Firearms and

Toolmarks
Firearms Summary
 Guns (types and manufacturing)
 Ammunition
 Firing a gun
 Collecting Evidence
 Analyzing Evidence
Firearms

Types of Guns
Firearms

Types of Barrels
Smooth Barrel: Hollow tube
Rifled Barrel: Barrel of gun can be rifled to
put spin on bullet; increases accuracy
Firearms

Rifled Barrel
Lands
 Inside of barrel has
hills (lands) and
valleys (grooves)

 Lands and grooves twist

down length of gun
Grooves
Firearms

Rifled Barrel
 Inside of barrel has
hills (lands) and
valleys (grooves)

 Lands and grooves twist

down length of gun
Firearms

Rifled Barrel (manufacturing)

 Begin with a hollow tube
 Lands and grooves made by forcing cutting
tools through the tube.
Firearms

Rifled Barrel (manufacturing)

The minor differences in manufacturing leads to
differences in the scratches (striations) on the
fired bullet.
Firearms

Handgun
Designed to be held and fired with one hand

Revolver Semiautomatic pistol

Firearms

Revolver
Hammer Bullets
 Hammer pulled back
manually or when
trigger is pulled
 Hammer hits back of
bullet casing; causes
explosion
 Barrel rifled
Trigger
Firearms

Semiautomatic pistol
Hammer Bullets
 Hammer strikes
bullet case when
trigger pulled
 Bullet casing
automatically ejected.
 Barrel rifled

Trigger
Firearms

Rifle
 Hammer strikes bullet Bullets
Bullets
case when trigger pulled
Hammer
 Bullet casing manually or
automatically ejected.
 Barrel rifled; fires bullet
Trigger
Firearms

Shotgun
Projectile
 Hammer strikes shotshell
when trigger pulled
 Bullet casing manually or
automatically ejected.
 Barrel smooth; fires shot
or slug

Trigger
Firearms > Ammunition

Ammunition
(Bullets)
Bullet

Cartridge

Propellant (inside cartridge)

Primer
Firearms > Ammunition

Ammunition (Types of Bullets)

1. Lead or Lead Alloy: softer bullet; scraped

up by the lands and grooves of barrel

2. Semijacketed bullet: brass jacket covers

sides of lead bullet, except for tip
 Bullet expands on impact
 Jacket not scraped up as much
 Jacket can be shed after hitting target
Firearms > Ammunition

Ammunition (Types of Bullets)

3. Full Metal Jacket: lead core completely
covered with brass
Firearms > Ammunition

Shotgun Shell

Shot (pellets)

Cartridge
Wad (plastic)

Propellant (inside cartridge)

Primer

Fires many small round pellets

Firearms > Ammunition

Primer
 When hit with hammer,
primer creates a small
explosion
 This explosion lights
propellant creating a large
explosion (propels bullet)
Firearms > Ammunition

Propellant
 Modern propellants are smokeless powders
composed of nitrocellulose

 Some contain nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin

Firearms > Collection

Collection of Firearms evidence

 Important marks on the outside of the
bullet can be damaged during collection.
 Either collect the item containing
embedded bullet or…
 Use rubber coated forceps to remove
bullet
Firearms > Collection

Fired Bullets
Firearms > Collection

Collection of Firearms evidence

 Bullets and cartridges should probably not
be physically marked by investigator.
Marks may damage important striations

 Small evidence should be collected in

sealed and marked containers
Pillbox, glass vials
Firearms > Analysis

Analysis of Firearms evidence

Class Characteristics of bullets:

 Caliber (size)  Degree of twist
 # of lands/grooves  Width of
 Direction of rifling lands/grooves
twist
Firearms > Analysis

Analysis of Firearms evidence

Class Characteristics of cartridges
 Caliber (size)  Extractor/ejector sizes
 Firing pin location  Relative location of
 Firing pin size/shape extractor/ejector
Firearms > Analysis

Analysis of Firearms evidence

If class characteristics of fired bullet and

suspected gun match, a test bullet is fired
for further analysis.
Firearms > Analysis

Comparison microscope
is used to compare
striations on bullets.
Firearms > Analysis

Comparison of Striations

Striations – tiny scratches on bullet that can be

specific to a single gun.
Firearms > Analysis

Conclusions of analysis
 If class characteristics and striations match, can
say the bullet was likely fired by the suspect gun.
 If class characteristics (and striations) do not
match, the suspect gun can be excluded.
 If class characteristics match but striations do
not, the results are inconclusive.
Firearms

Range-of-fire estimation
The distance between the gun and victim can be
estimated by looking at gunshot residue patterns

Long distance: no GSR on the victim

Close-range: GSR on victim - spread out
Near-contact: GSR on victim - concentrated circle
Contact shot: “Blown out” entrance wound
Tool Marks
Tools make specific marks when they cut or
scrape a softer surface
Compression tool mark: shows outline of tool
(hammer into wood)
Sliding tool mark: parallel striations when tool
slides across material (screwdriver or crowbar)

Cutting tool mark: striations when tool cuts

through material (scissors)
Tool Marks
Tool Marks

Collection of Tool Marks

 Notes, sketches, photographs
 If possible, the tool mark should be taken
back to the lab.
 If not, a cast should be made.
Silicone rubber ideal material
Firearms > Analysis

Conclusions of analysis
 If class characteristics and striations match, can
say the tool mark was likely made by the suspect.
 If class characteristics (and striations) do not
match, the suspect tool can be excluded.
 If class characteristics match but striations do
not, the results are inconclusive.