FORENSIC

BALLISTICS
1. PRINCIPLES OF IDENTIFICATION (BULLETS)
2. PRINCIPLES OF IDENTIFICATION (SHELLS)
3. SIX PROBLEMS
4. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
5. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
 1. No two barrels are microscopically identical as the surface of
their bores all possess individual characteristics markings of there
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. So it happens that the
engravings on the bullets fired from one barrel will be different
from another bullet fired from another barrel.
 3. Every barrel leaves its thumb mark or fingerprints on very
single bullet fired through it just as every breech face leaves its
thumb mark on the base of every fired cartridges case.
 1. The breech face and striker of every single firearm leave
micro skeptical individualities of their own.
 2. The firearm leaves its “Fingerprints” or “Thumb mark”
on every cartridge case that 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. The imprints on all
cartridges cases fired from the same weapon are always the
same; those on cartridges cases fired from different
weapons are different.
 Type 1 – Given bullets, to determine the caliber and type of firearm from which it was fired.

 Type 2 – Given a fired cartridge case, to determine the caliber and type of firearm from which it
was fired.

 Type 3 – Given a bullet and a suspected firearm, to determine whether or not the bullets was
fired from the suspected firearm.

 Type 4 – Given a fired cartridge case and suspected firearm, to determine whether or not the
cartridge case was fired from the suspected firearm.

 Type 5 – Given two or more bullets, to determine whether or not they were fired from only one
firearm.

 Type 6 – Given two or more cartridge cases, to determine whether or not they were fired from
only one firearm.
 Caliber (Bore Diameter)
 Number of lands
 Number of grooves
 Width of lands
 Width of grooves
 Direction of twist
 Pitch of rifling
 Depth of grooves
– Those which are determinable only after the manufacture of the firearm.
They are characteristics whose existence is beyond the control of man
which have random distribution. Their existence in a firearm is brought
about by the tools in their normal operation resulting through wear and
tear, abuse, mutilations, corrosion, erosion and other fortuitous causes.
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/photo/Firearms/a_fagallery.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/sabot.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/shotshelll_pellet.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/brenneke.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/pistol_cartridge_jhp.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/pistol_cartridge_fmj.asp
 http://www.firearmsid.com/Galleries/illustrations/
revolver_cartridge_sjhp.asp