Firearms

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Firearms: A Quick History
1. Almost every gun is based on the same simple concept: You
apply explosive pressure behind a projectile to launch it down a
barrel.
2. The earliest & simplest application of this idea is the cannon.
3. The 1st handheld guns were essentially mini-cannons; you
loaded some gunpowder & a steel ball & lit a fuse
4. War typically resulted in the need for improved
weapons technology.
5. In the late 1800’s, the revolver quickly became
popular due to it’s size & quick loading.
• It only had to be reloaded every 5-6 shots instead
of after each shot.
6. Handguns reigned supreme for the past 200
years & to this day, remain the most popular &
readily available firearm.
Types of Firearms
1. Handguns (pistols)
– Revolver
– Semiautomatic

2. Rifles

3. Shotguns

4. Air or BB guns
Ammunition
Components
1. Cartridge case
2. Primer
3. Propellant
4. Projectile
Bullets
• Made of lead, sometimes jacketed with brass, copper, or
steel
• Bullet size—diameter (caliber or gauge)

• Shapes
Firearms Identification
1. Often confused with the term ballistics
2. Ballistics is the study of a projectile in motion.
• Inside the firearm
• After it leaves the firearm
• When it impacts the target
3. Identification of Firearms is based upon this basic
idea: A harder object marks a softer one &
imparts/transfers its microscopic irregularities to
that object.
Forensic Firearms Expert
1. Did a suspect use this gun to kill that person?
2. Did these bullets come from that gun?
3. Was it really self-defense?
4. Is this a case of suicide, or is foul play involved?
5. Bullet Comparison
6. Weapons Function
– Is it safe? Has it been modified?
7. Serial Number Restoration
8. Gunpowder Residue Detection
– on clothes, hands, & wounds
9. Muzzle-to-Target Distances
Pulling the Trigger
1. Pulling the trigger releases the firing pin…
2. The firing pin strikes the primer…
3. The primer ignites the gun powder…
4. The powder generates gas that propels the
bullet forward through the barrel & ejects the
spent cartridge case.
• How a Revolver Works - YouTube.wmv
• HOW A GUN WORKS - YouTube.wmv
• How A Glock Works - YouTube.wmv
Bullet Caliber
1. Caliber: the diameter of the gun barrel.
2. Caliber is recorded in
– hundredths of an inch (.22 & .38)
– millimeters (9mm)
Bullet Anatomy
Cartridge Parts & How it works
Anatomy of a Bullet
Bullet Comparisons
1. Each gun leaves distinct markings on a bullet passing
through it.
2. A gun barrel is made from a solid bar of steel that has
been drilled/hallowed out.
3. The drill leaves microscopic marks on the barrel’s
inner surface.
4. Gun manufacturers also add spiral grooves to the
barrel. This is known as rifling.
5. Lands: the space between the grooves.
6. As a spinning bullet passes through the barrel, it is
marked by these grooves.
Rifling
1. The grooved spirals inside
the barrel of a gun that
produce lands and grooves
on a bullet
2. Lands & grooves are class
characteristics
Striae
1. Scratches on a fired bullet,
2. like a barcode
3. Can serve as individual
evidence
4. Matching bullets or bullet to
a firearm
Class Characteristics
1. Class Characteristics: Once a manufacturer chooses a
rifling process, for a particular class of weapon, they
keep it consistent.
2. Lands & Grooves are the same for a model.
– .32 caliber Smith & Wesson has 5 lands & grooves twisting to
the right.
– .32 caliber Colt has 6 lands & grooves twisting to the left.
3. Class characteristics can eliminate certain makes but
are not enough to ID a particular gun.
Individual Characteristics
1. Imperfections in the manufacturing process
make each barrel unique.
2. Rifled barrels, even if made in succession will
NOT have identical striation (scratch-like
marks).
Bullet Comparisons
1. To match bullets to a gun, test bullets
must be fired through a suspect barrel for
comparison.
2. Goddard & Comparison Microscopes
– Examined bullets side-by-side (to match
striated markings).
Cartridge Case
1. Usually brass Head Stamps
or nickel-clad
brass
2. Class
evidence
– Manufacturer
– Shape
– Caliber
– Composition Rimfire & Centerfire Cartridges
Cartridge Markings
1. All moving components contact the
cartridge rather than the bullet can
leave useful impressions on shell
cartridges.
2. Cartridge Case Individual
Characteristics:
– Breech face marks
– Firing pin impressions
– Chamber marks
– Extractor marks
– Ejector marks
Breech Marks
1. When a cartridge is fired, the explosion forces the bullet down the
barrel and the shell casing is forced back against the breech.
2. This leaves impressions unique to the individual gun’s breech on the
shell casing.
Breech face Marks
Actual Breech Marks
Firing Pin Marks
1. In order to fire the
cartridge, the primer
must first be ignited. To
accomplish this a firing
pin strikes the center ring
of the cartridge.
2. This will in turn leave a
distinct impression that is
unique to the firing pin of
that particular gun.
Firing Pin Marks
Chamber Marks
Ejector Marks
Extracting Pin & Ejector Marks
1. The extracting pin
and ejector throw
the spent shell
casing from the
chamber of the
gun.
2. These leave marks
on the shell casing
that are unique to
those parts on that
particular firearm.
Other Factors
1. Perfect matches sometimes difficult b/c:
– Presence of grit & rust in a barrel
– Recovered bullets too mutilated or distorted on
impact
2. A spent bullet’s weight can sometimes
determine the gun make.
3. Microgrooves: 8-24 grooves; it’s not as
common
4. General Rifling Characteristics File
– FBI database of known land/groove width for all
weapons.
Shotguns
1. Smooth barrel
– Projectile NOT marked as it passes
through
2. Fire small lead balls or pellets
contained within a shell.
3. Characterized by:
– diameter of the shot
– size & shape of the wad
– Gauge: diameter of the barrel
( gauge  diameter)
4. Identification can still be made
Features of a Semiautomatic Handgun
Firearms Evidence
Individual: Class:
1. Striae 1. Bullet type
2. Firing pin marks 2. Bullet caliber
3. Breech marks 3. Bullet weight
4. Extractor marks 4. Lands and grooves
5. Ejector marks 5. Rifling
6. Cartridge case
6. Chamber marks
7. Head stamp
Gunshot Residue (GSR)
1. When a weapon is fired:
- Primer and propellant
particles blow back
toward the shooter.
- Combustion products
(mostly NO2-), unburned
propellant, and particles
of lead follow the bullet,
spreading out with
distance.
1. GSR Sources:
– victim, clothing or target
– shooter’s hands
2. Gunpowder Chemistry
– Major detectable elements are: lead (Pb),
barium (Ba) & antimony (Sb)
– Virtually all cartridge cases are made of
brass (copper & zinc); also detectable.
Griess Test
1. Tests for the presence of nitrates (partially
burned or unburned gunpowder)
2. Swab of shooter’s hand
3. Must produce a pattern for a distance
determination
Results of GSR Hand Test
1. Negative results may be caused by:
– Washing the hands
– Shooter may have been wearing gloves
– Lead free ammunition
2. A rifle or shotgun may not deposit GSR on
hands
3. GSR on the hand of a suicide victim, proving
he was holding the weapon when it was fired.
4. With a contact or very close range gunshot
wound, it is possible to have blood spatter as
well as GSR on the hand of the person firing
the weapon.
DANGER

GRAPHIC
IMAGES!
Contact Gunshot wound
1. This is a contact gunshot
entrance wound.

2. Since the barrel contacts the

skin, the gases released by
the fired round go into the
subcutaneous tissue & cause
the star-shaped laceration.
Abrasion Ring
2. The abrasion ring, and a
very clear muzzle imprint,
are seen in this contact
range gunshot wound.

1. An abrasion ring, formed

when the force of the gases
entering below the skin blow
the skin surface back against
the muzzle of the gun, is seen
here in this contact range
gunshot wound to the right
temple.
Entrance/Exit Displayed here is an entrance at the left and
an exit at the right.
Wounds 1. Exit wounds vary considerably in size
and shape because the bullet can be
deformed in its transit through the
body.
2. There may be no exit wound at all if the
bullet's energy is absorbed by the
tissues. Some bullets (such a a
"hollowpoint") are designed to deform
so that all their energy will be
converted to tissue damage and not
exit.
3. This is a contact range
gunshot entrance
wound with grey-black
discoloration from the
burned powder.
4. Powder tattooing is
seen in this
intermediate range
gunshot wound. The
actual entrance site is
somewhat irregular,
because the bullet can
tumble in flight.
5. The surface of the skull demonstrates the heavy soot in this
contact range entrance wound, as well as radiating fracture
lines. The direction of fire was thus toward the back of this
picture.
 END
GRAPHIC
IMAGES!
Trajectory
SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATION
1. When a serial number is stamped into a gun,
the metal underneath the number is
compressed & hardened.
2. If the number is filed-off, the hardened area
may still be present.
3. By using an acid solution the metal can be
slowly eaten away.
– In this process the softer metal will be eaten away
first and the number may reappear.
FIREARMS EVIDENCE COLLECTION
1. Make sure it is unloaded!!!!!
2. DO NOT put a pencil into a barrel
3. REVOLVERS
– Indicate location of fired & unfired ammunition
4. AUTOMATICS
– Check magazine for number of rounds
– Fingerprint magazine
5. Place ID tag on trigger guard
6. AMMUNITION
– Write on base or nose
– Package in pill box or envelope
– Wrap in tissue to protect
7. CLOTHING
– Protect & preserve any
residue
– Air dry if wet
– Package separately in
paper bags
8. Establish CHAIN OF
CUSTODY
Toolmarks
1. Tools often used in burglaries may leave a mark.
2. Class characteristics: type, size, shape
3. Individual characteristics: features from wear and damage
TOOL MARK IMPRESSIONS
1. Impressions
2. Cuts
3. Gouges
4. Abrasions
TOOL MARK IMPRESSIONS COLLECTION

1. SUBMIT ENTIRE OBJECT

2. PACKAGE SEPARATELY (ALWAYS!)
3. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIT THE TOOL
INTO THE TOOL MARK
Matching Toolmarks
• Photography & casting are important to
match tool with mark

?
Impressions
1. Shoeprints
– Class characteristics—
manufacturer, type,
model, size
– Individual
characteristics— wear
patterns, nicks, marks,
occlusions (like pebbles
or sticks)
– Captured by oblique-
angle photography or
chemical enhancement
– casting in soil
– lifting.
2. Tire marks
– Treated much the same as shoeprints
– Class characteristics involve design, size, type, and model.
– Wear and damage cause defects that can lead to
individualization.
– TreadMate is a database containing data on more than
5,000 vehicle tires and tread patterns.

Tire Treads
3. Bite marks
– Result from assault or
sexual attack, common in
domestic violence
– Individual evidence, if
enough impressions
– Bite marks were the prime
evidence in the conviction
of serial killer Ted Bundy.
4. Serial Numbers/Restoration of serial numbers
– Items of value may have ID numbers stamped into
them.
– Grinding is usually used to obliterate identification
numbers.
– To restore ID numbers on metal, an acid etching
solution is employed.

HCl-CuCl2