FORENSIC

BALLISTICS
January 23, 2016
 Sequence of Presentation
• History of FAs
• Terms to Ponder
• Classification of Firearms
• Ammunitions
• Principles in FAs Identification and its Application FAs
Problems
• Related Laboratory Examination
• Practical Activities
 BALLISTICS
 "Ballistics“- originated from the Greek word "Ballein" or
"Ballo" which means “to throw" and from a Roman war
machine called "Ballista“

 It is the science dealing with the motion of projectiles in flight and

the conditions governing that motion or the study of natural laws
relating to the performance of gunpowder and projectiles in
firearms.
• Col Calvin H. Goddard pioneered the introduction of
this science in the Northwestern University, Chicago,
U.S.A.

• Subsequently it was universally practiced and accepted

as manifested in the different court dockets throughout
the world.
Col.Calvin Goddard - The Father of modern ballistics. He
invented the comparison microscope and helixometer.

John Browning - He pioneered the breech loading single shot

rifle.

Henry Derringer - A Famous 19th century maker of pocket pistol.

Patrick Ferguson - He designed his own rifle which was one of

the first breech loading rifles to be widely tested by the
British military.

Alexander Forsyth - He was a Scottish Presbyterian clergyman

Alexander Forsyth - He was a Scottish Presbyterian
clergyman who invented the percussion ignition.

Uziel Gal - He invented the Uzi sub-machine gun.

John Garand - He is the father of the semi automatic US rifle

cal. 30 M1.

Mikhail Kalashnikov - Russian designer of the the AK-47

assault rifle.

John Mahon Marlin - Founder of Marlin Firearms Co.Famous

John Mahon Marlin - Founder of Marlin Firearms Co.Famous
for the Marlin cal. 22 carbine.

Eliphalet Remington - He is one of the first rifle makers. He is

a blacksmith who made a revolutionary sporting rifle using a
firing mechanism bought from a dealer producing the barrel
himself.
Georg Luger - He designed the 9 mm cartridge introduced in 1902 for
the Luger semi-automatic pistol.

Hiram Maxim - An American born inventor of the Maxim machine gun.

Richard Gatling - An American inventor of the first successful

machine gun, named after him.

Melvin M. Johnson Jr. - He invented the Johnson model 1941 rifle, one
of the most innovative rifle during its period.

9. John T. Thompson - He pioneered the making of the first handheld

machine gun.
John T. Thompson - He pioneered the making of the first
handheld machine gun.

Oliver Fischer Winchester - He manufactured the Winchester repeating

rifle which was a much re-designed descendant of the Volcanic rifle of
some years earlier.

Carl Walther - A German gunsmith who developed a reliable

small caliber automatic pistol in 1866.
Benjamin Robins - He wrote an influential treatise on
gunnery, for the first time introducing Newtonian science to
military men,
was an early enthusiast for rifled gun barrels.

Elisha King Root - Helped Samuel colt synthesize

the manufacturing of firearms.

Roger Bacon - He is considered as the first European

to describe a mixture containing the essential ingredient of
gun powder.
Daniel Wesson - Partner of Horace Smith in making revolver.

Daniel "Carbine" Williams - He is the maker of the first

known carbine firearms.
Flintlock - Developed in the early 11th century, flint is released by the
trigger mechanism that strikes a steel plate to shower sparks into the
pan filled with powder.

Wheellock - In the early 16th century, improvement included

the wheellock mechanism in which a spinning wheel against a
metal plate showered sparks into the pan holding priming powder.
 Terms to Ponder

Accessories refer to parts of a firearm which may enhance or

increase the operational efficiency or accuracy of a firearm but
will not constitute any of the major or minor internal parts
thereof such as, but not limited to, laser scope, telescopic sight
and sound suppressor or silencer
 Terms to Ponder
Antique firearm refers to any:

(1) firearm which was manufactured at least seventy-five (75) years

prior to the current date but not including replicas;

(2) firearm which is certified by the National Museum of the

Philippines to be curio or relic of museum interest; and

(3) any other firearm which derives a substantial part of its monetary
value from the fact that it is novel, rare, bizarre or because of its
association with some historical figure, period or event.
 Terms to Ponder
Arms smuggling refers to the import, export, acquisition, sale,
delivery, movement or transfer of firearms, their parts and
components and ammunition, from or across the territory of
one country to that of another country which has not been
authorized in accordance with domestic law in either or both
country/countries.
 Terms to Ponder

Demilitarized firearm refers to a firearm deliberately made

incapable of performing its main purpose of firing a projectile.

Firearms Information Management System (FIMS) refers to the

compilation of all data and information on firearms ownership
and disposition for record purposes.
 Terms to Ponder

Forfeited firearm refers to a firearm that is subject to forfeiture

by reason of court order as accessory penalty or for the
disposition by the FEO of the PNP of firearms considered as
abandoned, surrendered, confiscated or revoked in compliance
with existing rules and regulations.
 Terms to Ponder

Gunsmith refers to any person, legal entity, corporation,

partnership or business duly licensed by the FEO of the PNP to
engage in the business of repairing firearms and other
weapons or constructing or assembling firearms and weapons
from finished or manufactured parts
 Terms to Ponder

Imitation firearm refers to a replica of a firearm, or other device

that is so substantially similar in coloration and overall
appearance to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable
person to believe that such imitation firearm is a real firearm.
 Terms to Ponder
Light weapons are:

Class-A
Light weapons which refer to self-loading pistols, rifles and
carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles and light machine
guns not exceeding caliber 7.62MM which have fully automatic
mode
 Terms to Ponder
Light weapons are:

Class-B
weapons designed for use by two (2) or more persons serving
as a crew, or rifles and machine guns exceeding caliber
7.62MM such as heavy machine guns and mortars of a caliber
of less than 100MM.
 Terms to Ponder

Loose firearm refers to an unregistered firearm, an obliterated or

altered firearm, firearm which has been lost or stolen, illegally
manufactured firearms, registered firearms in the possession
of an individual other than the licensee and those with revoked
licenses in accordance with the rules and regulations.
 Terms to Ponder

Major part or components of a firearm refers to the barrel, slide,

frame, receiver, cylinder or the bolt assembly.

The term also includes any part or kit designed and intended
for use in converting a semi-automatic burst to a full automatic
firearm.
 Terms to Ponder

Minor parts of a firearm refers to the parts of the firearm other

than the major parts which are necessary to effect and
complete the action of expelling a projectile by way of
combustion, except those classified as accessories.
 Terms to Ponder

Small arms refer to firearms intended to be or primarily designed

for individual use or that which is generally considered to
mean a weapon intended to be fired from the hand or
shoulder, which are not capable of fully automatic bursts of
discharge, such as:
 Terms to Ponder
(1) Handgun which is a firearm intended to be fired from the
hand, which includes:

• (i) A pistol which is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber

integral with or permanently aligned with the bore which may
be self-loading; and

• (ii) Revolver which is a hand-operated firearm with a revolving

cylinder containing chambers for individual cartridges.
 Terms to Ponder
(2) Rifle which is a shoulder firearm or designed to be fired from
the shoulder that can discharge a bullet through a rifled
barrel by different actions of loading, which may be classified
as lever, bolt, or self-loading; and

(3) Shotgun which is a weapon designed, made and intended to

fire a number of ball shots or a single projectile through a
smooth bore by the action or energy from burning
gunpowder.
 Terms to Ponder
Thermal weapon sight refers to a battery operated, uncooled
thermal imaging device which amplifies available thermal
signatures so that the viewed scene becomes clear to the
operator which is used to locate and engage targets during
daylight and from low light to total darkness and operates in
adverse conditions such as light rain, light snow, and dry
smoke or in conjunction with other optical and red dot sights.
 CALIBER/ BORE DIAMETER OF THE
FIREARM

The caliber of the firearm is the

diameter of the bore of the
barrel measured from land to
land in rifled firearm. It is
expressed in inches or fraction
of an inch by the American and
English manufacturers and
millimeters or in centimeters or
fraction there by manufacturers
in Continental Europe.
Gauge – As applied to shotgun indicates the bore diameter is equal to the diameter of the lead ball
whose weight in pound is equal to the reciprocal gauge index.
Ex. 12 gauge indicate the bore diameter is equal to the lead ball weighing 1/12 of a pound.

Gauge Bore Diameter (in inches)

4 .935
8 .835
10 .775
12 .729
16 .662
20 .615
28 .550
410 .410
A term used in the identification of a shotgun bore. The number of round lead balls of bore
diameter equal one pound. Thus 12 gauge is the diameter of a round lead ball weighing 1/12 pound
(AFTE).
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARM
1. According to Bore:

a. Rifled Bore Firearms - are those that contain

rifling inside the gun barrel. Ex. Pistols, revolvers and
rifles

b. Smooth Bore Firearms - those that have no

rifling inside the gun barrel from the breech end up
to the muzzle of a firearm. Ex. Shotguns, Muskets.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARM
2. According to Mechanical Construction:

a. Single Action Firearms - those that are designed to shot only one shot in one
loading.

b. Repeating Arms - those that can fire several shots in one loading.

c. Bolt Action Type - those that bolt is used in order to load.

d. Automatic Loading Type - there is an automatic in the loading.

f. Single Action Type - known as trombone

g. Lever Type - such as of the rifles and shotgun

 CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARM
3. According to Use

a. Military Firearms
pistol
revolver
rifles
shotgun
machine gun

b. Pocket and Home Defense

pistol
revolver
rifles
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARM
3. According to Use

c. Target and Outdoorsman known as Sporting

pistol
revolver
rifles
shotgun

d. Unusual/Miscellaneous Firearms-those that are

unique in mechanism and construction
gas gun knife pistol
traps gun zip guns/paltiks
cane gun multi-barreled guns
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS

4. According to Power Pursuant to R.A. 8294

 Equivalent of Calibers in Inches and

Millimeters

Caliber .22 about 5.59 mm

Caliber .25 about 6.35 mm
Caliber .30 about 7. 63 mm (Mouser)
Caliber .30 about 7.65 mm (Luger)
Caliber.32 about 7.65 mm
Caliber .38 about 9mm
Caliber .45 about 11 mm
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
4. According to Power Pursuant to R.A. 8294

a. High Powered Firearm

caliber .45
caliber .44
caliber .357 magnum
10 mm/ .40
caliber .41
.22 magnum center fire
Automatic rifles Firearms with capability to fire 2 or 3 burst
Shotgun gauges 410, 10,12, 16, 20 and 28 Homemade
firearm w/ bore diameter bigger than cal. 38/9mm or any
caliber but capable of automatic Air rifle classified as firearm
mode under EO 712
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS

4. According to Power Pursuant to R.A. 8294

b. Low Powered Firearm

 caliber .22 short
caliber .22 long
caliber .22 long rifle
caliber .22magnum
caliber .25
caliber .32
caliber .380
caliber .38 SPL
caliber .38 super
9mm
 CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
5. According to its Mechanical Operation

Single Action – a firearm that must be manually cocked before firing.

The trigger performs single function of releasing the hammer to fire the
gun.

Single Action Semi Automatic – needs only to be cocked for the first
shot, the hammer is cocked automatically for subsequent shots.

Double Action – a handgun that can be fired without first cocking the
hammer. The trigger performs two functions of cocking and releasing
the hammer.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
5. According to its Mechanical Operation
Gas Operated - An automatic/semi automatic firearm with a
locked breech that uses a small amount of the expanding gases
created by the burning powder charge to cycle the action.
Blowback - A semi-automatic or automatic system in which
the breech is not locked during firing, but held closed only by
the recoil spring and the weight of the bolt.
Automatic – Technically, a firearm that chambers and fires
rounds continuously as long as its trigger is held down.
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
5. According to its Mechanical Operation

Semi-Automatic – a repeating firearm that uses some

of the energy generated upon firing to eject the empty
shell and chamber a fresh round. Only one shot is
fired each time the trigger is pulled.
Recoil Operated - A locked breech semi-automatic or
automatic system using a portion of the recoil energy
to cycle the operation.
AMMUNITION/CARTRIDGE
is a complete unfired unit consisting of bullet, cartridge case,
gunpowder and the primer. (technical)

It refers to a "loaded shell" for rifles, muskets, carbines,

shotguns, revolvers and pistols from which a ball, bullet,
shot, shell or other missile may be fired by means of
gunpowder or other explosives.
AMMUNITION/CARTRIDGE
refers to a complete unfired unit consisting of a bullet, gunpowder,
cartridge case and primer or loaded shell for use in any firearm.
- RA 10591
 COMPONENTS OF A CARTRIDGE/AMMUNITION:

• BULLET

• GUNPOWDER

• CARTRIDGE CASE

• PRIMER
TYPES OF CARTRIDGE
Pin-fire – the pin extend radially through the head of the cartridge case
into the primer.

Rim-fire – the priming mixture is placed in the cavity formed in the rim
of the head of the cartridge case. The flame produced is in direct
communication with the powder charge. Used in calibers .22, .25 and
.45 Derringer pistols.

Center-fire – the primer cut is forced into the middle portion of the
head of the cartridge case and the priming mixture is exploded by the
impact of the firing pin. The flame is communicated to the powder
charge through the vents leading into the powder charge.
TYPES OF CENTER-FIRE CARTRIDGES
Rimmed type – the rim of the cartridge case is greater than the diameter of the
body of the cartridge case. Ex. Cal .38 and Cal .22

Semi-rimmed type – the rim of the cartridge case is slightly greater than the
diameter of the body of the cartridge case. Ex. Cal. Super .38 Auto pistol, .32 and .25

Rimmed less type – the rim of the cartridge case is equal to the diameter of the
body of the cartridge case. Ex. Cal. .45 Auto pistol, Cal. .30 Carbine, Cal. .223
Armalite
 The rifling in firearms may be divided into the following:

Styr type – four grooves, right hand twist, grooves and lands of equal width.
(4R G-L)
Smith and Wesson type – five grooves, right hand twist, grooves and lands of
equal width. (5R G-L)
Browning type – six grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (6R G2X)
Colt type – six grooves, left hand twist, narrow lands and broader grooves.
(6L G2X)
Webley type – seven grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (7R G3X)
Army type – four grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (4R G3X)
 PURPOSE OF RIFLINGS

Is to impart a motion of rotation to a bullet during its passage inside

the barrel in order to insure gyroscopic stability in the flight, and so that
it will travel nose-on towards the target.
What makes a firearm different from the others?
What are the bases or basic principles involved?
TWO (2) PRINCIPLES OF FIREARMS
IDENTIFICATION
1. BULLET IDENTIFICATION :

No two barrels are microscopically identical as the surfaces of their

bores all possess individual and characteristic markings of their own.

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 bullet fired
from one barrel will be different from that on a similar bullet fired
from another barrel. And conversely, the engravings on bullets fired
from the same barrel will be the same.
TWO (2) PRINCIPLES OF FIREARMS
IDENTIFICATION
2. CARTIDGE CASE/SHELLS IDENTIFICATION:

 The breech face and the striker (firing pin) of every single firearm have
microscopic individualities of their own.

 Every firearm leaves its “fingerprints” or “thumb mark” on every cartridge it

fires.

 The whole principle of identification of cartridge cases/shells is based on the

fact that since the breech face of every weapon must be individually distinct,
the cartridge cases which are fired are imprinted with this individuality. The
imprints of all cartridge cases fired from the same weapon are always the
same, and those on cartridge cases fired from different weapons are
different.
TWO (2) GOVERNING CHARACTERISTICS IN FIREARMS
IDENTIFICATION

1. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS :

2. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
 Class Characteristics
Those characteristics that are determinable prior to the manufacture of the firearms. These
characteristics are the factory specifications and are with in the control of man and they serve as
basis to identify a certain group or class of firearms.

a. Bore Diameter/Caliber
b. Number of Lands and Grooves
c. Width of Lands
d. Width of Grooves
e. Depth of Grooves
caliber
f. height of the Lands
g. Direction of Twist
h. Pitch of Rifling
 The rifling in firearms may be divided into the following:

Styr type – four grooves, right hand twist, grooves and lands of equal width.
(4R G-L)
Smith and Wesson type – five grooves, right hand twist, grooves and lands of
equal width. (5R G-L)
Browning type – six grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (6R G2X)
Colt type – six grooves, left hand twist, narrow lands and broader grooves.
(6L G2X)
Webley type – seven grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (7R G3X)
Army type – four grooves, right hand twist, narrow lands and broader
grooves. (4R G3X)
 Two bullets with the same class characteristics
a. Caliber d. No. of lands and grooves
b. Width of lands and grooves e. Other class characteristics
c. Twist of the rifling
Caliber

θ
5 - Right

Angle of Twist

Cannelure

Groove width

Landmark Width
Note: Weight and length of the bullets is disregarded
 Individual Characteristics

Markings peculiar or distinct in a particular firearm

Markings which are determinable after the manufacture of the

firearm and whose existence is beyond the control of the
manufacturer.

Markings which are randomly distributed inside the gun and

whose existence is brought about by the tools used in their
manufacture and machine operation resulting through wear,
tear, abuse, mutilation, corrosion, erosion and other fortuitous
causes.
PROBLEMS IN FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION
 Problems in Firearms Identification

Evidence bullet
Identification of the caliber,
type and possible make of
firearm
fired cartridge case (empty shell)

Identification of the caliber, type and

possible make of firearm.
Two or more bullets

Determination whether the said

bullets were fired from one and the
same firearm.
Two or more evidence fired cartridge
cases

Determination whether or not the fired

cartridge cases were fired from one and
the same firearm.
Evidence bullet and suspected
firearm

Identification whether the bullet was

fired from the firearm
.

.
Cartridge case (shell)
and suspected firearm

Determination whether
the spent shell was fired
from the said firearm.
Firearms

Serviceability tests
Determination of its authenticity
Classification pur to RA 8294.
 Ammunition

Serviceability tests
Toolmarks on Fired Ammunition
Components and Their Sources
Theory of Identification as it Relates to toolmarks

- The theory of identification as it pertains to the comparison of

toolmarks enables opinions of common origin to be made when
the unique surface contours of two toolmarks are in “sufficient
agreement.”
Requirements for Positive Identification
The marks (Impression and Striations) on bullet and/or cartridge case
must be: a. Prominent, b. Consistent and c. Significant.

•PROMINENT – Standing out or projecting beyond a surface or line,

readily noticeable.
•CONSISTENT – Possessing firmness. The impression or striation found
on the evidence bullet or cartridge case appearing in every test bullets
and cartridge case
•SIGNIFICANT - Capable of being interpreted by the Firearms Examiner
or Ballistician.
Two bullets with the same land impression and individual characteristics

Striations between two fired bullets

Striations
within Land
Impressions

Evidence Standard/Test
 A view through the ejection port of a pistol. To the left is the pistol slide and
breech face. In the center of the breech face is the firing pin aperture. To the left
of the breech face is the extractor. To the lower right of the breech face is the
ejector. Both magazine lips can be seen below and forward of the slide.
Looking down the pistol’s ejection port: A cartridge case is
being pulled from the chamber of the barrel by the means
of a hook in the slide called an extractor.
A

fired cartridge case and a fired bullet. Note

the firing pin impression on the primer of
A fired bullet with barrel rifling
the car- tridge case and the land and
groove engraving on the bullet.
impressions on the sides.
A bullet jacket, typically found in casework.
Breech face and firing pin. The extractor is
in the upper left, 9 to 12 o’clock.
Firing pin impression comparison of two fired
.22 caliber cartridge cases.
Microscopic comparison of the two firing pin impressions.
Microscopic comparison of chamber
marks on the sides of two cartridge
cases.
Microscopic comparison of thecases.
breech face detail on two
cartridge
The same fired cases as previously shown, microscopically compared side
by side.
 Microscopic comparison of ejector
impressions on two cartridge cases.
 A cartridge in an ammunition
magazine. The top cartridge held in
place by the two magazine lips. The nearly horizontal arching toolmarks on the sides of the two
cartridge cases were made by a lip of an ammunition magazine.
 Microscopic comparison of toolmarks
produced by an extractor on the sides of
two cartridge cases.
Breech face and firing pin marks on two cartridge
cases produced by two similar, but different pistols.
The striated marks on both are due to movement of
the barrel after firing and prior to cartridge case
ejection. These marks are described as “firing pin
aperture shear.”
Marking of Evidence
 Bullet’s base

never on the body

On the nose
Marking a pistol
On the barrel,(example:
engraved marked “ABC” 10-14-08)

Slide, and
(example:
engraved
Frame or receiver marked “ABC”
(example: engraved 10-14-08
marked “ABC 10-14-08”
 Marking a revolver

Barrel, “ ABC” “10-25-04”

Cylinder, “ABC” “10-25-04”

Frame, “ABC” “10-25-04”
 Marking a rifle
Upper receiver,
(example: engraved marked Barrel, (example: engraved
“ABC” “10-25-04” marked “ABC” “ 10-25-04”

Lower receiver, (example:

engraved marked “ABC” “10-25-
04”
Bolt, (example: engraved marked
“ABC” ”10-25-04”
TRANSMITTAL OF THE RECOVERED EVIDENCE TO CRIME LAB:

1. All collected evidence must be transmitted to the Firearms Identification Division and
concerned CL offices for examination as soon as possible.
2. All evidence must be photographed for future identification.
3. Take precautions to preserve the evidence.
4. Wrap and seal each item of evidence separately to avoid contamination.
5. Pack live ammunition in a clean, dry cardboard container separately from firearms.
6. Stabilize the evidence to avoid movement or friction during shipment.
7. Seal the container with tape.
8. If any of the evidence needs to be examined for latent prints, label LATENT on the
container.
9. Label the outer container with “Evidence” label.
10. Always observe the Chain of Custody.
Evidence Tag
RELATED LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS
for GPR examination by Chemistry Division
for SEROLOGY examination by Medico Legal Division
Fuming Box (for developing latent prints)
 Defaced Serial number

for Macro-Etching examination by Physical Identification Division

Bullet Recovery Tube