FIREARMS AND BALLISTICS EXAMINATION | Transcribed by EH306

FIREARMS AND BALLISTICS EXAMINATION

Speaker: POLICE COLONEL ROMER S. DAGUNO

Cuenco Moot Court

1:00-4:30 PM
March 27, 2019
UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS

Professor: Justice Marilyn Yap

Facilitators: EH401 & EH306

Transcription guide:
Texts in black font are from the material of the speaker
while those in red are transcribed from the lecture.

Safety is the first thing to consider when handling a gun

A lot of gun owners meet accidents due to unsafe handling of firearms.

Four Rules of Gun Safety

1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
- Remember to have your trigger finger out.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
- Never be too exuberant after hitting a target. Be wary of how you position a gun after shooting the firearm.

Fraternity Wars Case

In 2007, a series of shooting incidents happened in Cebu and nearby municipalities. It was hard to identify the
suspect. It resulted to assigning the whole PNP Region 7 to solve the impending issue.

The team suspected that the issue was brought about by frat wars, but the magnitude of such gun shooting incidents
expanded and even affected foreigners.

All evidences gathered from the crime scenes are submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistics examination.

Colonel Daguno asked his personnel to give him all the caliber .45 evidences—shells and bullets. He individually
examined the shells and sorted out those that matched. Such procedure was continued until the bullets that were
matched with each other gradually grew in number. The Colonel then prepared a situation map based on those
shells that matched and placed markers where the shooting incidents happened, the time and date of such incident,
and what was recovered. Discovered that one shooting incident in a specific street was intimately related to the
shooting incident that happened in the nearby street a few minutes after. Different situations but the same firearm
was used.

The Cebu City Police Office and Mandaue City Police Office were able to arrest one suspect and was able to confiscate
a caliber .45. The said firearm was tested and the shells from the same was examined. The shell from the recovered
firearm matched with those shooting incidents noted earlier by the colonel. This led to the arrest of the remaining
suspects. A multitude of cases are now filed against these suspects.

When patrol fails to prevent a crime or apprehend the criminal while he is committing it, the police must rely
upon the investigation and detective management.

The First line of defense of the police is patrol.

During Martial Law Days, policemen who were on patrol duty were on a buddy-buddy system. They were encouraged
to take with the people around.

▪ Mobile Car Patrol

▪ Motorcycle Patrol
▪ Foot Patrol
▪ Air Patrol
▪ Sea Patrol
PNP Maritime Group
▪ Horse Patrol
Used in Cordillera and some parts of Bukidnon

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Patrol is crime prevention. The presence of the police will make the criminal think twice before committing a crime.

If these patrol teams fail to arrest the perpetrators, the Investigation and Detective Management will follow.

THE PNP’S MAIN INVESTIGATION OFFICES

DIDM – highest office in charge of the investigation
Territorial Offices (Major investigating Support
Units) – for general crimes:
CIDG
Crime Labs

Other Units – for specialized crimes:

Anti-Cybercrime unit
Women and children protection units

RIDMD – Regional Investigation and

Detective Management Division
RCIDU – Regional Crime Investigation and
Detective Unit
RCLO – Regional Crime Laboratory Office
PIDMB – Police Investigation and Detection
Management Branch
CIDMB – Crime Investigation and Detection
Management Branch
CIDT – Crime Identification and Detection Team
PCLO – Police Crime Laboratory Office

Technical Divisions in the Crime Laboratory

1. Medico Legal Division
2. Firearms Identification Division
3. Fingerprint Identification Division
4. Chemistry
-In charge of drugs
5. Physical Identification Division
-In charge in the macro etching and bullet holes in cars—measure the direction of the bullets
-Footwear marks and impressions
6. Questioned Documents Division
-Examine signature, Handwritings, Counterfeit bills and Land Titles
7. Polygraph Division
-To detect if the subject is telling the truth
8. Photography Division
-Sketch suspects
-Make Computerized Facial Composites of the Suspect
-Photograph all pieces of evidence

SCOPE OF DISCUSSION
➢ FORENSIC BALLISTICS
➢ BRANCHES OF BALLISTICS
➢ PROPER COLLECTION OF FIREARM EVIDENCE
➢ LETTER REQUEST FOR BALLISTICS EXAMINATION
➢ PROBLEMS IN FIREARMS IDENTIFICATION
➢ RA 10591 IRR

BALLISTICS – is the science that deals with the motion of projectiles and the conditions governing that motion.

Projectile – Bullet
The movement of the bullet:
1. Starts with the firearm while the bullet is still inside the firearm (Internal Ballistics)
2. When the bullet leaves the muzzle of the firearm before reaching the target (External Ballistics)
3. When the Bullet hits the target (Terminal Ballistics)

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THE THREE (3) BRANCHES OF BALLISTICS

1. Internal Ballistics
-Answers the Question “What happens inside the chamber?”
Internal Ballistics is a division of ballistics that studies
o Combustion of the propellant
o Pressure developed
o Motion of the projectile
A very large topic and entails a complex physical and chemical process when the trigger is pulled:
• The firing pin strikes the cartridge which causes the tiny amount of compound within the primer
to explode
• The explosion burns the propellant (commonly smokeless gunpowder) causing a build up inside
the cartridge.
• As heat and pressure increase from the burning powder, the rate of combustion increases.
• Once the pressure is high enough, the bullet is shot into the bore.
• As the bullet travels down the barrel, the pressure behind it decrease but does not completely
disappears.
• When the bullet leaves the muzzle, the pressure from the gas expands dramatically creating a
pressure wave in the air which causes a loud band
• At the same time the pressure causes burning powder to be expelled with the bullet which creates
the muzzle flash.

2. External Ballistics
-Principal concern of fire arm examiners and the snipers
As soon as the bullet leaves the barrel the following factors act on a projectile:
• Gravity
• Drag
• Wind force

➢ Most sights of the gun are above the bore of the gun and must be aligned at a certain point known
as zero.
To achieve this:
o The path of the bullet meets the crosshairs at a given distance. The bullet will then rise
above the line of sight, creating the shape of a half-circle as it meets the same impact
point at a farther distance—bullet trajectory.
o After reaching the second-zeroing point, gravity pulls the bullet from the line of sight
GRAVITY
➢ The rate at which a bullet drops at a distance is caused by gravity and is a function of bullet speed.
➢ The higher the bullet speed, the less time it is subjected to the effect of gravity.

Factors in slowing down or pushing the bullet away from the target:
▪ Drag
▪ Air resistance
▪ Wind Reflection

Drag is determined by
▪ Bullet speed
▪ Ballistic coefficient
▪ Air density

Increases when bullet speed relative to air increases

High ballistic coefficient = efficient against drag

Wind Deflection
Wind will affect the vertical or horizontal component of the trajectory by causing a deviation of a bullet’s
flight path.

3. Terminal Ballistics
Principal concern of Medico Legal, because they study the impact of the bullet on the subject.
Studies how a projectile behaves and the transfer of kinetic energy as it hits the target

Two types of Cavities

1. Primary Cavity
▪ initial hole on the target made by the bullet
▪ Hole is the same diameter as the bullet, and results from penetration and expansion.

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Impact Crater – created when a bullet hits soft tissue and the tissue attempts to absorb the bullet’s energy.
The impact crater stretches until the bullet is able to penetrate the tissue.

2. Temporary Cavity
▪ As the bullet continues to travel, the tissue is stretched beyond its elasticity, causing it to be
cut and torn before it tries to return back to normal position—forming the temporary cavity.

The cavities are impacted by many factors, one of which is bullet design
a. Full Metal Jackets
▪ bullets designed with heavier jackets
▪ ideal for target practice
• Less expansion
• Deeper Penetration
b. Soft Point
▪ where the lead core is exposed at the tip
▪ Ideal for big game
• Medium Expansion
• Small Fragmentation
c. Hallow Point
▪ bullets with lighter jackets
▪ Perfect for law enforcement, self-defense and hunting small game
• Shallow Penetration
• Expands More

IBIS (Integrated Ballistics Identification System)– is a machine that is used to photograph the markings on bullets and
cartridge cases after they have been fired through a gun.

Note:
➢ An equipment that permanently stores all the date of every firearm evidence—firearm, bullet, cartridge
cases.
➢ Most firearms of the AFP and PNP are registered in the database; loose firearms are not registered.
➢ Most guns purchased now have specimen in the database
➢ Be careful in buying guns, especially second-hand ones.
Last Touch Principle:
When one buys a gun that has been previously used in committing a crime, all the cases attributed
to the gun will fall on the person in last possession of the same.
➢ Never lend your gun or parts of it to anybody.

COLLECTION OF FIREARMS EVIDENCE

SOCO
➢ Scene of Crime Operation
➢ One division in the crime laboratory; not under the technical division BUT IS UNDER THE OPERATIONS
DIVISION.
➢ Operating Unit of the Crime Laboratory
➢ Main job: to gather and take care of the pieces of evidence

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➢ Make sure that the evidence and the scene of the crime is preserved
➢ Documentation must be complete, proper, and safe from contamination

Operating Units of Other Divisions or Organizations

1. Ph Army – Scout Rangers
2. PNP – Special Action Force
3. NPA – Alex Buncayaw Relief
4. Sparrow unit; liquidation squad
5. Priority traget:
a. Traitors
b. Intelligence operative of the AFP and PNP
c. Corrupt Government Officials
d. Target of Opportunity
-Unknowing policeman in order to get hold of the officer’s firearm
Guide for the First Responders in the crime scene
- Problem: Upon the arrival of the SOCO team, crime scene has already been disturbed; empty shells,
footwear marks of possible suspect have already been disturbed.
- Barangay tanods, auxiliary police, barangay officials as the first responders in the crime scene have the duty
to secure the crime scene
- The most important aspect of evidence collection and preservation is protection of the crime scene

Firearms Evidence Collection

- Do not touch anything and do not move anything at the crime scene, unless the purpose is to save the life
of the victim, but with a minimal disturbance because there are pieces of evidence that can be gathered.
- Evidence that can possibly be gathered from a firearm: fingerprints from the magazine, shells, cartridge
cases
o Upon seeing a firearm, do not immediately pick it up.
o How to pick up a firearm: Hold the grip, the rough handle as no fingerprint can be developed in
that part
o With a pistol:
▪ when removing the magazine, do not touch it. Then immediately brush it with fingerprint
powder.

Collecting a revolver:

FIRED OR MISFIRED CARTRIDGE

- Upon picking it up, immediately mark the bullets and their position in the
cartridge in order to remember the position of each bullet. This will help corroborate
the story

Packaging Firearms Evidence:

Firearms evidence include: firearms, cartridge cases, cartridges,
bullets, pellets, metallic fragments

Marking a Revolver: Marking a Pistol:

- Technical people always mark the pieces

of evidence.
- The person who recovered the revolver
should engrave his/her initials.
- In a calibre .45 pistol, engrave the initials
on the upper receiver, lower receiver, barrel,
magazine assembly
- Importance: Markings serve as proof that
such firearm is the same firearm recovered
from the crime scene

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Cartridge or ammunition – is a complete unfired unit.

- It has a case, propellant powder, bullet, and the primer.

Cartridge case or fired shell

- Shotgun shell
o The farther your are from the target, the pellets spread more widely. It is possible to hit 3 people
in a distance of 10 meters or 5 people in a distance of 15 meters
o Used to shot birds or bulls
- A wad cutter will produce a perfect circle wound
- Black talon
o Has been banned in the market
o Considered a very inhuman bullet
o In its external ballistics, during flight from the muzzle of the firearm, the bullet starts to open and
rotate like the blade of an electric fan, hitting the target while still rotating
o Fatal when shot at a human but if used at someone on a moving vehicle, it is disadvantageous
because it cannot penetrate due to disturbance
- Full metal jacket is advantageous when shot at a moving vehicle

Bullet – projectile; slug; shot

Components of Ammunition

Marking the Cartridge Cases

- Among the usual items that can be found in a crime scene
- Mark on the periphery of the cartridge case not on the circular base.
- The base is where you can find the firing pin impression. The firing pin impression inside the firearm will
strike the base of the ammunition. During manufacturing, small scratches are left on the firing pin that will
be transferred on the base of the cartridge and those are the things that the
firearms examiners will compare.

Do not mark here

Mark here on the PERIPHERY of the cartridge case.

Marking the fired bullets

- Do not mark on the periphery but mark on the nose of the bullet. If the nose (ogive) is no longer there,
mark the base of the bullet.
- The periphery is very important. It’s where the marks of striations are found.

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Land and Groove Marks

- (with regards to the barrel) The barrel of the firearm has
riflings called lands and grooves. The land is the depressed
area, and the groove is the elevated area.
-(with regards to the bullet) However, with regards to the
bullet which passes through the barrel of the gun, the land
becomes the elevated area and the groove becomes the
depressed area. It is opposite. This is because the riflings
of the barrel is imprinted on the bullet.

Image under the bullet Comparison microscope

-Test bullet- It is the bullet fired from the firearm

submitted as evidence. Once the firearm is submitted, test
firing could be commenced and the bullets and shells are
recovered to be examined. Then, crossmatch it with other
pieces of evidence recovered from crime scene.
-If the bullets have the same markings, it means that these
bullets passed through the same barrel. These markings
are likened to “fingerprints”.

Problems in Firearm Identification

-These are problems encountered by firearms examiners when they receive pieces of evidence.

1. Given a firearm, to determine whether or not the FA is serviceable.

2. Given a FA and fired bullets, to determine whether or not the fired bullets were fired from the subject
firearm.

3. Given a FA and fired cartridge cases, to determine whether or not the FCCs were fired from the subject
firearm.

4. Given FCCs, to determine whether or not they were fired from one and the same FA.

5. Given FBs, to determine whether or not they were fired from one and the same FA.

6. Given a fired bullet, to determine the caliber and other characteristics of the subject FB.

7. Given a FCC, to determine the caliber and other characteristics of the subject FCC.

8. Given a cartridge, to determine whether or not it is a misfired cartridge.

Letter Request for Laboratory Examination (Evidence Submitted)

1. One (1) caliber .45 Colt Pistol with serial number 123456 now marked as “RSD-1”.

2. One (1) caliber .38 Homemade Revolver without serial number now marked as “RSD-2”.

3. One (1) 9mm Beretta Pistol with defaced serial number now marked as “RSD-3”.

4. Two (2) magazine assemblies for caliber . 45 now marked as “RSD-4” and “RSD-5” respectively.

5. One (1) magazine assembly for 9mm Pistol now marked as “RSD-6”.

6. Four (4) cal .45 fired cartridge cases now marked as “RSD-7”, “RSD-8”, “RSD-9” and “RSD-10” respectively.

7. Two (2) cal .38 misfired cartridge now marked as “RSD-11” and “RSD-12” respectively.

8. One (1) 9mm slightly deformed fired bullet now marked as “RSD-13”.

9. Two (2) cal .45 fired bullet now marked as “RSD-14” and “RSD-15” respectively.

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IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF RA NO.10591, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “COMPREHENSIVE

FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION REGULATION ACT”

Section 3. Definition of Terms

3.1 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;

3.2 Ammunition - refers to a complete unfired unit consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, cartridge case and primer or
loaded shell for use in any firearm;

3.2.1 Bullet – The projectile propelled through the barrel of a firearm by means of the expansive force of gases
coming from burning gunpowder;

3.2.2 Cartridge Case – A container, usually metal and cylindrical in shape, to be loaded with a primer, powder
charge and bullet. After loading, it becomes a complete cartridge, of which the case is but one element. It is
commonly made of brass, although some modern cartridge cases are made of steel, aluminum, or other materials;

3.2.3 Gun Powder - refers to any explosive powder used to propel projectiles intended for firearms; and

3.2.4 Primer - also called an “igniter”, refers to a device used for the purpose of setting fire to ignite the gun
powder.

3.21 Firearm - refers to any handheld or portable weapon, whether a small arm or light weapon, that expels or is
designed to expel a bullet, shot, slug, missile or any projectile which is discharged by means of expansive force of
gases from burning gunpowder or other form of combustion or any similar instrument or implement. For purposes
of the law, the barrel, frame or receiver is considered a firearm;

-“improvised” firearms also fall under this category

3.25 Full Automatic or Fully Automatic – refers to the firing mode and action of a firearm in which discharge of
the entire magazine load with a single pull of its trigger is continuous until the triggering device is disengaged;

3.44 Light Weapons are: Class-A Light weapons which refer to self-loading pistols, rifles, carbines, submachine
guns, assault rifles and light machine guns not exceeding caliber 7.62MM which have fully automatic mode; and
Class-B Light weapons which refer to 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, handheld under barrel and
mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable anti-tank missile and rocket systems, portable
launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems, and mortars of a caliber of less than 100MM;

3.48 Major Parts or Components of a Firearm - refer 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;

3.50 Minor Parts of a Firearm- refer 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;

3.59 Small Arms - refer to firearms intended to be 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:

3.59.1 Handgun is a firearm intended to be fired from the hand, which includes:

a) Pistol - is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber integral with or permanently aligned with the bore which
may be self-loading; and

b) Revolver - is a hand-operated firearm with a revolving cylinder containing chambers for individual cartridges.

3.59.2 Rifle - 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

3.59.3 Shotgun - is a firearm 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.