Lesson on forensic ballistics, new report for added knowledge. Helpful notes for criminology students to become more knowledgeable to their chosen field of study.
2. Ballistics
A science that deals
with the motion of
projectiles.
Technically, it refers
to the science of
firearms
identification.
3. Legal meaning:
It is the
microscopic
examination of fired
cartridge cases and
bullets together with
the recording and
presentation by
means of
photography of
what is revealed by
4. Origin
It was derived from
the Greek word
“ballo” or “Ballien”
which means “to
throw”.
The root word of
ballistics was said
to be derived from
the Roman
weapon “ballista”.
6. Interior Ballistics
It refers to the
motion of
projectiles while it
is inside the
firearm.
The bullets
occupies the
muzzle of the
firearm for only
0.01 sec.
The explosion of the bullet is .0002 sec.
7. Interior Ballistics . . . .
It includes the following:
Firing pin hitting the primer
Ignition of the priming
mixture
Combustion of the gun
powder
Expansion of the heated
gas
Pressure developed
Energy generated
Recoil of the gun
Velocity of the bullet in the
barrel
Rotation of the bullet in the
barrel
8. Exterior Ballistics
It refers to the motion of projectiles from
the time it leaves the muzzle of the
firearm and reaches the target.
Muzzle blast
Muzzle energy
Trajectory
Range
Velocity
Air resistance
Pull of gravity
Penetration
9. Terminal Ballistics
It is the study that
deals with the
effect or the
impact of the
projectile on the
target.
Terminal Accuracy
Terminal energy
Terminal
penetration
10. Forensic Ballistics
It refers to the study of
firearms identified by
means of ammunition
fired from them.
Field investigation
Technical examinations
of the ballistics exhibit
13. Firearms
Technically, it
refers to an
instrument that is
used for the
propulsion of
projectiles by
means of
expansive force of
gases coming
from burning
powder.
14. Legally:
Section 877 of Revised Administrative
Code and Section 290 of National Internal
Revenue;
“firearms or arms include rifles, muskets,
carbines, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, and all
other deadly weapons from which bullets, balls,
shots, shells, or other missiles may be
discharged by means of gunpowder or other
explosives.
The barrel of any firearm is considered a
complete firearm for all intents and purpose
thereof”.
16. Classes of firearms
According to gun barrel:
o Smooth-bore firearm
o Rifled bore firearm
According to Caliber:
o Artillery
o Small arms
According to Mechanical construction:
o
22. Important persons
Col Calvin H Goddard – Father of modern
ballistics
In the late 1920’s, the work of Calvin
Goddard brought the FBI (formally
named in 1932) even more fully into
the application of science to
detective work.
Goddard, a pioneer in forensic
ballistics, was instrumental in the
opening of the Scientific Crime
Detection Laboratory, then affiliated
with Northwestern University, in
Chicago.
The Bureau learned much from
Goddard’s lab and it supported
many of the efforts made by this
organization over the next several
years.
23. Horace Smith –
founded the great
firm Smith and
Wesson pioneered
the making of
breech loading
rifles.
Daniel Baired
Wesson –
responsible for
helping develop
several influential
firearm designs over
the course of his life
25. John Moses Browning –
the wizard of modern
firearm.
He is regarded as one of the
most successful firearms
designers of the 20th
century, in the development
of
modern automatic and semi-
automatic firearms,
and is credited with 128 gun
patents.
He made his first firearm at
age 13 in his father's gun
shop, and was awarded his
first patent on October 7,
33. Ammunition/Cartridge
Ammunition
It refers to a complete
unfired unit consisting of
a bullet, cartridge case,
propellant powder and
primer.
It is a generic term
meaning (the assembly
of) a projectile and its
propellant. It is derived
through French from the
34. Ammunition/Cartridge
Cartridge
It was derived from the
word “charta”, the
Latin word for paper.
Later on, it came from
the French word
“cartouche” meaning a
roll of paper which
indicates that the
original cartridges were
not the brass gilding
metal tipped units that
we are familiar with
today
35. Ammunition/cartridge
Ammunition based on:
Section 877of revised Administrative code
and
Section 290 of National Internal Revenue;
“ shall mean loaded shell for rifles,
muskets, carbines, shotguns, revolvers,
and pistols from which a ball, bullet,
shot, shell or a missiles may be fired by
means of gunpowder or other
explosives”.
43. General Types of Ammunition
Dummy (fake) model – a type of ammunition that
merely resembles the genuine one. It is a carefully
made replica of the cartridge, usually of tool steel,
and dimensioned to be used by weapons
instructors, inspectors, and repairmen when
checking the functioning of the weapon.
44. General Types of Ammunition
Drill Ammunition (w/o gun powder) – It is a
type of ammunition that is completely inert,
without an explosive, and is used in mill training to
practice loading and manipulation of the gun. It is
sometimes called “dummy” although in the strict
sense there is a difference.
45. General Types of Ammunition
Blank Ammunition (w/o bullet) –ammunition
without a bullet, containing gunpowder that is
designed to generate a loud noise to indicate
firing. This type of ammunition is used for
theatrical performances or filmmaking, training
dogs, and military training.
46. Cartridge Cases
refers to the
tubular metallic or
non-metallic
container which
holds together the
bullet, gunpowder,
and primer.
47. Functions of the Cartridge
Case
1. It holds the bullet, gunpowder and
primer assembled into one unit.
2. It serves as a waterproof container
for the gunpowder.
3. It prevents the escape of the gases
to the rear as the sidewalls of the
cartridge case are forced against the
wall of the chamber by the pressure. It
serves as a “gas seal” at the breech
end of the barrel.
4. It served as gas seal at the breech end
of the barrel.
48. Parts of a Cartridge cases
Rim
Primer pocket
Vents or flash hole
The head and body
Neck
Cannelure
Crimp
Base
Shoulder
Extracting groove
49. Parts of a Cartridge cases
1. RIM – the projecting rims of rimmed and
semi-rimmed cases serve the purpose of
limiting the forward travel of cartridges
into their chambers and thus also limit the
clearances in between the heads and the
supporting.
2. PRIMER POCKET – primer pocket
performs three functions: a. holding
primers security in a central position; b.
providing a means to prevent the escape of
gas to the rear of the cartridge, and c.
providing solid support for primer anvils
without which the latter could not be fired.
50. Parts of a Cartridge cases
3. VENTS OR FLASH HOLES – the “vents” or flash
hole” is the hole in the web or bottom of the
primer pockets through which the primer “flash”
provides ignition to the powder charge. The
“opening” or “canal” connects the priming
mixture with the gunpowder.
4. THE HEAD AND BODY – the “head” and the
“body”
constitute the “cork” that plugs the breech of the
barrel against the escape of the gas.
5. NECK – the term “neck” is applied to that part
of the
cartridge case that is occupied by the bullet. In
cases of the bottleneck, the neck is apparent. But
in the so-called “straight” cases which involve
51. 6. CANNELURES – shell cannelures are
serrated grooves that are sometimes
found rolled into the necks and bodies of
the cases at the location of the bases of
the bullet to prevent the bullet from
being pushed back or loosened.
7. CRIMP – the “crimp” is that part of the
mouth of case that is turned in upon the
bullet. It works two ways: a. it aids in
holding the bullet in place; and b. it
offers resistance to the movement of the
bullet out of the neck which affects the
burning of the gunpowder.
52. 8. BASE – the bottom portion of the case
which holds:
a. the primer which contains the priming
mixtures; and
b. the shell head which contains the
headstamp, caliber, and year of
manufacture.
9. SHOULDER – the portion which supports
the neck.
10. EXTRACTING GROOVE – the circular
groove near the base of the case or shell
designed for the automatic withdrawal of
the case after each firing.
56. TYPES OF CARTRIDGE
Straight Type – a type of cartridge case which
has a straight shell body.
Tapered Type – a type of cartridge case similar
to a flower vase.
Bottle Neck Type – a type of cartridge case
commonly found in ammunition for rifles.
58. Classification of Cartridge
According to the Primer
Pin-fire –a type of cartridge in which the ignition cap
(primer) is concealed inside the cartridge case and has a
pin resting upon it. The pin protrudes radially through the
side and the gun chamber has a notch for the pin to
stand when loaded and it will be struck by a falling
hammer.
59. Classification of Cartridge
According to the Primer
1.Rim-fire –a type of cartridge in which the
priming mixture is located at the hollow rim of
the case and can be fired if the cartridge is
struck by the firing pin on the rim of the
case(cavity rim).
60. Classification of Cartridge
According to the Primer
1.Center-fire – It refers to a cartridge
in which the primer cap (ignition
cap) is centrally placed in the base
of the cartridge case and the
priming mixture is exploded by the
impact of the firing pin and with the
support of the anvil. The flame
produced by the ignition of the
priming mixture will pass through
the vent or flash hole and will ignite
and combust the gun powder.
64. According to Rim Diameter
Rimmed case type – a type
of cartridge in which the case
has a well-defined upstanding
rim around the base or simply
a cartridge with rim diameter
greater than the diameter of
the body of the shell. A
common example of this is
caliber .22 and .38 used in
revolvers
65. According to Rim Diameter
Semi-rimmed type – a cartridge
with a case slightly rimmed. At first
glance, a cartridge is a rimless form
but with a closer look, the rim is
slightly greater than the diameter of
the body.
This was invented by John Browning
for an automatic pistol in 1903 for
greater fit to the chamber. It is
commonly seen in 6.35mm, 7.65m,
and 9mm, and Browning long
automatic pistol cartridges.
66. According to Rim Diameter
Rebated type – refers to
the cartridge with a rimless
pattern, but which has a
rim diameter smaller than
the body of the case. It is
seen in some Oerlikon 20
mm cannon cartridge and
later on some custom-built
sporting rifles of unusual
calibers.
67. According to Rim Diameter
Belted type – a cartridge with a
prominent raise belt around its
body just in front of the
extraction groove. This is used
for two basic purposes: (1) to
position the case and the
projectile accurately in the
chamber and (2) to strengthen
the rear of the case for use with
high-powered propelling
chargers.
71. Bullet/slug
It refers to metallic or non-metallic,
cylindrical projectile propelled from a firearm
by means of the expansive force of gases
coming from burning gunpowder.
Originated from the French word “boulette”
which means a small ball.
Slug is a layman’s term used during court
proceedings. Projectiles propelled from a
shotgun are termed shots or pellets.
72. Classification of bullets
Non-jacketed or Lead Bullet –
those which are made of lead alloy
of this metal, lead, tin, antimony, –
which are, slightly harder than
pure lead.
The most common material used
in the manufacture of non-jacketed
bullets is lead. Lead bullets are
usually an alloy of lead and
antimony which is added to give
the bullet some additional
hardness.
73. Classification of bullets . . . .
Jacketed Bullets – those
which core of lead covered by
a jacket of harder material
such as gilding metal, a
copper-alloy of approximately
90 % and 10 % zinc.
The primary function of the
“jacket” in a bullet is to
prevent the adherent of metal
(lead) to the inside of the gun
barrel.
75. TYPES OF BULLETS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAXIMUM
EFFECT ON THEIR TARGETS
Ball Type – This is a type of bullet
that is intended for personnel and
general use. Have soft lead core
inside a jacket and are used against
personnel only.
76. TYPES OF BULLETS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAXIMUM
EFFECT ON THEIR TARGETS
Armor Piercing – Type of military bullet designed to
penetrate light steel armor. It is formed by a hard metal
steel core covered with a jacket thus, giving it’s core the
optimum power of piercing while its shape has the
optimum shape for accurate flight. Have hardened steel
cores and are fired and other armored targets in general
77. TYPES OF BULLETS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAXIMUM
EFFECT ON THEIR TARGETS
Explosive Bullet – It is a small bullet containing a
charge of explosives that detonates on impact.
contain a high charge of explosive because of their small size it is difficult to
make a fuse that will work reliably in small arms ammunition. For this
reason, the use of high explosive bullets is usually limited to 20 mm and
above.
78. TYPES OF BULLETS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAXIMUM
EFFECT ON THEIR TARGETS
Incendiary Bullet – Type of military bullet used to cause fire
in a target, generally designed for use by aircraft armaments
in order for the fuel tanks to ignite. (blue-tip)
– contains a mixture such as phosphorous or other material that can be set
on fire by impact. These are used on targets that will readily burn such as
aircraft or gasoline depots.
79. Tracer Bullet – a type of military bullet capable of leaving
visible marks or traces while in flight giving the gunner the
chance to observe the strike of the shot or make
adjustments in the event of a miss. (red-tip)
TYPES OF BULLETS ACCORDING TO THEIR MAXIMUM
EFFECT ON THEIR TARGETS
81. Common Shape of Bullets
Ball Type – A military term for a
Full metal jacketed bullet, a solid
metal projectile, or a round nose
bullet
Flat Nose – A bullet with a
flattened tip
82. Wadcutter type – a flat nose bullet with a sharp shoulder, which is
generally used for target shooters and also designed to produce a
clear–cut pinched-out hole on a paper
Semi Wadcutter – A multi-purpose bullet used in revolver and pistol
cartridge
83. Spitzer type – A German term referring to an elongated
ogival bullet with a sharp point
84. Soft point or Semi – jacketed- A jacketed bullet in
which the jacket is cut back at the nose, revealing the
lead core side
Truncated type- The original military issue bullet of
the German army in 1908. this type can ensure
smooth feeding and allows a lighter bullet to be loaded
at higher velocities.
85. Truncated bullet – is the original military issue
bullet of the German army in 1908. this type of
bullet can ensure smooth feeding and allows a
lighter bullet to be loaded at higher velocities.
86. Hollow point – this type of bullet is generally a semi-
jacketed bullet with a nose that features a cavity. This
is designed to expand upon impact with soft targets,
thereby increasing its wounding potential
87. Bullet fragmentation
Frangible bullets are intended to disintegrate into
tiny particles upon target impact to minimize
their penetration of other objects. Small particles
are slowed more rapidly by air resistance and are
less likely to cause injury or damage to persons and
objects distant from the point of bullet impact.
88. Classification of bullets . . . .
Dumdum bullet –
outlawed for use in war,
this includes all soft
bullets.
Soft point or mushroom
bullet – will expand on
striking an object and
produces a more serious
shock.
Hollow point bullet – with
a cavity on its nose
designed to increase the
expansion and sometimes
89. Why is it called a dumdum bullet?
The ammunition was named after the Indian town
Dum Dum near Kolkata. The local ammunition factory
produced hollow point bullets for the British army at the
end of the 19th century.
When were dum dum bullets banned?
Dum dum bullets, which are apparently softened to
create more tissue damage, were banned in 1933 by
the Geneva convention."
90. Dum-dum Bullet – this is a .303 rifle bullet which is designed
and developed in the Indian arsenal of Dum-dum in 1894. it
consisted of a standard.303 rifle bullet whose front is metal
jacket trimmed back to expose the lead core inside
91. X-bullet – a solid copper projectile that
may form a four razor edge petals.
93. Classification of bullets . . . .
mi-jacketed Soft Point bullet
Jacketed Soft Point
bullet
Speer Gold-Dot Jacketed Hollow-point bullet.
Full-metal-jacketed
Round Nose
Lead
95. Primer
It is that portion of the cartridge which
consists of a brass or gilding metal
cup. The cup contains a highly
sensitive mixture of chemical
compound, which when struck by the
firing pin would detonate or ignite.
Such action is called percussion
It is a small, self-contained metallic
ignition cap at the center of the base
of the ammunition case.
It was first conceive by Alexander
John Forsyth in 1807.
Commonly composed of lead
styphnate, barium nitrate and
antimony sulphide.
96. Parts of primer
Primer cup
Priming mixture
Anvil
Disc
According to location:
Center-fire
Rimfire
According to types:
Boxer (USA)
Berdan (Europe)
98. Parts of primer
Primer cup – the container of the priming mixture. This is
made of brass, gilding metal or copper, depending upon the
kind.
Priming mixture – the highly sensitive chemical mixture
contained in the primer cup. This priming chemical varies in
composition depending upon the manufacturer.
Anvil – that portion of the primer against which the priming
mixture is crushed by a blow from the firing pin. This must be
hard, rigid and firmly supported to provide resistance
necessary for firing the priming mixture.
Disc – piece of small paper or disk of tin foil which is pressed
over the priming mixture. Its purpose is to hold the priming
mixture in place and to exclude moisture.
99. Boxer and berdan primer
Boxer primer pocket
Berdan primer pocket
101. Berdan and Boxer primers
are two different types of
centerfire primers used in
modern metallic cartridge
ammunition. The main
difference between the two
is that Boxer primers have a
self-contained anvil within
the primer whereas Berdan
primers have an anvil that
is integral to the primer
pocket on the cartridge
case.
105. Gun Powder
The gunpowder or powder charge in a cartridge is
the propellant which when ignited by the primer
flash is converted to gas under high pressure and
propels the bullet or shot charge through the barrel
and to the target.
In more recent times the general term
“gunpowder” has been by the term “propellant”.
Another term that is being used for it is “powder
charge”. All these terms can be used
interchangeably because they refer to the same
thing the weight of the countries using the metric
system.
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPOSITION
Generally, there are two types of powder used in
106. (1) BLACKPOWDER – although black
powder features less importantly it is
still utilized by some manufactures
especially Europeans. In recent times
black powder has been almost
completely superseded by smokeless
powder and it is seldom used as a
propellant in modern cartridge. The
standard ingredients of “black
powder” are potassium nitrate,
sulphur and charcoal although their
proportions may vary somewhat as
follows.
Potassium
107. The standard ingredients of
black powder
1. Potassium nitrate – 75%
2. Sulfur – 10%
3. Charcoal – 15 %
108. Forerunners of
gunpowder
Chinese - by their
alchemists, gunpowder was
invented on 9th
century with
a mixture of sulfur, charcoal
and saltpeter.
Employed in military
application during 10th
century.
Roger Bacon – the one who
first record the actual
chemicals for gunpowder in
his book Opus Magnusset.
Berthold Schwartz – first
person who used the
gunpowder for a rifle.
109. In 1886, Paul Vieille,
invented smokeless
gunpowder with a
single base
propellant, called
paudre B, made
from gelatinized
guncotton mixed
with ether and
110. In 1884, Paul
Vieille invented a
smokeless powder called
Poudre B (short for poudre
blanche—white powder, as
distinguished from black
powder) made from 68.2%
insoluble nitrocellulose,
29.8% soluble
nitrocellulose gelatinized
with ether and 2%
paraffin. This was adopted
for the Label rifle.
111. (2) SMOKELESS POWDER – the term “smokeless
powder” is a misnomer for they are neither
powder nor smokeless. The powder is raid to be
smokeless only because this does not give off
huge cloud of white smoke like the black
powder. This is type of powder commonly used
now in modern small arms ammunition. It is the
most powerful of propellants. All propellants
currently used have a nitrocellulose base and
are commonly known as smokeless powder.
Various organic or inorganic substances are
added to the nitrocellulose base during
manufacture to give improved qualities for
117. Barrel
It is made from a solid steel. Most of the
hunting rifle and military firearms are
made of high alloy Crome Molybdenum.
4140/4150/4340 in USA
EN 19 or EN 24 in Britain
another one is the 416 type stainless steel.
119. Rifling
Refers to the
helical lines cut in
the interior of the
bore of gun barrel.
Consists of
grooves cut or
formed in a spiral
nature, lengthwise
down the barrel of
a firearm.
120. Composition of a rifling
Number of lands
Number of grooves
Width of lands
Depth of grooves
Pitch of rifling
Twist of rifling
121. Principles of Firearms
Identification
1. Firearms Identification is actually refined
tool marks identification.
2. The natural wear and tear of tools
involved produces individuality in a
firearm.
3. When a softer surface comes in contact
with a harder surface, it is the softer
surface that acquires impressions or
engravings from the irregularities
present on the harder surface.
4. The fact that no two things are
absolutely identical alike.
122. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
Those characteristics that are
determinable even prior to the
manufacture of the firearms.
Also called factory specifications.
Serve as basis to identify a certain
group or class of firearms.
124. Numbers of Lands and Grooves- the
number of lands and grooves are always
proportionate.
Width of lands- the width depends on the
bore diameter, groove width and number
Width of grooves- the shortest distance
between two edges of a groove
Direction of twist- the spiral groove cuts
which impart motion or rotation on the
bullet, which is either to the left or to the
right.
Pitch of rifling- refers to the distance
advance of the rifling
125. Class characteristics
according to riflings
Styr type – 4-R-G=L
Smith & Wesson type - 5-R-G=L
Browning type – 6-R-G2x
Colt type – 6-L-G2x
Webley type – 7-R-G3x
Army type – 4-R-G3x
126. INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Are those characteristics peculiar in
character and not found in all other
firearms.
Acquired during and after the
manufacture of the weapon as a result
of coincidental procedure and
subsequent mutation.
They are in the form of dimensional
divergences that show slight
inadvertent deviation.
127. Marks found on a bullet
Land marks
Grooves marks
Skid marks
Stripping marks
131. Marks found on a fired
cartridge case
Striated action marks
Chamber marks
Shear marks
Firing pin drag marks
Extractor marks
Ejector marks
Impressed action marks
Firing pin impression
Breech marks
Ejector marks
132. Chamber marks
Roughness in the
chamber of a firearm
can scratch the outer
walls of a cartridge
case when loaded and
removed from the
chamber. Most
chamber marks occur
after the cartridge is
fired.
133. Shear marks
When a cartridge case is
forced backwards from
recoil the primer imbeds
itself in the firing pin
hole. As the slide of the
pistol starts to recoil, the
barrel will drop slightly as
the action opens.
134. Firing Pin Drag marks
When the firing pin
springs forward to
strike the primer of a
cartridge, it may
remain slightly
forward and
imbedded in the
primer.
Certain barrels drop
down slightly as
recoil is forcing the
135. extractor marks
The extractor is a small
part sometimes
resembling a hook that
is used to remove a
cartridge or cartridge
case from the chamber
of a firearm.
As the slide of the pistol
moves to the rear, the
extractor pulls the
cartridge case along
with it until it is ejected
136. Ejector marks
The ejector is
designed to expel the
cartridge case from
the action of the
firearm.
The resulting impact
of the cartridge case
with the ejector will
cause another action
mark that can be used
as a means of
139. Firing pin marks
These are indentations
created when the firing
pin of a firearm strikes
the primer of center fire
cartridge case or the rim
of a rim fire cartridge
case. If the nose of the
firing pin has
manufacturing
imperfections or damage,
these potentially unique
characteristics can be
impressed into the metal
140. Breech marks
Most fired cartridge cases are
identified as having been
fired by a specific firearm
through the identification of
breech marks.
The breech face rests against
the head of the cartridge case
and holds the cartridge case
in the chamber of the firearm.
141. Marking of Physical
Evidence
On fired bullets:
- mark on the ogive near the nose
or base
On fired cartridge case:
- mark on the side of the cartridge
near the mouth or inside the mouth.
142. IBIS
- A computerized identification system
that stores ballistics information on
bullets and cartridge cases submitted
as evidence in connection of a crime.
- Developed by Michael Barrel
- Bulletproof
- Brasscatcher
143. Firearms laws
PD 1866 – Illegal possession of firearms
RA 8294 – Act Amending the PD 1866
RA 10591 -
Section 877of Revised Administrative
Code
Section 290 of National Internal Revenue