INTRODUCTION TO BALLISTIC

Chapter 1
BALLISTICS
• is the science that deals with the study of the motion of
the projectile. Science refers to the systematized body of
knowledge. Motion refers to the movement and projectile
refers to the bullet that passes through the barrelof
firearms.
• derived from the Greek word “BALLO” or “BALLIEN”
which means to throw and from Roman war machine
“BALLISTA”. A gigantic bow or catapult that hurls stones
in killing enemies and wild animals.
• from these words the modern term Forensic Ballistics
was deroved to indicate the science of moving projectile.
• FORENSIC is an adjective referring to formal eloquence
or consequently formal eloquence or consequently formal
court discussion.
BRANCHES OF BALLISTIC

1. INTERIOR BALLISTICS - treats of the motion of

projectile while still inside the firearm.
Namely:
a) Firing pin hitting the primer
b) Ignition of the priming mixture
c) Combustion of the gunpowder
d) Expansion of heated gas
e) Pressure developed - measured in pounds per square
inch (lbs./sq. inch or psi).
f ) Energy generated - measured in foot pound. Foot pound-
capacity to lift one pound at the height of one foot.
g ) Recoil of the firearm - the rearward movement of the
firearm after explosion
h ) Velocity of the bullet - measured in feet per second
(ft./sec.)
i ) Rotation of the bullet inside the barrel
j ) Engraving on the cylindrical surface of the bullet.
2. EXTERIOR BALLISTICS - treats of the motion of projectiles after
leaving the muzzle of the gun barrel.
Namely:
a) Muzzle blast
b) Muzzle energy (ME)
c) Trajectory
d) Range - 1. Effective range
2. Maximum range
e) Velocity
f) Air resistance
g) Pull of gravity
h) Penetration
3. TERMINAL BALLISTICS - treat the effects of the impact of the
bullet towards the target.
Namely:
a) Terminal accuracy - size of the bullet groupings on the target
b) Terminal energy - energy of the bullet
c) Terminal velocity - speed of the bullet
d) Terminal penetration - the depth of the bullet on target
4. FORENSIC BALLISTICS - the science of Firearms by means of
the ammunition fired through them
e) Field investigation - the work of an investigator in the field. It
concerns mostly with the collection, marking, preservations,
packing and transmission of firearms evidences.
b) Technical examination - refers to the examiners who
examine bullets and/or shells whether fired from the
suspected firearms submitted; and/or to determine also
whether or not cartridge cases were loaded or ejected from
the suspected firearm submitted. Reports are made by the
examiners and testify in cour tregarding their report.
c) Legal proceedings - presentation of Ballistics report,
firearms, bullets, cartridges cases and allied exhibits in the
court.
FIREARMS
Chapter 2
• FIREARMS or ARM (legal) - includes rifles, muskets,
carbines, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, and all other
weapons which a bullet, a ball, a shot, a shell, or missiles
may be discharged by means of gunpowder or other
explosives. The term also includes air rifles, except that
are in small in caliber and usually used as toys. The barrel
of any firearm is considered a complete firearm for
purpose of Section 877 of the Revised Administrative
Code.
• FIREARMS (technical) - is an instrument that is used for
the propulsion of projectile with the aid of thr expansive
force of gases from the burning gunpowder.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
• ACCORDING TO INTERNAL
CONSTRUCTION OF THE
BORE
A. Rifled Bore Firearms - those
that contain rifling inside the
gun barrel. Riflings refer the
lands and groves in firearms
such as the following
1. Rifle
2. Pistol
3. Revolver
• B. Smooth Bore
Firearms - those that have
no riflings inside the gun
barrel such as shotguns
and muskets.
SHOTGUN - it is smooth
bore firearm designed to
shoot a number of lead
pallets one discharge.

MUSKETS - this are early

guns used by the cavalry
and this are in the form of
matchlocks and fintlocks
 • According to use

1. Military Firearms
a. Pistols
b. Rifles
c. Machine guns
d. Howitzers,
bazooka, mortars, etc.
2. Pocket and
Home Defense
Firearms
a. Pistols
b. Revolvers
c. Rifles
d. Shotguns
3. Target and Outdoor
Firearms known as
Sporting
a. Pistols
b. Revolvers
c. Air Rifles
d. Shot Guns
4. Unusal/Miscelleneous
Firearms - those that are
unique in mechanism and
construction.
a. Paltik pistols,
revolvers, rifles, shotguns
(sumpak, teka-
taka or one-pong)
b. Cane Gun
c. Pen Gun
d. Knucle gun etc.
• ACCORDING TO SIZE OF THE BORE
There are hundreds of types of firearms that are available,
but there are only two major categories.
1. Small Arms (Handguns, Shoulder Arms and
machine guns) - fire arms whith bore size lesser
than one inch in diameter
2. Artillary - firearms with bore size more than one
inch in diameter.
All firearms consist of three (3) major parts:
1. Frame or Stock - the frame is the basic structure of the gun to
which the other major parts are attached. The stocks is for rifles and
shotguns. Handguns don’t have a stock, but rather what we called a
grip.
2. Barrel - is the long hollow tube through which the bullet travels on
its way to target.
3. Action - action of the gun consists of all the moving parts that
facilitate the loading, firing and unloading of the gun.
• HANDGUN
The term “handgun” was first used in the year 1388.
A handgun can be operated with one hand, although in most target
shooting and all self-defense shooting, two hands should be used.
ACCORDING TO MECHANICAL DESIGN AND
ACTION
Single Shot
Firearms - type of
firearms designed
to fire only one shot
for every loading.
Example: home-
made pistol,
muskets, and break
type of shot guns
Repeating Arms - type
of firearm designed to
fire several shots in one
loading.
Example: Auto matic
pistols, revolvers,
Rifles, Automatic
Shotguns
Bolt Action Type -
reloading is done by
manipulation of the bolt. This
rifle works very similar to the
pump shotgun but it uses
side mounted device to
extract the used cartridge
and chamber a fresh one
Automatic Loading type -
after the first shot is fired,
automatic loading or feeding
of the chamber takes place.
Example: Uzi, Thompson
Submachine gun etc.
Pump-Action Type (Trombone)
- loading takes place by back
and forth manipulation of the
under forearm of the gun. This
shotgun is very popular. It
chambers a shell with the
cycling of the forearm of the gun
in most models, and requires
shooter to “pump” the forearm to
eject a use shell and chamber
fresh one.
Lever Type - loading
takes place by level
action of firearm.
Examples: Rifles,
Shotguns
ACTIONS

There are many types of actions. The action is the moving

parts of the guns that allow loading, firing and unloading of
the dun

In a Single-Action gun, the trigger perform a single action,

the realising of the hammer, which makes contact with the
firing pin, which discharges the primer, which ignites the
powder charge.
In Double-Action Gun, the
trigger can both cock the
hammer and fire the cartridge,
performing two actions. There
is also a “double-action only”
type of action were trigger
both cocks the hammer and
fires the cartridge with every
pull. In a double-action only
handgun, there is usually no
external hammer spur that the
shooter can pull back to cock
the gun