Question

The inner surface of the barrel of a gun leaves its

markings on a bullet passing through it. These
markings are peculiar to each gun. Would these
markings be considered class characteristics or
individual characteristics?
Answer
Both. The lands, grooves and twists are class
evidence while the microscopic striations are
considered individual evidence.
Question
What is the purpose of rifling, or impressing the inner
surface of a barrel of a gun with spiral grooves?
Answer
The grooves serve to guide a fired bullet through
the barrel, imparting a rapid spin to insure
accuracy and optimum distance.
Question
The surfaces of the original bore remaining
between the grooves are called __________.
Answer
Lands
Question
The diameter of the gun barrel, measured
between opposite lands, is known as _____.
Answer
caliber
Question
True or False?
Once a manufacturer chooses a rifling process,
the class characteristics of the weapon’s barrel
will remain consistent, each will have the same
number of lands and grooves, with the same
approximate width and direction of twist.
Answer
True
Question
True or False?
No two rifled barrels, even those manufactured
in succession, will have identical striation
markings.
Answer
True
Question
The single most important tool to a firearms
examiner is the ____________.
Answer
Comparison Microscope
Question
Unlike rifled firearms, a shotgun has a
____________ barrel.
Answer
smooth
Question
The diameter of the shotgun barrel is expressed
by the term _________. The ________ this number
is, the _________ the barrel’s diameter.
Answers
Gauge
Higher
smaller
Question
The shape of the _______________will be
impressed into the relatively soft metal of the
primer on the cartridge case.
Answer
Firing pin
Question
The cartridge case, in its rearward thrust, is
impressed with the surface markings of the
_________________.
Answers
breechblock
Question
What do you call the rear part of a firearm barrel?
Answer
The Breechblock
Question
The interior of a firearm barrel.
Answer
Bore
Question
The cut or low-lying portions between the lands in a
rifled bore.
Answer
Grooves
Question
The spiral grooves formed in the bore of a firearm
barrel that impart spin to the projectile when it is
fired.
Answer
Rifling
Question
Factors such as barrel length, caliber, type of
ammunition, and type and condition of the weapon
fired influence the amount of gunpowder residue
deposited on a target. True or False?
Answer
True
Question
Distinctive markings that may appear on the
shell as a result of metal to metal contact can be
caused by the _____________which is the
mechanism in a firearm that throws the cartridge
or fired case from the firearm.
Answer
Ejector
Question
Distinctive markings that may appear on the
shell as a result of metal to metal contact can be
caused by the __________which is the mechanism
in a firearm by which a cartridge of a fired case is
withdrawn from the firing chamber.
Answer
Extractor
Question
Distinctive markings that may appear on the
shell as a result of metal to metal contact can be
caused by the __________which is the mechanism
that in a firearm holds the bullets.
Answer
Magazine or clip
Question
These are fine lines found in the interior of the
barrel. They are impressed into the metal as the
negatives of minute imperfections found on the
rifling cutter’s surface, or they are produced by
minute chips of steel pushed against the barrel’s
inner surface by a moving broach cutter.
Answer
Striations
Questions
During the initial phase of comparison between an
evidence bullet and a test-fired bullet, what
characteristics are often looked at first?
Answer
Class characteristics such as grooves, lands and
twists.
Question
Not only must the lands and ___________ of the
test and evidence bullet have identical widths,
but the ____________________ striations on each
must coincide.
Answer
Grooves,
Longitudinal
Question
The NIBIN was eliminated the need for forensic
ballistic specialists. True or False?
Answer
False - the ultimate decision for making a final
bullet comparison will be determined by the
forensic examiner through traditional
microscopic methods.
Question
This network produces database files from
bullets and cartridge casings retrieved from
crime scenes or test fires from retrieved
firearms, often linking a specific weapon to
multiple crimes.
Answer
The National Integrated Ballistics Information
Network, NIBIN
Question
A star-shaped (stellate) tear pattern around the
bullet hole entrance, surrounded by a rim of a
smokeless deposit of vaporous lead usually
indicates a weapon discharge of ________________
from the target.
Answer
Of less than one inch
Question
A halo of vaporous lead (smoke) deposited
around a bullet hole is normally indicative of a
discharge of ______________or less.
Answer
12 to 18 inches
Question
The presence of scattered specks of unburned
and partially burned powder grains without any
accompanying soot is normally indicative of a
discharge observed at distances
________________.
Answer
up to 25 inches (and occasionally as far as 36
inches).
Question
Discharges that occur more than three feet from
the target will usually not deposit any powder
residues, and the only visual indication is a dark
ring around the hole, known as a
__________________.
Answer
Bullet wipe
Question
What is the test used to detect gunpowder residues
that are not visible?
Answer
Greiss Test
Question
Restoration of serial numbers is possible
through ____________________because the metal
crystals in the stamped zone are placed under a
permanent strain that extends a short distance
beneath the original numbers.
chemical etching
Question
When shoe and tire marks are impressed into
soft earth at a crime scene, their preservation is
best accomplished by ___________ and
_______________.
Answer
Photography and casting
Question
A sufficient number of _________________or the
uniqueness of such points will support a finding
that both the questioned and test impressions
originated from one and only one source.
Answer
points of comparison
Question
The scene investigator should attempt to fit the
suspect tool into the tool mark in order to make
sure the correct tool is being sent to the crime
lab.
Answer
False, Any contact between the tool and the
marked surface may alter the mark and will, at
the least, raise serious questions about the
integrity of the evidence.
Question
A _________________is considered to be any
impression, cut, gouge, or abrasion caused by a
tool coming into contact with another object.
Answer
tool mark
Question
A careful examination of the impression can
reveal important class characteristics, such as the
_______________________________ of the tool.
Answer
the size and shape
Question
It is the presence of any minute imperfections on
a tool that imparts _______________to that tool.
Answer
individuality
Question
A forensic _________________may conclude that a
bite mark was made by a particular individual if a
sufficient number of points of similarity between test
and suspect marks are present.
Answer
odontologist
Question
Name a projectile that is not expected to show any
evidential marks or impressions.
Answer
A shotgun pellet
Question
True or False?
In collecting and packaging firearms evidence at a
crime scene, an investigator must mark a fired bullet
on its base for identification.
Answer
True
Question
True or False?
In collecting and packaging firearms evidence at a
crime scene, an investigator must avoid inserting a
stick or pencil into the barrel of a weapon.
Answer
True
Question
True or False?
In collecting and packaging firearms evidence at a
crime scene, an investigator must mark an empty
bullet on its base for identification.
Answer
False
QUESTION
True or False?
In collecting and packaging firearms evidence at a
crime scene, an investigator must unload a weapon
before shipping it to the crime laboratory.
Answer
True
Question
Identify the two elements detected on the hands of
an individual who has recently fired a bullet are:
Answer
Barium and Antimony