Ballistics: how bullets

behave after being fired

from a gun
*Study of a projectile
in motion
Forensic Firearms Examiners:
1.Analyze bullets & shell casings
found at a crime scene
2. Determine what type of weapon
fired the bullet
3. Determine trajectory of the
bullet
4. Match a bullet or casing to a
weapon
5. Match a bullet or casing to a
crime scene
***In general, firearms ID
determines whether or not a
bullet or cartridge was fired from
a particular weapon***
 How does a gun fire?
1. Person pulls the trigger.
2. The firing pin strikes the primer.
3. The powder ignites.
4. Gases are released, propelling the
bullet forward through the barrel.
5. The spent cartridge is pushed back
against the breechblock.
 Types of Guns
Classified into 3 types:
1. Handguns
A.Revolvers
B. Semiautomatic Pistols
C.Machine Pistols (automatic weapon)
2. Rifles
3. Shotguns
 Revolvers
*Handguns that contain a
cylinder that revolves with
every pull of the trigger
*After a bullet is fired, the
shell casing remains in the
cylinder until it is
removed
Revolver Examples
 Semi-Automatic Handguns
*Loaded using a magazine or clip
*A clip contains cartridges in a
spring-loaded device
*Usually loads into the handle of
the handgun
*Semi-Automatic weapons eject the
empty shell casing from the gun and
reloads the next cartridge into the
firing chamber
 Rifles
*Utilizes a lever or sliding
bolt to eject a spent
cartridge and bring the next
one into the chamber
*Can also be automatic or
semi-automatic
 Shotguns
*Fire shells filled with
groups of pellets (shot)
*As the shot exits the
barrel, they spread out in
a circular pattern
*Don’t require a lot of aim
or precision
 Bullets---4 types
1. Lead bullets
A. Lead is a soft metal. Most lead bullets
deform and fragment very easily.
B. Used in low velocity weapons
*Small caliber handguns, some
rifles
C. Penetrate less than other bullets,
but can still cause damage.
 Bullets Continued
2. Lead Alloy Bullets
A. Alloy: combination of
different metals that make
them harder.
B. Antimony & Tin are often
combined with lead
C. These bullets tend to
deform & fragment less, but
penetrate deeper.
 Bullets Continued
3. Semi-jacketed bullets
A. Thin layer of brass
coating the sides.
B. Soft lead nose, so bullet
expands and fragments on
impact
C. Can be a hollow point bullet
*Nose is slightly hollow
*Deforms & fragments
more, causing more
damage

D. Used in low velocity & high

velocity weapons (.357
magnum, .44 magnum)
 Bullets Continued
4. “Full Metal Jacket”
A. Completely covered in
brass, even the nose
B. Used in high velocity
guns, such as .44
magnum & high powered
rifles
C. Greater penetrating power
D. Can be coated in Teflon, nylon,
synthetics to increase speed &
penetrability
E. Can penetrate body armor and
are known as “cop killers”
 Caliber
Caliber: measurement of the
internal diameter of its barrel
(not an exact measurement)
*Measured in inches or
millimeters
*Example: .38 caliber
handgun has a barrel with
an approximate
internal diameter of
 Gauge (Shotguns)
Gauge: measure of a shotgun’s
barrel diameter
*Originally the number of lead
balls with the same diameter of the
barrel that would make a pound
*Higher the gauge number, the
smaller the barrel’s diameter
 Shell Casings
Shell casing: part of the
cartridge that remains
after the powder explodes
and the bullet is gone
*Contain marks that are
important
1.Firing Pin impression
*Shows where the firing pin
struck
*Center-fire (had a
primer cup)
*Rim-fire (primer
around its edge)

Can be used to individualize the pin

impression to a single weapon
2. Breechblock Pattern
Breechblock: back wall of the
firing chamber
*After a bullet is fired, the
casing is forced back against the
breechblock, leaving an
impression
3. Headstamps: manufacturers
stamp on the metal part of the
casings
*Can be a manufacturer’s name or
logo, caliber or gauge, or cartridge
type
4. Extractor & Ejector Marks
*Automatic & Semi-Automatic
weapons
*Leave unique scratches &
marks on the sides of shell
casings when they are
“extracted” from the magazine
and “ejected” from the weapon
 Rifling
*Gun barrels are “rifled”,
meaning they contain spiral
grooves that are etched or cut into
the inside of the barrels
*This makes the bullet spin as
they are ejected, and make them
more accurate
 Lands & Grooves
Grooves: low points of the rifling
Lands: high points of the rifling,
caused by cutting the grooves
Grooves cause the bullet to spin
& increase its accuracy
The lands & grooves mark the
bullet as it travels along the barrel.
 ID Characteristics of
Rifling
*FBI maintains a database
known as the General Rifling
Characteristics file
*Lists land, groove, & twist
characteristics of known weapons
*Lands & Grooves are CLASS
EVIDENCE!
*Manufacturers of gun barrels cut,
stamp, mold, or etch the rifling.
They also determine the direction
and degree of TWIST.
*Right hand twist, Left hand
twist, counterclockwise,
clockwise
*Can be used to narrow the
possible weapon used
 Rifled Barrels
*Each rifled barrel is UNIQUE in its
minute characteristics
*Rifling tools cut each barrel a little
differently due to wear and damage
each time a new barrel is cut or etched
*Repeated firing also wears down the
lands & grooves, causing INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS to the barrel &
the bullets fired from it
 Older Weapons &
Shotguns
*Shotguns & older weapons
DO NOT have rifling, so
there is no evidence or lands
or grooves
 Bullet Striations
*Lands & grooves cut into a bullet as it travels
down the barrel, creating unique markings
*These are called striations
*Linear & parallel to the long axis of
the bullet
*More noticeable on lead (soft)
bullets
*Striation patterns are the same for the same
gun
*This is INDIVIDUAL EVIDENCE
***No 2 rifled barrels, even
those manufactured right
after another, will have
identical striation marks***
 Comparing Striations
*To compare striations, an intact
bullet fired from the suspect
weapon must be obtained
*Examiner fires the gun into a
test-fire chamber (H2O or cotton)
*Test-fired bullet is then viewed
with a comparison microscope
 Is it a Match?
*Bullets rarely match in every detail,
but are still considered important
evidence
*Why? Each bullet fired from a gun
slightly alters the barrel. It also leaves
behind soot and grit. (Rust could be a factor also)
*To be considered a match, you
need to find identical patterns on at
least 3 consecutive striations on each
bullet
 TECHNOLOGY TO THE
RESCUE!
1. IBIS : Integrated Bullet Identification
System
*Maintained by the ATF
*Used to connect 2 or more cases
2. DRUGFIRE :
*Developed by the FBI
*Shell casings, individual striation
patterns