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-CHAPTER V

CHARACTERISTICS OF FIREARMS and FIREARMS

IDENTIFICATION
Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter the learners should be able to:

1. Understand the Individual and Class Characteristics of Firearms and

ammunitions
2. Know the meaning of Rifling
3. Learn the Standard Type of Rifling’s
4. Identify the different marks founds on the fired bullets
5. Know the principles of identification of fired bullets
6. Determine the different marks found on the shells

Class Characteristics
This pertains to those characteristics which are determinable prior to the
manufacture of the firearms, these are considered to be a manufacturer’s design
or specification and security.
Class Characteristics of Firearms
1. Bore Diameter – it is the caliber or gauge.
2. Number of Lands and Grooves
3. Lands – are the elevated portion of the bore.
4. Grooves – are the depressed portion of the bore
5. Width of the Lands – is dependent upon the bore of the diameter
6. Width of the Grooves – is measured as the shortest distance between the
two edges of grooves.
7. Direction of the Twist – it will depend on the manufacturer it’s either to
the left or to the right.
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8. Pitch of Rifling – it is the measure of the twisting of the lands and FIREARM IDENTIFICATION
grooves.
Refers to the science by which one can determine whether or not a
9. Depth of the Grooves – it is measured on a radius of the bore.
particular bullet was fired from a gun. It is the knowledge with which one is able
to reveal any pertinent facts about firearms or ammunition.
Individual Characteristics
Markings found on Fired Bullets and Cartridge Cases
This refers to those characteristics which are determinable only after
manufacture of the firearm. These are the result of machine imperfection, metal On Fired Bullets
irregularities and beyond the control of the manufacturer are usually determined
by the test firing which will give us both test bullet and test cartridge case on 1. Land Marks
every cartridge fired from it.
These refer to the negative impressions on the bearing surface of a fired
bullet, which are caused by the lands of the rifling in the barrel from which it was
Rifling
fired.
Composed of lands and grooves found at the internal portion of the gun
barrel, it makes the bullet spin when fired turns making the bullet stable
(Gyroscopic Stability) while in flight. The number of rifling would be from 3-16
but 5-7 are the most common.

Standard Types of Riflings

1. Steyr Type – 4R G=L
2. Smith and Wesson Type – 5R G=L
3. Browning Type – 6R G2X
4. Colt Type – 6L G2X
5. Webley Type – 7R G3X
6. Army type – 4R G3X
2. Groove Marks
These are the elevated or negative impressions on the bearing surface of
the fired bullet, which are caused by the grooves of the rifling in the barrel from
which it was fired.

3. Skid Marks
These are marks that appear on the bearing surface near the nose of the
bullet and are required as the bullet enters the rifling of the barrel before the
bullet rotates. Also known as “slippage marks”.
4. Shaving Marks
These are the partial shavings near the nose of a fired bullet, resulting
from cylinder misalignment in a revolver. These are also known as “shearing
marks”.
5. Striations
Are common to cartridge cases that have passed through the action of an
auto loading or repeating firearm. Striated action marks can be produced on
cartridge cases by contact with a number of different areas within the firearm.
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Principle Of Identification of Fired Bullets
1. No two barrels are microscopically identical as the surfaces of their bores
all possess individual and characteristic markings of their own.
2. When a bullet is fired from a rifled barrel, it becomes engraved by the
rifling and this engraving will vary in its minute details with every
individual bore. Thus, a bullet fired from one barrel will have different
minute markings from a bullet fired from a different barrel.
3. Every barrel leaves its thumb mark or fingerprint on every single bullet
fired through it.
On a Fired Cartridge Cases
1. Breech Face Marks
These are the microscopic marks of the firearm’s breech face found on the
base of the cartridge case and primer after firing. These marks are produced by
the breech block of the firearm due to the pressure generates by the explosion.
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2. Chamber Marks 4. Extractor Marks

These are the microscopic marks left on a cartridge case by the chamber These are the microscopic marks left on the cartridge or cartridge case as
wall, which are the result of any or all of the following: loading, and expansion of it comes into contact with the extractor. These are found on or just ahead of the
the cartridge case against the chamber wall during firing, and extraction upon rim extracting grooves of the cartridge.
firing.

3. Ejector Marks
5. Firing Pin Impression
These are the microscopic marks left on the head of cartridge case,
generally at or near the rim, resulting from the contact with the ejector. Ejector This refers to the indentation of a centerfire cartridge case on the primer
marks can be either striated or impressed but the impressed ejector marks bot or on the rim of a rimfire cartridge case and is produced by the firing pin during
only can be used to identify a cartridge case as having passed through a firearm’s firing.
action they can also be an indication that the cartridge case was fired in the
firearm.
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Principle Of Identification of Fired Cartridge Case

1. The breech face and the striker (firing pin) of every single firearm have
microscopic individualities of their own.
 
2. Every firearm leaves its “fingerprints” or “thumb mark” on every
cartridge it fires.
 
3. The whole principle of identification is based on the fact that since the
breech face of every weapon must be individually distinct, the cartridge
cases, which it fires, are imprinted with this individuality.

Recovering and Preserving Evidence

1. Any item that may need the services of a firearms examiner must be
handled with care to make sure it is not altered or damaged.

2. Firearms evidence to be sent to the lab to learn when the weapon was last
fired or for powder residue should not be processed for prints before the
lab examines it. Latent print techniques may hinder the examinations of
the firearms examiner. At the lab, the fingerprint and firearms examiners
will coordinate their efforts. Bullet’s
base
Markings of Firearms Evidence

1. Place your initials and the time and date of recovery on each item of On the
never on the
evidence so you can positively identify it at a later date. When several like nose body
items are found, add an identifying number on each item. No two items of
evidence in the same case should bear the same identifying numbers. All 2. Marking tools may be used for inscribing identifying markings on
identifying marks and a description of items to which they are affixed firearms evidence. Diamond point or Carborundum pencils are ideal.
should be put in your notes. The identifying number has no bearing on the
numbers of the exhibits in the report of investigation.
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Marking a pistol On the barrel, (example:

engraved marked “ABC” 10-14-
08)

Frame or receiver Slide, and (example:

(example: engraved engraved marked
marked “ABC 10-14- “ABC” 10-14-08
08”
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Marking a revolver TRANSMITTAL OF THE RECOVERED EVIDENCE TO CRIME LAB:

1. All collected evidence must be transmitted to the Firearms Identification
Division and concerned CL offices for examination as soon as possible.

2. All evidence must be photographed for future identification.

3. Take precautions to preserve the evidence.
4. Wrap and seal each item of evidence separately to avoid contamination.
Barrel, “ ABC” “10-25-
04” 5. Pack live ammunition in a clean, dry cardboard container separately from
firearms. Pillboxes, plastic vials, and the like that have cotton packing
material are fine. Seal the container with paper packaging tape of
equivalent.
Cylinder, “ABC” “10-25-04”
6. When revolvers having loaded cartridges or fired cases are obtained, make
Frame, “ABC” “10-25- a diagram of the rear face of each cylinder. Show the position of the
04” loaded cartridges or the fired cases with respect to one another and to the
firing pin. Scratch an arrow on each side or rear face of the cylinder lying
under the firing pin when the revolver was found. 0do this on the
revolver, itself, and also on the diagram. Your diagram, complete with
Marking a rifle legend, lets the lab examiner relate the fired cartridges to the chamber of
Upper receiver, (example: Barrel, (example: engraved the cylinder in which they were fired.
engraved marked “ABC” marked “ABC” “10-25-
“10-25-04” 04” 7. Stabilize the evidence to avoid movement or friction during shipment.
8. Seal the container with tape.
9. If any of the evidence needs to be examined for latent prints, label
LATENT on the container.
9. Label the outer container with “Evidence” label.
Bolt, (example: 10. Always observe the Chain of Custody.
engraved
Lower receiver, marked “ABC”
(example: ”10-25-04”
engraved marked
“ABC” “10-25-04”
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Problems in Firearms Identification

1. Given bullets, to determine the caliber and type of firearm from which it
was fired.

2. Given fired cartridge cases, to determine the caliber and type of firearm
from which it was fired.

3. Given a bullet and a suspected firearm, to determine whether or not the

bullet was fired from the suspected firearm.

4. Given a fired cartridge case and a suspected firearm, to determine whether

or not the fired cartridge case was fired from the suspected firearm.

5. Given two or more bullets, to determine whether or not they were fired
from the same firearm.

6. Given two or more fired cartridge cases, to determine whether or not they
were fired from the same firearm.

7. Given a firearm, to determine whether firearm is serviceable or not.