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Firearm Analysis

If a bullet is undamaged this can easily be determined by simple inspection. .
             Located within the barrel are also a series of striations made up of nicks, scratches and breaks that also imprint onto the bullet. These striations are imperfections in the manufacturing process and are unique to every firearm therefore serve as a fingerprint and the most effective method in matching the bullet to a firearm. In order to match a bullet's markings to the individual inner surface markings of the suspect's weapon a test bullet must be fired to compare with the original bullet. This test bullet is initially fired into a recovery box filled with cotton or water to avoid damaging the bullet's markings. The comparison of bullets is then carried out using a comparison microscope that consists of two compound microscopes connected so the images produced by each microscope can be viewed side by side. (Saferstein, 2001). If there is a high number of differences between the number of striations the probability of a match decreases.
             In the case of shotguns testing the unique characteristics left on the cartridges is achieved in a different way. Unlike rifled firearms, a shotgun has a smooth barrel therefore there will be no striations left on of the shot pellets fired. In determining the size of a shot fired, the forensic officers can weigh the shot material recovered from the crime scene (Saferstein, 2001). A shotgun operates by pulling the trigger, which releases the firing pin, causing the firing pin to strike the primer, which then ignites the powder. The metal on the cartridge case is relatively soft and will exhibit unique imprints from the firing pin. If recovered these cartridges can by linked back to the shotgun in the same fashion as bullets are. The breechblock (rear part of the firearm barrel) will also leave permanent markings on the end of the shell due to the rearward thrush of the shell when it is initially fired (Saferstein, 2001).


Essays Related to Firearm Analysis

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GSR, also known as firearm residue, is defined as the "residue from the primer that is produced when a gun is fired" (James, Nordby, & Bell, 2014, p. 572; Firearms Residue, 2011). ... But where does firearm residue come from? ... "Some common places that the forensic teams collects samples for gunshot residue analysis include "the hands, face, clothing of the shooter and on the weapon itself" (Firearms Residue, 2011). Firearm residue can also be found on the victim and any bystanders (Locke, 2012). ... Potentially hundreds or thousands, or even more, of cases were de...

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4. Gun Control

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6. Gun Control and the Stand Your Ground Law

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