Assignment

In
Firearm
Identification
(ForensicBallistics)

Submitted By: Submitted

to:
George Rimorin Ms.Fidel
Apparatus Used In Firearm Identification
Ballistics and firearm identification is one of the most essential procedures performed by police
investigators and forensic scientists. Tools designed to identify firearms accurately have been
improved through the years, partly as a result of the demand for better equipment and partly as
the effect of numerous advancements in technology.

Firearm identification is one of the most intricate and demanding sciences around. Bullets, for
example, which are often the basis for identifying a firearm, can have markings that number
from a minimum of 6 to over 20 impressions. This makes it extremely important that firearm
identification tools offer accurate and reliable results.

The basics of firearm identification

Every firearm, regardless of its size, make and model, has its own 'fingerprint'. These
fingerprints consist of unique, reproducible scratches and markings left by the firearm body on
cartridges and bullets that get fired from the gun. Several components of the firearm are
responsible for its signature. These are the firing chamber, the barrel, firing pin, ejector and
extractor. Other parts of the firearm that come in direct contact with the cartridge and the bullet
also leave distinctive marks, allowing investigators and forensic scientists to associate a fired
bullet to the firearm that ejected it. These unique markings are referred to as the firearm's
ballistic signature.

Tools used for firearm identification

Firearms are very difficult to identify without the help of tools. Even reading the serial numbers
on a gun might be difficult to do without the help of a simple device such as a magnifying glass.
The minute markings left on bullets are also difficult to compare and associate with a particular
firearm without the help of proper equipment. Some of the commonly used firearm identification
tools include:

Optical microscopy
The type of microscopy frequently used with firearm identification is the comparison
microscope. A comparison microscope, unlike other types of microscopy, has two separate
stages and optical systems. This allows a lab technician or firearms examiner to mount two
different specimens and view them side by side.

These days, the comparison microscope is capable of digital imaging and is equipped with
connectivity features, allowing technicians to view the images using a computer screen. The
evidence presented with the use of this firearm identification tool is highly accurate, which
makes it reliable and acceptable in legal proceedings. The only drawback is that in some cases,
processing can take a while, which sometimes limits this tool's usefulness.

Another type of optical microscopy used as tools for firearm identification is the macroscope.
Macroscopes, unlike microscopes, are low powered optical microscopy, with magnifications
ranging from 5x to just 40x. In most cases, this tool is often enough to help an examiner or
technician to identify the striations and other markings on the casings or bullets.
Computer software
Computers are one of the best and most reliable tools used for firearm identification, particularly
if software is available for just such requirement. Probably the most popularly used is the
Automated Ballistic Identification Systems or ABIS. This is actually a combination of hardware
and software that are especially designed to assist in the analysis, comparison, capture and
storage of bullets and casing images.

The ABIS is composed of four main parts. These are the ballistic scanner, the signature
extraction unit, the data storage unit and the correlation server. The ballistic scanner is the
component that allows technicians to capture images of the samples while the signature
extraction unit computes for the mathematical algorithm shown by the ballistic signatures on the
bullets or casings. This component is responsible for ensuring that the unique markings on the
samples are carefully extracted. Captured images of the samples are kept in the data storage unit
while the comparison of the two samples is made possible by the correlation server.

There are several other technologies that are similar to the ABIS, which are currently still being
used as firearm identification tools. These include SBC Co.'s CONDOR, Papillon System's
ARSENAL and SCANBII Tech's EVOFINDER. These technologies are as good as ABIS but
they are not as popular and their usage is rather limited.

An upcoming tool for firearm identification

An emerging technology being touted as an effective means to effectively and efficiently identify
firearms is microstamping, also called ballistic engraving or ballistic imprinting. Unlike other
tools used in firearm identification, microstamping is a proactive process, imprinting guns with
unique identifying marks. These engravings, which are microscopic, will contain important
information about the firearm, such as its serial number, make and model. This will make it easy
to identify the firearm through the bullet casings picked up as evidence, allowing investigators to
trace the firearm's manufacturer, distributor, dealer and finally, owner