FIREARMS AND BALLISTICS

FORENSIC SCIENCE
What are firearms?

 A weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable

of firing a projectile and using a highly
flammable charge as a propellant.
3 Main Types of Firearms:

 Rifle

 Pistol

 Shotgun
 Basic Handgun and Rifle
Cartridge Terminology
1. Cartridge: made up of a brass case that holds the
primer, powder and bullet.

2. Bullet: the projectile which is forced from the

barrel

3. Flash Hole: When a primer is ignited the spark

released goes through this small
opening towards the gunpowder
4. Powder: also known as ‘propellant’ or
‘gunpowder’. Found inside the casing
itself; highly reactive/flammable – but
does not explode – rather it forms gases
as it burns which push the bullet out of
the cartridge and gun barrel.

5. Primer: a pressure sensitive chemical

compound that ignites when struck by
firing pin of gun; detonates the
propellant in a cartridge
6. Casing: Holds the bullet, primer, and powder;
left behind and is NOT propelled (only
bullet is) when gun has been fired

7. Caliber: the diameter of the bore of the bullet

measured across the bullet, usually
expressed in hundredths of an inch
(.45 cal) or in millimeters (9 mm)
 Basic Shotgun Shell
Terminology
8. Shot: may be a single metal projectile – this is
called a ‘slug’ (ideal for hunting large
game), or the shot may contain many
numerous round metal pellets (ie.
birdshot or buckshot).
Birdshot contains between 20 – 100 small
metal pellets ; ideal for hunting birds),
while Buckshot contains between 6 – 9
large round metal pellets; ideal for larger
game. (often used by law enforcement)
 9. Shell casing: made up of plastic and brass
housing shot, wad, powder
and primer

10. Wad: made of plastic or paper; separates the

powder from the shot; holds shot
together as it is projected through the
shotgun barrel
11. Powder: same as above

12. Primer: same as above

How Modern Firearms work

 All modern firearms use a contained and

controlled explosion to create force that
pushes a projectile from a barrel.
 Modern firearms use cartridges or shells as
ammunition.
 A cartridge consists of four parts
 Case
 Powder (propellant)
 Primer
 Bullet
Cut away view of a cartridge
 How do the Propellant and Primer mixtures
cause a gun to fire?

When the trigger of a gun is pressed, the firing pin

strikes the cartridge at a point where the primer is
kept.
This causes the primer to ignite.
The flames thus produced ignites the propellant
charge.
The burning of the propellant charge produces large
amounts of expanding gases, which finally propels
the bullet
After the trigger is pulled
Rifling and bullet
Stabilization
When the bullet is pushed from the case the
gases that force it down the barrel cause the
bullet to expand into the lands and grooves of
the barrel.

This forces the bullet into a spiral motion that

helps to stabilize the bullet and keep it from
tumbling. This in turn maintains the
trajectory of the bullet and causes a straight
shot.
Shotguns
Shotguns do not have
rifling in the barrels and
use a different type of
projectile

Slugs generally have a

rifled projectile

Shot is measured by size

and is shot using a “choke
tube” that controls rate of
expansion prior to the exit
of the barrel.
Forensics of Firearms

How can we use this information

about firearms in forensics?
Forensics of firearms

As you know, when a bullet is fired through a

rifled barrel, the bullet expands into the
lands and grooves. This leaves a distinct
pattern on the surface of the bullet. This
pattern is much like a fingerprint and is
unique to the firearm the bullet was fired
from.
Forensics of firearms

Also, when firing pins strike the primers of

shells/casings the indention that is left
behind is unique to that particular firearm.
Much like a fingerprint is unique to each
person.

These bullet/rifling characteristics and

case/firing pin indentions can be used to
link firearms to crimes in order to solve
them.
Questions?