FORENSIC BALLISTICS

Mr. Felix M. Corvera Jr.

The introduction of the bullet comparison microscope by Dr. Calvin H.

Goddard in resolving crimes involving the use of firearms led to the
improvement of the science of firearms identification. The science is
recently called Forensic Ballistics. This science deals with the study on
how to identify firearms through the fired bullets and fired cartridge
cases with the use of scientific laboratory equipment.

Father of Forensic Ballistics

Col. Calvin Hooker Goddard
(1891 1955) was a
forensic scientist, army officer,
academic, researcherand a
pioneer inforensic ballistics. He
was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
After graduating from the
Boys' Latin School of Marylandin
1907, Goddard graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1911
from theJohns Hopkins University
and then earned a medical
degree and graduated in 1915.

Definition:
BALLISTICS is the science that deals with the study of the motion
of the projectile.
Science refers to the systematized body of knowledge.
Motion refers to the movement
Projectile refers to the bullet that passes through the barrel of the
firearm.
Ballistics is derived from the Greek Word BALO or Ballein which
means THROW and from the Roman war machine BALLISTA .

FORENSIC
an argumentative exercise that permits the document
examiner to explain the findings to the court in a
formal manner consecutively and logically.
FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Is the study of firearm identification by means of the
ammunition of fired through them

THE BRANCHES OF BALLISTICS

Interior Ballistics
Exterior Ballistics
Terminal Ballistics
Forensic Ballistics

INTERIOR BALLISTICS:
Treats of the motion of projectile while still inside the firearms.
a. Firing pin hitting the primer
b. Ignition of the priming mixture
c. Combustion of gunpowder
d. Expansion of heated gas
e. Pressure developed
f.

Energy generated

g. Recoil of the firearm

h. Velocity of the bullet
i.

Rotation of the bullet inside the barrel

j.

Engraving on the cylindrical surface of the bullet

EXTERIOR BALLISTICS
treats of the projectile after leaving the muzzle of the gun barrel
a. Muzzle Blast
b. Muzzle Energy
c. Trajectory
d. Range
e. Velocity
f. Air Resistance
g. Pull of Gravity
h. Penetration

TERMINAL BALLISTICS
treats the effects of the impact of the bullet towards the target
Namely:
a. Terminal
b. Terminal
c. Terminal
d. Terminal

Accuracy
Energy
Velocity
Penetration

A. Terminal accuracy the size of the bullet grouping

on the target.
B. Terminal energy energy of the bullet
C. Terminal Velocity the speed of the bullet
D. Terminal Penetration the depth of the bullet on
target

FORENSIC BALLESTICS
Is the science of Firearms Identification by means of the
ammunition fired through them.
Include:
a. Field Investigation
b. Technical Examination
c. Legal Proceedings

A. Field Investigation refers to the work of an investigator in

the field. It concerns mostly with the collection, markings,
preservation, packing and transmission of firearms evidence.
B. Technical Examination refers to the examiners who
examine bullets and/or shells whether fired from the
suspected firearms submitted or to determine also whether
or not cartridge case where loaded or ejected from the
suspected firearm submitted.
C. Legal Proceedings presentation of ballistics reports,
firearms, bullets, cartridges cases and allied exhibits in court

FIREARMS

DEFINATION:
Legal

- includes rifles, muskets, carbines, shotguns, pistol,

revolvers and all other weapons from which a bullet, a
ball, a shot, a shell or missiles may discharge by
means of gunpowder or other explosives.
Technical

- is an instrument that used for the propulsion

of projectile with the aid of the expansive force of
gases from the burning gunpowder.

General Classification of Firearms

a. Smooth Bore Firearms
- firearms that does not contain rifling or perfectly smooth
from end to end.
e.g. Shotguns and muskets.

b. Rifled Arms
- firearms that contains rifling or the bore is cut
longitudinally with a number of groves.
e.g. Pistols, Revolvers and Rifles.

Main Types of Firearms

a. Artillery
- firearms that propel projectile more than one in diameter.
e.g. Cannons, Mortars, Bazooka

b. Small Arms
- firearms that propel projectile less than one inch in
diameter.
e.g. Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles, Submachine guns,
shotguns.

Three (3) Major Parts of Firearms

1. Frame or Stock
- is the basic structure of the gun to which the other major parts are
attached.

2. Barrel
- is the long hollow tube through which the bullet travels on its
way to the target.
3. Action
- action of the gun consists of all the moving parts that
facilitate the loading, firing and unloading of the gun.

CARTRIDG
E

Definition
A term used to described is a charge of firearm, a complete unfired unit
consisting of Bullet, Primer cartridge case and gunpowder.
the assembly of a bullet, gunpowder, and primer in a casing that is placed in
the chamber of a firearm.
Legal
- is referred to as a Loaded Shell for riffles etc, maybe fired by means of
gun powder or other explosives

Cartridge is derived from the word charta, the

Latin word for paper and from the French word
cartouche meaning a roll of paper, which
indicates that the original cartridges were not the
brass gilding metal of todays modern
ammunition.

Classification of Cartridge According to RIM

1. Rimmed Type The diameter of the rim is greater than the
diameter of the body of the cartridge case.
2. Semi-Rimmed Type The diameter of the rim is slightly greater
than the diameter of the body of the cartridge case.
3. Rimless Type The diameter of the rim is equal with the diameter
of the body of the cartridge case.
4. Rebated Type The diameter of the rim is smaller than the body
of the cartridge case
5. Belted Type There is a protruding metal round the body of the
cartridge case near the rim.

Type of Cartridges According to location of Primer

1. PIN-FIRE CARTRIDGE
the pin extends radially through the bead of the cartridge case into the
primer

2. RIM-FIRE CARTRIDGE
the priming mixture is placed in the cavity formed in the rim of
the head of the cartridge case.

3. CENTER-FIRE CARTRIDGE
the primer cup is forced into the middle portion of the head of
the cartridge cases.

4. PERCUSSION
a means of ignition of a propellant charge by a
mechanical blow against the primer or percussion cap.

Functions of Cartridge Cases

It holds the bullet, gunpowder and primer
It serves as a waterproof container for the gun
powder
It prevents the scape of gases to the rear.

BULLET

Definition
- A projectile propelled from a firearm. A metallic or non-metallic
cylindrical projectile. Originate from the French word boulette
a small ball. In common police parlane, a bullet may be called
slug

- An ammunition that is fired from a weapon. Bullets are

often made of metal such as lead.
- An elongated metal projectile crimped into the mouth of a
metal cartridge case and designed to be fired from a rifle, pistol,
or other weapon.

Two Basic Types of Commercial Bullets in Common Used.

1. Lead Bullets are used in almost all revolver ammunition and

some low and medium powder rifle cartridges.

2. Jacketed Bullets are used for automatic pistol ammunition

and medium and high power rifle ammunition.

TYPES OF BULLETS
1. Armour Piercing
Bullets
2.Fragmentation Bullets
3.Full jacketed Bullets
4.Hollow point
5. Permanent cavity
6. Semi- wad cutter

7. Soft point
8. Stopping power
9. Temporary cavity
10. Lead bullets
11. Tracer bullet
12. Incendiary bullet
13. Dum-dum bullets
14. Gas check bullet
15. Wax bullet

Anatomy of a Bullet

Ammunition
Components
1. Cartridge case
2. Primer
3. Propellant
4. Bullet
5. Extracting Groove

Marks Found on Fired Bullets:

1. Landmarks depress portion caused by the lands.
2. Groove Marks raised on elevated portions cause by
the grooves

Marks Found on Fired Bullets:

3. Skid Marks when the bullet enters the rifled bore from a
stationary position and is forced abruptly in to the rifling, its
natural tendency is to go straight toward before encountering
the regular rifling twist.

Marks Found on Fired Bullets:

4. Slippage Marks bullets fired from a worn-out barrel, oily
barrels and slightly over-sized barrels
5. Shaving Marks most commonly these marks are found on
bullets fired from a revolver due to a poor alignment of the
cylinder with bore.

Marks found on fired cartridge cases

1. Firing pin impression the indentation in the primer of a centative cartridge case
or in the rim of a rimfire cartridge
when it is struck by the firing pin.
Firingcase
Pin cause
Marks

In order to fire the

cartridge, the primer
must first be ignited. To
accomplish this a firing
pin strikes the center
ring of the cartridge.
This will in turn leave a
distinct impression that
is unique to the firing pin
of that particular gun.

Marks found on fired cartridge cases

2. Breechface Markings negative impression of the breechface of the
firearm found on the head of the cartridge case after firing.

Marks found on fired cartridge cases

3. Chamber Marks
individual microscope placed
upon a cartridge case by the
chamber wall as a result of
chambering, Expanding
during firing, Extraction.

4. Extractor Marks tool marks

produced upon a cartridge or
cartridge case from contact with the
extractor.

Marks found on fired cartridge cases

5. Ejector Marks tool marks
produced upon a cartridge or cartridge
case on the head, generally at or near
the rim, from contact with the ejector.

Extracting Pin and Ejector M

Th
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Th
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Rifling
1.

The grooved spirals inside the barrel of a gun that

produce lands and grooves on a bullet

2.

Lands & grooves are class characteristics

Principles of identification of bullets

1. No two barrels are microscopically identical as the
surfaces of their bores all possess individually and
characteristics markings of their town.
2. When a bullet is fired from a rifled barrel, it becomes engraved by the riflings
and this engraving will vary in its minute details with every individual bore. So it
happens that the engravings on the bullet fired from that on a similar bullet fired
from another barrel. The engravings on a bullets fired from the same barrel will be
the same.

3. Every barrel leaves it thumbmark on every bullet which is

fired through it, just as every breechface leaves its thumbmark
on the base of every fired cartridge case.

Principles of identification of shells

1. The breechface and striker of every single firearm leave
microscopically individualities of their own.
2. The firearm leaves its fingerprints or thumbmark on
every cartridge case which it fires.
3. The whole principle of identification is based on the fact that
since the breechface of every weapon must be individually
distinct, the cartridge cases which it fires are imprinted with
this individuality. The imprint on all cartridge cases fired from
the same weapon are always the same, those on cartridge
cases fired from different weapons must always be different.

TYPE OF RIFLINGS
1. Steyr Type Four lands four grooves, right hand twist and
lands or equal width (4 R-G=L)
2. Smith and Wesson Type Five lands and Grooves, weight
hand twist and lands or equal width (5-R-G=L)
3. Browning Type Six lands, six grooves, right hand twist,
narrow lands and broad grooves. (6-R-G2x)
4. Colt Type Six lands and six grooves, left hand twist, narrow
hand and broad grooves. (6-L-G2x)
5. Webly Type Seven lands and seven grooves, right hand
twist, narrow lands and broad grooves. (7-R-G3x)
6. Army Type Four lands and four grooves right-hand twist,
narrow land and broad grooves. (4-R-G3x)

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

1. Comparison Microscope
- The valuable instrument is
specially designed to permit the
firearms examiner to determine the
similarity and dissimilarity between
two fired bullets or two fired
cartridge cases by simultaneously
observing their magnified image.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

2. Stereoscope Microscope
- this is generally used in the
preliminary examinations of fired
bullets and fired shells. To determine
the location of the extractor marks
and ejector marks for orientation
purposes. It can be used also in the
closed-up examination of tampered
serial numbers of firearms.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

3. Comparison Projector
- this is similar to the comparison
microscope two fired bullets or two
fired shells can be compared in one
setting of the fire examiners. A
magnified image appears on a large
screen and can be observed in a
comfortable viewing distance.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

4. Bullet Recovery Box
- for obtaining best fired bullets
or test fired cartridge cases from the
suspected firearms submitted to the
Ballistics Laboratory.
Water is one of the means to
obtain test bullets and test shells
because the microscope marks on the
cylindrical or peripheral surface of
the bullets are preserved for good
use.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

5. Measuring Projector
- This projector determines the
with of lands, with of grooves,
diameter and twist of a fired bullet.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

6. Vernier Calipers
- this instrument
determined the bullet
diameter and barrel length.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

7. Analytical Balance
- this more or less
determines the weights of
the bullets, shots and
pellets for possible type,
caliber and make for
firearms from which they
where fired.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

8. Taper Gage
- used for determining the bore
diameter of the firearm.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

9. Onoscope
- for examining the interior
surface of the gun barrel.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

10. Helixometer
- for measuring the pitch of rifling's. Pitch of rifling is the distance advanced
by the rifling in one complete turn or the distance travelled by the bullet in one
complete turn.

Equipment's used in a Ballistics Laboratory

11. Chronograph
- for determining the speed of the bullet of the muzzle
velocity of the bullet.

Thank You for

Listening

Reaction
Forensic Ballistic is an in demand study and use in
the prosecution of cases because the generation today
uses firearm as a tool to commit crime there where
Forensic Ballistic comes in. This is the study that needs
to be handle carefully, thus the application of this
science in court presentation may also help other
sciences such as fingerprint and DNA in the
administration of justice.