FORENSIC BALLISTICS

 The science that deals with the study of fire arms &
ammunition along with effects of discharge of firearm,
projectile motion and factors affecting the efficacy of firing.

 Firearms : A barrelled weapon / instrument which discharges

a missile / projectile driven by the action of an explosive
force & expansion of gases.
 Proximal or internal ballistics

 Study of firearms & projectiles in the barrel

 Intermediate or exterior ballistics
 Study of motion of projectile after leaving gun barrel till
hitting target.
 Terminal ballistics
 Study of missiles after penetration in to target.

 Wound ballistics
 Study of effects of missiles on living tissue.
 GENERAL CHARECTERS OF A RIFLED FIRE ARM

Bolt – closes & locks to withstand the gas pressure

Extractor & Ejector – to extract & eject the empty cartridge
•
PARTS OF FIRE ARM
 Barrel
 Hollow metal cylinder
 Proximal - breech end & distal - muzzle end
 3 parts

 Chamber- at proximal end to accommodate cartridge

 Bore – longest part through which projectile move
(smooth – shot gun & grooved - rifled)
 Leed – tapered portion connecting chamber & bore.
(Smooth bored- chamber cone)
RIFLING OF THE BARREL
 CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
Based on type of the bore.
A. Rifled weapons.
B. Smooth bored weapons (shot gun)
A. Rifled weapons. B. Smooth bored weapons
1. Rifles (shot gun)
a) Air and gas-operated 1. Choke bore
rifles 2. Cylinder bore
b) 0.22 rifles 3. Breech loader
c) Military and sporting 4. Muzzle loader
rifles 5. Country made
2. Single-shot target practice
pistols
3. Revolvers
4. Automatic pistols
5. True automatic
weapons(machine guns)
 RIFLED FIRE ARMS
 Bore is rifled.

 Rifling – bore is scored internally with a number (2-20) of

parallel,shallow, spiral grooves from muzzle to breach end.
 Sporting, military & target rifles :– long barrelled rifled arms

 Revolvers, pistols:- short- barrelled rifled arms

 Advantage of rifling
 Gives a spinning effect to the bullet
 Greater power of penetration
 A straight trajectory
 Prevents wobbling
 Perfection of motion
PROJECTILE SPIN DURING FLIGHT
DETAILS OF GUN RIFLING
 Based upon calibre or gauze
Internal dimension of the barrel

Rifled weapon  Smooth bored

 Measured between lands and  By the number of lead balls of

not grooves. equal diameter (fitting exactly
 Is given in decimals of inch to barrel) and weight which
(europe) or millimeters (India, can be made from 1 pound of
USA) lead.

 e.g.- 0.30, 0.303 or 7.65mm,  e.g. – 16 bore

9mm  If less than 32 bore, expressed
 If it’s more than 0.60, then in decimals of inch
expressed in gauze
CALIBRE
Based upon character of muzzle end

CHOKE OR CHOKING
 Choking is the constriction of the muzzle end. The barrel
becomes narrower towards the muzzle end.

 Varying from 0.003 to 0.04 inch(1mm)

 Tapering starts at a point 1 to 1 ¼ inch proximal from the

muzzle end
 VARIOUS DEGREES OF CHOKE
Designation Constriction in mm

1. Full- choke 1.00mm

2. Three- quarter choke 0.75mm

3. Half-choke 0.50mm

4. Quarter-choke 0.25mm

5. True cylinder 0mm

 ADVANTAGES OF CHOKING

 Increases the muzzle velocity &so the

 Decreases the rate of spread of a shot, keeps it compact

 Increases the explosive force

 Based on mode of loading

1. Breech loader

2. Muzzle loader

Based upon usage

3. Hunting guns.

4. Military rifles.

5. Sports guns.

6. Veterinary guns.

7. Signaling guns.
 Based on the length of the barrel

1. Short barrel or hand held guns.

2. Long barrel or shoulder guns.

Based on mechanism of firing action

3. Single shot.
4. Slide action.
5. Semi-automatic.
6. True automatic weapons.
 Based on the velocity of the weapon

Muzzle velocity :- maximum velocity gained by the projectile

when projectile emerges out from muzzle end of barrel

 Low velocity (up to 360 m/sec).

 Medium velocity (360 – 750 m/sec).

 High velocity (900 m/sec).

REVOLVER
SEMI AUTOMATIC PISTOL
SEMI AUTOMATIC RIFLE
 CARTRIDGE

 A cartridge is a complete round consisting of

– cartridge case
– percussion cap
– propellant
– wad
– bullet or shot charge.
RIFLED CARTRIDGE
RIFLED CATRIDGES
 Cartridge case –

 Outer covering of the cartridge

 Contains & keeps the components in position

 Prevents backward escape of gases

 Provides water proof jacket
 Blank cartridge :-

 A rifle ammunition containing primer, gun powder and wad

but it does not contain any missile
 Distant shot beyond 10 yards – harmless
 Percussion cap
 Contains primer or priming mixture
 Struck by firing pin or percussion pin
 Crushed in between firing pin & anvil  flame  ignite
propellant
Composition of priming mixture
Lead peroxide.
Mercury fulminate
Lead styphate.
Potassium chlorate
Tetrazene.
Antimony sulphide
Barium nitrate.
 Propellant Or Gun Powder

 Black powder:- (FG, FFG, FFFG)

 Potassium nitrate 75%
 Charcoal 15%
 Sulphur 10%.

 Smokeless powders:-
 Nitrocellulose (single base) (gun cotton)
 Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerine (double base)
 Nitrocellulose, Nitroglycerine & Nitroguanidine (triple base)

 Semi-smokeless:-
 Mixture of 80% of black & 20% of smokeless.
 Lesmok powder