FORENSIC BALLISTICS

Terminal Ballistics- is that branch of Ballistics that deals with the

effects of the projectile’s impact on the target.

a. Terminal Accuracy
It refers to the size of the bullet grouping on the
target.
b. Terminal Energy
It is energy or force of the projectile when it
strikes the target. A bullet of a smaller caliber has lesser energy
though it penetrates greatly into the target.
c. Terminal Velocity
It is the speed of the bullet once it strikes the
target and penetrates it.
d. Terminal Penetration
It is the depth of the bullet’s entry into the target.
Scope of Forensic Ballistics

1. Field Investigation – This is the work of the first officer on

the case on the field. It is primarily a routine job of an
investigating officer.
2. Ballistics Technical Examination of the Exhibits
- This phase involves the participation of the firearms
identification examiner. Its scope covers the marking of
evidences, test-firing (to obtain test bullet and test shell in
case a suspected firearm is recovered), examination of
ballistics exhibit using caliper, bullet comparison microscope
and other instruments, preparation of comparative charts
and reports on the findings and conclusions as regards to
the examination undertaken.
3. Legal Proceeding

This is the last and yet one of the most critical part in the
field of firearm identification. Here has to go to court and
testify as an expert witness regarding the ballistics
examination and report that he/she has prepared. It is also
in this stage that the qualification and competence and
expertise of the examiner is determined and tested.
 Classification of Firearms

Two General Classification of Firearms

A. According to Interior Barrel Construction

1. Smooth Bore Firearms- Firearms that have no rifling (lands and

grooves ) inside their gun barrel.
2. Rifled Bore Firearms- Firearms that have rifling inside their gun barrel.
Examples: Pistols, Revolvers, and other modern weapons. (See Figs. 13 a,
b, and c)
B. According to the Caliber of the Projectile Propelled

1. Artillery- Refers to those types of firearms that propels projectile with

more than one inc diameter.

Examples: Cannons, Mortars and Bazookas:

2. Small Arms – these are firearms that propel a projectile with less than one
inch diameter and it can be handled, moved and operated.

Examples: Machine gun, shoulder arms and handguns.

A. Machine guns

A machine gun is a type of firearm that is primarily designed for

military use. Investigations involving shooting cases in cities rarely find
this type of firearm having been used. It can be grouped in three general
types:

a. Recoil- operated- a type of machine gun devised with a recoil spring

that is responsible for forcing the breech block to move forward causing
another cartridge to be loaded only after the breech block moves
rearward and the empty shell is extracted upon firing.
c. Combined recoil and gas-operated action= in this type of machine gun,
the gas operation merely serves to unlock of breech block by the pressure
moving to the gas port, passing through the gas cylinder and causing the
piston to move to the rear,moving the cam to raise the lock through a stud.
Once this is completed, recoil action causes the breech block to move
rearward and completes the opening cycle. The spring will return the
various parts to their closed position and cycle will be repeated for the next
shot.
Sub Machine Gun

This is a light, portable form of machine gun, utilizing a

pistol size ammunition, having a shoulder stock that may or
may not be folded and designed to be fired with both hands.
Basically, there are two types of this firearm according to its
mechanism. One has a bolt operated by a trigger sear
causing the cartridge to be fired in open bolt and the other is
fired with a closed bolt position.
B. Shoulder Arms

Shoulder Arms are those types of firearms that were normally fired
from the shoulder e.g. rifles and shotguns.
Rifles- A shoulder weapon designed to fire a projectile with more
accuracy through a long rifled bore barrel, usually more than 22
inches. Just like any other type of gun, rifles appear various forms.
First, is the Single shot rifle, this is the simplest and yet of many
types. Some with breech block opened by means of a lever, chamber
feed type, breech block opened and closed by hand etc. Second, is
the Repeating rifle, a type of rifle loaded with several cartridges at
one time and carries the cartridge into the chamber when it is ready to
be fired, rather than for the shooter to do it by hand. This can be
further divided into: bolt action type, lever type, slide action type and
automatic type.
2. Lever type

The names was derived from its manipulation system. It is

operated by downward-forward movement first of the lever by
hand, causing the opening, cocking and placing of the cartridge in
its position for loading. After which the lever is pulled back to close
position moving the cartridge to the chamber and putting the
breech block in place, ready for firing. The Winchester model 91 is
a typical example.
3. Slide Action Type

In this type of rifle, a box type magazine is attached and removed

every time that loading and unloading is desired. The operation is
simply done by pulling the slide backward to open the breech and
forward to move the cartridge from the magazine to the chamber at the
same time cocks the hammer and locks the breech block. The
Remington Model 760 is one good example.