GUNPOWDER AND OTHER EXPLOSIVES

In the investigation of crime involving the use of firearms, three most important problems may
arise.
1. Determining whether or not a person fired a gun within a certain period of time.
2. Determining the probable gunshot range.(distance the firearm held from the body of the
victim at the time discharged)
3. Determining the time of firing, this is a problem if it becomes an issue.

Kinds of gunpowder
1. Black powder – possible the oldest known explosive
- Consist of an intimate mixture of 15% charcoal, 10%sulfur and 75%
potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate.
Charcoal which provides carbon and other fuel for the reaction
A nitrate, typically potassium nitrate (KNO3), which supplies oxygen for the
reaction; the most important ingredient
Sulfur (S), which also serves as a fuel, lowers the temperature required to
ignite the mixture, thereby increasing the rate of combustion.
Because of its inherent defects, modern ammunition plants abandoned the use of this.
(Produce thick smoke as a byproduct, which may give a soldier's location away to an enemy
observer. The smoke may also impair aiming for additional shots.)
Black powder is also used in fireworks for lifting shells, in rockets as fuel, and in certain
special effects.
2. Smokeless powder – most widely used propellant. It can either be single base propellant
or double base propellant
- Consist of glyceryl nitrate combined with cellulose nitrate and some
stabilizers.
- Stabilizers are added to reduce side reactions.
- Among the stabilizers used are nitrates, bichromates and oxalates.
Organic stabilizers are nitrobenzene, graphite and Vaseline.

POSSIBLE LOCATIONS OF NITRATES WHEN GUNPOWDER EXPLODES

Both of the gunpowder contains nitrates so we expect to find nitrates in the following:
1. Residue of the barrel of the gun
2. In or around the wound
3. On the clothing of the person fired upon at close range
4. On the exposed surface of the hand of the person who fired the gun

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE PRESENCE AND AMOUNT OF GUNPOWDER RESIDUES

a. Type and caliber of ammunition
b. Length of the barrel of the gun
c. Distance of the muzzle of the gun from the target
d. Humidity
e. Wind velocity and direction
f. Direction of firing

DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON FIRED A GUN WITH HIS BARED

HANDS
The burned residues are partially burned particles may escape around the breech of the
gun and implanted on the exposed surface of the hand firing the gun and the presence of this
particles serves as a basis for the diphenylamine-paraffin test(DPA-Paraffin test)

Diphenylamine Paraffin test or Dermal Nitrate Test or Lunge test – test to determine
whether a person fired a gun or not with his bare hands
Positive result – deep blue specks that develop when nitrates come in contact with
diphenylamine reagent.
In cases involving shooting incidents where paraffin test is required, the person
suspected to have fired a gun should be subjected to DPA-paraffin test immediately within 72
hours after shooting. It is possible to detect nitrates as late as 3 days even though the hands
have been washed. In the Philippines, the period is reduced to two days due to excessive
perspiration.
Limitation of the DPA-Paraffin test
1. The test is not specific for nitrates found in gunpowder. It cannot determine the source of
nitrate.
2. There are other substances which contain nitrate oxidizing agents like fertilizers,
explosives, tobacco, firecrackers, urine, cosmetics and detergents.
3. Hands contaminated with nitrates from other sources other than gunpowder will test
positive for DPA-paraffin test.

Possibilities that a person may be found positive for nitrates even though he did not fire
a gun
1. Gunpowder particles may have been blown on the hand directly from the barrel of the
gun being fired by another person.
2. An attempt to shield the body by raising the hand would in some instance result in the
implanting of powder particles on the hand of a person close to one firing the gun

Possibilities that a person may be found negative for nitrates even though he actually
fired a gun
1. Use of automatic pistol
2. Direction of the wind
3. Wind velocity
4. Excessive perspiration
5. Use of gloves
6. Knowledge of chemicals that will remove the nitrates

How to determine the probable gunshot range

The clothing is examined microscopically for possible powder residue, singeing,,
burning, smudging and powder tattooing
Singeing – slight burning
Smudging – blackening of area around the bullet hole
Tattooing – individual specks of nitrates around the bullet hole visible to the naked eye. It
is black coarsely peppered pattern.

Three zones of distance from which a firearm was discharged

1. The muzzle of the gun was held directly in contact with the body.
Characteristic patterns observed as follows:
a. Gaping hole where fabric is badly torn
b. Smudging
c. Singeing of the fibers at the entrance
d. Tattooing
e. Presence of partially burned powdered residues around the entrance hole that may
be embedded in the fabric.

2. The muzzle of the gun was held 2 to 8 inches(maximum).

Characteristic patterns observed as follows:
a. The smoke and soot from the burned powder will be deposited around the hole of
entrance.
b. Smudging around the damage will be found to diminish in size as the muzzle of the
gun is held at a distance of 8 inches and the blackening around the hole completely
disappear. Size of smudge depends upon the caliber, type of powder used, length of
the barrel, distance of the muzzle
c. Few individual specks of tattooing will be visible with the naked eye. The sizes of the
area of tattooing also depend on the caliber, powder charge and distance of firing.

3. The muzzle of the gun was held 2 to 36 inches away.

a. Tattooing is visible.
b. The partially burned and unburned powder particles will be driven into the surface
around the gunshot hole.

4. The muzzle of the gun was held beyond 36 inches.

a. Evidence of powder tattooing is seldom present.

Chemical Test for Gunpowder Residues

 There are 2 methods of determining the presence of gunpowder residues around the
gunshot hole:
1. Method pattern after the Diphenylamine-paraffin test.
2. Walker’s test – this test is used if powder particles are deeply embedded. Based on the
conversion of nitrates into a dye.

Gunshot range of weapons other than pistol and revolver.

1. Rifle – a weapon on high velocity projectile.
- Gunshot range is difficult to estimate due to high velocity of the projectile and the
wide variation produced on the wound entrance
- The tissue through which the bullet passed are usually bruised in varying degree
- As a general rule, the size of the wound closely approximates the size of the
bullet.
2. Shotgun or sporting gun – the projectile is a collection of small shot consisting of lead
pellets that vary in size with type of cartridge.
- The pellets disperse soon after their exit from the barrel.
- If shot is fired closed to the body up to a few inches, the shot enters as a mass
and the liberated gas and flame lacerate the tissue around the hole.
- When fired from 3 feet from the body up to a yard, irregular circular wound about
1½ inches to 2 inches in diameter will be produces.
- At a range over a yard and up to 3 yards, evidence of burning disappears and
probably only faint tattooing will be found.
- Beyond a yard, the entering shot produces an irregular wound.

Determination of the probable time the gun has been fired.

In the determination of the approximate time of last discharge, the specimen firearm is
needed in the examination. In the crime laboratory, if the gun is examined immediately after the
shooting, the chemist rely more on the odor of the barrel. (Characteristic smell of hydrogen
sulfide that decreases in intensity with lapse of time.) If examine later, presence of nitrates,
nitrites, rust, soot and metallic fragments are determined. The barrel is swabbed with cotton and
the presence of the above substances is determined microscopically and chemically.

Soot – black substance that is formed by combustion and adheres to the side of the
barrel conveying the smoke.
Rust – formation of rust inside the barrel is a good indication for the approximate time
the gun was fired. if a gun was not fired at all, no rust can be detected inside the
barrel of the gun. If a gun was fired, iron salts are formed and found inside the
barrel. Iron salts soon oxidized resulting in the formation of rust.
Nitrite – presence is determined by the addition of DPA reagent. If the color becomes
blue, nitrites are present and the firearm is fired recently
Nitrates - – presence is determined by the addition of DPA reagent. If the color becomes
yellow green, nitrates are present and the firearm is fired recently

EXPLOSIVES

Explosive – any substance that may cause an explosion by its sudden decomposition or
combustion.
- A material either a pure single substance or mixture of substance which is capable
of producing an explosion by its own energy.
- Always accompanied with liberation of heat and with formation of gas when
exploded.

Classification of explosives:
1. From the viewpoint of chemical composition
a. Inorganic compound – lead azides, ammonium nitrate
b. Organic compound – trinitrotoluene (TNT), Piciric acid, nitrocellulose, mercury
fulminate
c. Mixture of oxidizable materials and oxidizing agents that is not explosives separately.
– black powder (used mainly as igniter for nitrocellulose gun propellants and also in
pyrotechniques.
 2. With respect to functioning characteristics
a. Propellant or low explosives are combustible materials containing all the oxygen
needed for their combustion which burn but do not explode and function by
producing gas which produces explosion.
Ex. Black powder, smokeless powder, firecrackers and pyrotechniques
b. Primary explosives or indicators – explode or detonated when they are heated or
subject to shock. They do not burn. Sometimes it does not contain any elements for
combustion, the material themselves explode and explosion results.
Ex. Mercury fulminate and lead azide
c. High explosives – explode under the influence of the shock of the explosion of the
primary explosive. They do not function by burning. All can be ignited by a flame and
in small amount generally burn tranquilly and can be extinguished readily. If heated
to a high temperature by external heat or by their own combustion, they sometimes
explode.
Ex. Ammonium nitrate – most readily available and the cheapest. White compound
used as a solid oxidizer in explosive mixture.
Dynamite – made by mixing nitroglycerine with powdered clay or sawdust
TNT – most widely used explosives. Used mostly for military explosive. A safe
explosive. It will burn but does not explode if set on fire
Nitroglycerine – widely used in industrial explosive, main component of dynamites, a
mixture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid and glycerine. Oily liquid that is very dangerous
because it will explode with the slightest shake.
Plastic explosive – a military explosive that looks like ordinary putty or molding clay.
Picric acid, also called trinitrophenol

Other explosives:
1. C-4 – often referred to a plastic explosive. White and dough like in consistency. It is
commonly encountered of the RDX based explosive
2. RDX – also called hexogen or cyclonite. A plastic explosive. Most important explosives
used today.
3. Chloroacetophenone (CN) – the principal constituent in the filter used in tear gas
solution.
4. Fire bombs
a. Molotov cocktail – is an incendiary device, not a bomb
b. Modern Molotov – consist of 2/3 gas and 1/3 sulfuric acid. A blotter which has been
saturated in potassium chlorate and sugar is wrapped and secured to the bottle. A
snowball consist of potassium chlorate and sugar mixture embedded in a wax mold
using a length fuse for an igniter.
c. Acid mixed with gasoline and wicks attached to the outer bottle.
d. Mixture of alcohol and gasoline using a chrome oxide strip taped to the bottle when
thrown will burst violently.
5. Demolition and fragmentation explosives
a. Composition A – mixture of RDX and beeswax semi plastic in nature.
b. Composition B – is a mixture of RDX, TNT and beeswax
c. Composition C – sometimes referred as plastic explosives, is RDX and inert
plasticizer composition
d. C-2 – is RDX and explosive plasticizer. Contains no tetryl
e. C-3 – is RDX and an explosive plasticizer with tetryl substituted to part of RDX
f. C-4 – is RDX and plastic explosive composition