used in determining the bore diameter.
5. Analytical balance (Torsion) – determines the weight of
bullets, shots/pellets, caliber and make of firearm.
6. Bullet Recovery Box – for test firing
7. Comparison Microscope – used to determine the
similarity and dissimilarity two fired bullets or
cartridges.
8. Stereocope Microscope – used in preliminary
examination of fired bullets and fired shells.
9. Comparison Projector CP 6 – almost the same with
Comparison microscope BUT this equipment has
magnified image that appears on a large screen and
can be observed in a comfortable viewing distance.
10. Measuring Projector MP 6 – determines the width of
lands, width of grooves, diameter and twist of a fired
bullet.
11. The hitting of bullet in sideway to the target is
called _____.
a. Keyhole shot
b. Yaw
c. Through and through
d. Oblique wound

Yaw – the unstable movement of bullet which may

tumble and wobble.
12. A cartridge case whose rim diameter is the same
with the diameter of its body.
a. rimmed
b. belted
c. Semi-rimmed
d. rimless
13. The body of systematized knowledge is ____.
a. system
b. science
c. scientific
d. motion
14. When two specimens are compared under the
comparison microscope and is being examined
side by side:
QB TB
a. Positively match
b. Pseudo match
c. Juxtaposition
d. Intermarriage

Intermarriage – the half image of evidence and test

are put as one.
15. In the United States, home-made weapons are
generally referred to as:
a. Freakish device
b. Zip guns
c. Matchlock
d. Flare guns

Paltik - Philippines
16. The color of the point of Tracer Bullet is:
A. Red
B. Blue
C. Black
D. Red and Blue

Armor – Piercing Bullet - BLACK

17. A 12-gauge shotgun has an equivalent diameter
of :
a. .730”
b. .728”
c. .729”
d. .724”

Principle:
The lower the gauge no. = the bigger the pellets
The higher, the smaller the pellets, more in number.
18. A complete unfired unit of ammunition inserted
into the chamber of firearm for firing is referred to
as:
a. Bullet
b. Shell
c. Primer
d. Cartridge
19. Rifling located inside the barrel of a gun is a
combination of:
a. Pitch of rifling
b. Twist
c. Lands & grooves
d. Cannelures
20. Class characteristics are determinable even
______ the manufacture of firearm:
a. During
b. After
c. Before
d. Before and after

Examples of Class Characteristics:

1. Caliber
2. No. of Lands and Grooves
3. Rifling Twist
21. The caliber may be determined with the following,
except:
a. Onoscope
b. Micrometer
c. Taper guage
d. Caliper
22. An investigator who recovered a fired bullet from
the crime scene will request the ballistician to
determine:
a. Owner of the firearm
b. Model of the firearm
c. Caliber and type of the firearm used
d. Manufacture
23. The heavier and longer a bullet is, the _____ the
rifling twist rate needs to be to stabilize it in flight,
therefore a lighter shorter bullet needs a _____
rifling twist rate to give proper bullet spin for correct
flight.

a. Faster - slower
b. Slower-faster
c. Faster-faster
d. Slower-slower
25. If a firearm’s caliber is expressed in hundredths
of an inch such as Cal .45, .38, .25, .30.. What
caliber measurement is used?
A. American System
B. English System
C. Continental system
D. European System
 Different Systems of Caliber Measurements

1. American System (2 digits)

Expressed in hundredths of an inch
such as Cal .45, .38, .25, .30.

2. English System (3 digits)

Expressed in thousandths of an inch
such as Cal .357, .380, .223.

3. Continental/ European System

Expressed in millimeters
such as Cal 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm.
25. That science dealing with the motion of projectile
from the time the firer squeezes the trigger up to
the time it reaches the muzzle of the barrel is
called:
a. Posterior ballistics
b. Interior ballistics
c. Exterior ballistics
d. Terminal ballistics
 4 BRANCHES OF BALLISTICS

1. Initial / Internal / Interior Ballistics

2. External / Exterior Ballistics
- Transitional Ballistics (resistance & drag)
3. Terminal Ballistics
- Wound Ballistics (severity)
4. Forensic Ballistics
- Shot Ballistics (range)
26. It is where the priming mixture is crushed by
blow from the firing pin.
A. Priming mixture
B. Primer cup
C. Anvil
D. Disc
27. In order for marks on bullet to be acceptable
to form part as evidence in court, it must be
_____.
A. Prominent
B. Consistent
C. Significant
D. Caused by the rifling
28. A gun with barrel which is smoothbore but at the
near end of its barrel contains rifling.
a. Shotgun
b. Paradox gun
c. Musket
d. Carbine
29. The bullet weight of Cal .45 is _____.
A. 300 grains
B. 230 grains
C. 320 grains
D. 200 grains

Grain - the smallest unit of weight

31. A primer with two flash holes or vent with the anvil integral with
the cartridge case and is also called as EUROPEAN TYPE OF
PRIMER.
A. Berdan
B. Boxer
C. Boxer-Berdan
D. Battery Cup Type

Kinds of primer:
1. Boxer = has ONE flash vent or flash hole.
2. Berdan = has TWO flash vents or flash holes.
3. Boxer-Berdan = has THREE vents/flash holes
4. Battery Cup Type = for shotgun ammo
31. When loaded firearm is found in the crime scene,
what is the first thing to be done by the collector?
A. The FA should be cautiously observed of
presence of fingerprints
B. The FA should be properly handled and unloaded
C. The FA should be properly dusted for fingerprints
D. The FA should be properly marked for future
identification.
32. The term muzzle velocity refers most accurately to
the:
a. Acceleration of the projectile in flight
b. Speed of ammunition
c. Rate of combustion of gunpowder
d. Speed of bullet
33. Fired bullet is initialed at _____, EXCEPT:
a. Base
b. Nose
c. Ogive
d. Side
34. Fired shell is initialed at what part?
a. Inside or outside of the shell near the mouth
b. Inside or outside the fired shell
c. Outside near the mouth of the shell
d. On the body of the shell near the mouth

Except for .22 Caliber = It should be marked on the body

of the shell near the mouth.
35. Rifling in the bore of small arms is designed to :

A. To increase the speed of the bullet

B. To decrease the amount of recoil
C. To mark the bullet for purposes of identification
D. To prevent the bullet from turning and over and in
the air
36. The caliber of the gun is determined in:
A. Its barrel length
B. The circumference of its barrel
C. The size of the ammunition used
D. The diameter of bore, measured from two opposite
lands.
37. What process of making barrel, where hole of barrel with
the use of barrel blank is used.
A. Drilling
B. Reaming
C. Broaching
D. Lapping

Reaming –to remove imperfections, scratches and

irregularities
Broaching - the construction of rifling inside the barrel
Lapping - smoothening/polishing of the inner surface of the
barrel.
D+R = Smooth bore D+R+B+L = Rifled bore
38. The most commonly used high explosives in the
world.
A. Trinitrotoluene (TNT)
B. Dynamite
C. Bomb
D. Grenade
39. Paraffin test is conducted purposely to:

A. detect whether a witness is telling the truth.

B. discover whether the deceased person was
poisoned.
C. estimate the approximate time of death of the
deceased
D. determine whether a suspect has fired a gun
recently
40. The term double action is _____.

A. The revolver has both safety and

automatic firing action.
B. The pressure upon the trigger both cocks and
releases the hammer.
C. The revolver can fire with or without
automatic shell ejection.
D. The shell of a fired shot is ejected and
fresh cartridge is pushed from the
magazine at the same time.
41. Inventor of micrometer.
A. Calvin H. Goddard
B. Cherubin d’Oreans
C. Alfred Lee Loomis
D. William Gascoine

Alfred Lee Loomis – Chronograph

Cherubin d’Oreans – ist streoscopic microscope
42.Identifying markings or imprint are
NOT left on a shell by the :
a. Firing pin
b. ejector
c. extractor
d. hammer
43. It is the part of the mechanism in a firearm that
withdraws the spent cartridge or shell from the
chamber is :
a. Hammer
b. Firing pin
c. Ejector
d. Extractor

Ejector – throws or ejects the shell from the firearm.

44. A revolver found in the crime scene must be
picked up by _____:

A. Inserting a pencil or ball pen in the barrel.

B. Placing a piece of wire or string through the
trigger guard.
C. Grasping the handle with a handkerchief.
D. Grasping the barrel with clean cloth.
45. The part of a .45 caliber automatic pistol found at
the scene of the crime is normally marked for
identification in the:
A. receiver
B. magazine
C. slide
D. Barrel
46. Occurs when a cartridge fails to explode on time
or there is a delayed in explosion due to faulty
functioning of the primer or faulty ignition of the
propellant is:
a. Misfire
b. Recoil
c. Hang-fire
d. Velocity
47. The maximum distance from the muzzle at
which a firearm discharge will usually
produce detectable powder pattern on a
target is about:

a. 6 to 10 inches
b. 6 to 10 feet
c. 6 to 10 yards
d. 6 to 10 meters
48. When an automatic pistol is used in the crime scene, the
____:

a. empty shell remain within the chamber.

b. empty shell in most cases is found at the scene
c. empty shell is rarely found at the crime scene.
d. empty shell is usually disposed by the perpetrator.
49. Before FA is test fired, what SOP that should be
done first?
A. Swab the inside barrel with 5% nitric acid
solution
B. Mark the parts of FA to be used
C. Prepare the bullet recovery tube
D. The firer should be a marksman
50. Bullet length of Cal .45 is _____
a. .662 inches
b. .46 inches
c. .62 inches
d. .36 inches
LENGTH OF BULLET
Cal .22 = .36 in
Cal .25 = .46 in
Cal .32 Short Colt = .48 in
Cal .32 Long Colt = .62 in
Cal .32 Auto Colt Pistol = .46 in
Cal .380 = .46 in
Cal .45 = .662 in
Thanks…The End
JEZREEL B. VICENTE
Reviewer