FORENSIC BALLISTICS

Ammunition

It is defined as loaded shell or loaded cartridge for rifles, muskets,

carbines, shotguns, revolvers and pistols from which a bullets, ball shot,
shell or other missile may be fired by means of gunpowder or other
explosives.
 Ammunition

 It refers to a group of cartridges or to a single unit of cartridges.

 It is a complete unfired unit consisting of bullet, cartridge case, gunpowder and
primer.
 The word cartridge derived from the Latin word “charta” which means paper
and in French word “cartouche” which means roll of paper.
 Nomenclature of Cartridge

Bullet – the projectile propelled through the barrel of a

firearm by means of the expansive force of gases coming
from burning gunpowder.
Cartridge Case – the tubular metallic container for the
gunpowder. Sometimes called shell or casing.
Gunpowder – the powder charge which, when ignite by
the primer flash, is converted to heated gas under high
pressure and propels the bullet or shots charge through
the barrel and to the target. Sometimes called propellant
or powder charge.
Primer – the metal cup containing the highly sensitive
priming mixture of chemical compounds which when hit
or struck by the firing pin would ignite. Such action is
called percussion.
A modern cartridge consists of
the following:

1. the bullet itself, which serves

as the projectile;
2. the casing, which holds all
parts together;
3. the propellant, for example
gunpowder or cordite;
4. the rim, part of the casing
used for loading;
5. the primer, which ignites the
propellant.
General Types of Ammunition

 Dummy Ammunition
A dummy round is a round of ammunition that is
completely inert, i.e., contains no primer, propellant, or
explosive charge. It is used to check weapon function, and
for crew training
General Types of Ammunition
 Drill Ammunition
It is sometimes called as “dummy” although in the strict sense
there is a difference.

 Blank Ammunition
It is a cartridge without a bullet, containing gunpowder that is
designed to generate a loud noise to indicate firing.

 Live Ammunition
It is the term applied for complete unit of unfired cartridge.
A blank is a charged cartridge that does not contain a
projectile.
Classification of Cartridge

According to the type of firearms used

According to the location of the primer
According to rim diameter
According to caliber
According to the type of firearms used

1. Revolver Cartridge
2. Pistol Cartridge
3. Assault rifle or hunting rifle cartridge
4. Shot cartridge
5. Case less cartridge
 Revolver Cartridge

It is held in place in the

cylinder of the revolver
by the rim on the base of
the cartridge which is
larger in diameter than
the body of the shell
casing. This prevents the
cartridges from falling
into the chamber, and is
used to eject the shell
casings or unfired
cartridges from the
cylinder.
Pistol Cartridges

-With a groove that

Allows easier packing
Of the rounds in the
Magazine.
Pistol cartridge
have a recessed
groove around their
base that is used by
the extractor to
eject the spent shell
casing.
Assault Rifle Cartridge

It is longer than a hand weapon or a carbine round and

Generally bottle- neckedfor larger powder capacity and
increased power.
Shot Cartridge

It is made of plastic,
and a cap that prevents
from falling. Those
cartridge for firearms
that have no rifling.
According to the location of primer:

Pin – Fire – the pin extends radically through the need 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.
Center – fire – the primer cup 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 power charge through the vents
leading into the powder charge.
PIN FIRE
RIM- FIRE
Center- Fire
According to rim diameter:

Rimmed case type

It is 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 body
diameter of the shell.

Semi- rimmed type

It is a cartridge with a case slightly rimmed. At first
look, the cartridge is a rimless form but with a closer
look the rim slightly greater than the body diameter of
the case.
Rimless type
It is a type of cartridge with a case having a rim
diameter equal to diameter of the body, with extraction
groove cut around the base.

Rebated type
This refers to a cartridge with a rimless pattern, but
which has a rim diameter smaller than the body of the case.

Belted type
It is a cartridge with a prominent raise belt around its
body just in front of the extraction groove. Purposes: a. to
position the case and the projectile accurately in the chamber
and b. to strengthen the rear of the case for use with high-
powered propelling chargers.
Rebated rim cartridges
have a rim that is
significantly smaller in
diameter than the base of
the case, serving only for
extraction.
The term belted magnum
refers to any caliber
cartridge, generally rifles,
using a shell casing with a
pronounced "belt"
around its base
According to caliber:

Inches mm.

Cal. 22 about 5.59 mm – used in revolvers,

pistols, and rifles
cal. 25 about 6.35 mm – used in pistols and
rifles
cal. 30 about 7.63 mm (mauser)– for carbines
and other rifles
Cal. 30 about 7.63 mm (luger)
cal. 32 abut 7.65 mm for automatic pistols
and revolvers
According to caliber:

Inches mm.

Cal. 380 about 9 mm – used for pistols

cal. 357 used in magnum .357 revolvers
cal. 44 used in .44 magnum revolvers
Cal. 45 about 11 mm – used in automatic
pistols
cal. 50 used in .50 cal. Machine gun
What is the most powerful handgun?

Smith & Wesson Model 29, .44 Magnum.

The .44 Remington Magnum (11.2x32.8mmR), or simply .44 Magnum,
is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers (.357 Marlin)
Shotgun Cartridge or Shot Shell

It refers to a complete unit of unfired cartridge consisting

of the pellets, primer, case, wads and gunpowder.

Shotshells are cartridges designed to be fired in shotguns

and can contain a single large projectile - a slug - or as
many as several hundred small spherical pellets called
shot. Shot used in shotshells has traditionally been made
of lead but because of it's toxicity, other materials are
being used as a substitute, with the most common
alternative being steel.
Shot shells contain a variety of different wads -
plastic, paper, or fiber material designed to
separate the shot from the gunpowder and/or
protect the shot as it is pushed down the barrel -
that are expelled from the shot shell, along with the
shot, when fired.

Shot shells come in a variety of loads. The amount

of gunpowder in a shot shell can vary and the
measurement is referred to by as the dram
equivalent. The dram equivalent is the amount of
smokeless powder that produces a velocity
comparable to that of black powder.
 Shotgun Ammunition Types

There are many different types of shotgun

ammunition out there. Some of the more common
types are:

Buckshot Loads - Buckshot loads are shells that

contain lead balls with a large diameter. They are
commonly used for self defense and big game
hunting. These loads can contain up to 27 balls or
pellets measuring .24 to .36 inches. Because of
their large lead pellets, they are considered all-
around defense shots.
Birdshot Loads - Birdshot loads are shotgun shells
that contain small diameter pellets. Commonly used
for bird and waterfowl hunting, these are
considered field loads. These loads have poor
stopping power, but work well at close ranges (20-
30 feet). Birdshot loads are usually recommended
for self defense and behave like buckshot loads
when shot at close range.

Rifted Slug Loads - Rifted slug loads are shotgun

shells that contain bullets made of solid lead. These
are single projectiles similar to rifle bullets. They
have ridged sides that provide stability and rotation
during flight.
Components from a typical shotshell containing
birdshot and a one-piece plastic wad.
Components from a typical shotshell containing
buckshot and a fiber/plastic wad combination.
Shot size table: lead
shot (top), steel shot
(middle) and
buckshot (bottom).
As you can see from the above
chart, steel shot comes in slightly
larger sizes than lead shot. Steel
doesn't have the density of lead
and larger shot is needed to
achieve a range comparable to
that of lead shot.
BULLET
BULLET

It is a metallic or non-metallic cylindrical projectile propelled from a

firearm by means of expansive gases coming from burning gunpowder.

Slug is a colloquial term for bullet.

 Classification of Bullet

 According to mechanical construction

 According to shape
 According to type
According to mechanical
construction

1. Lead Bullet – those

which are made of lead
alloy of this metal, lead,
tin, antimony – which
are, slightly harder than
pure lead. Its used was
due o density, having
good weight and in
small size which is easy
f o r c a s t i n g .
2. Jacketed Bullets –
those which core of
lead covered by jacket
of harder metal
 - The primary
function of the “jacket”
in a bullet is to prevent
adherent of metal
(lead) to the inside of
the gun barrel.
Metal jackets were used to

 preserve the physical integrity of the bullet,

 facilitate engagement of the rifling,
 allow rapid fire of cylindrical bullets.
 There are two primary types of metal jacketed bullets, semi- and full.

 Semijacketed bullets are typically used in hunting game because they

provide controlled expansion.

 The full metal jacket bullet became the standard for military ammunition
because the rigid tip feeds reliably into the chamber of semi- and fully
automatic firearms.
 Non-Jacketed Bullets

Plain Lead Copper-washed or "Lubaloy" Federal "Nyclad"

Round-nosed bullet lead round-nosed bullet nylon coated bullet

THV Solid brass KTW Teflon coated Frangible tungsten

machined bullet solid brass machined bullet compressed bullets
 Jacketed bullets

Winchester
Copper jacketed "Silver-tip" Copper plated CCI totally-
full-metal-case bullet nickel-plated steel jacketed metal-jacketed
and cross-section copper jacket bullet bullet
bullet

Federal Expanding Full-Metal-

Steel cores from Glaser Safety Slug Jacketed (EFMJ)
7.62x39mm containing
bullet with silicone nose
steel jacketed small lead pellets
and a plastic plug material
bullets
 Round Nose Pointed nose

Flat base Boat- tailed

a bullet with a flat base generates much more drag than
a bullet with a boat tail design.
Semi- wad with
Hollow base
 Bullet Shapes

Lead "Semi-
Round Nose Lead and Full- Lead "Wadcutter" wadcutter"
metal-jacketed bullets bullet bullet
 Winchester "Black Talon" bullet

Federal Hyda-Shok bullet Remington semi-jacketed

with center post. hollow-point bullet
Semi-jacketed Soft Point bullet Jacketed Soft Point bullet

Speer Gold-Dot Jacketed Hollow-point bullet.

 Remington Golden
Gas-check copper 7.62x39mm boat-tail
Sabre
base lead bullet bullet
expanded base bullet
Rifled Bullets (5 Principal parts)
 Ball Bullet
 It has soft lead cores inside a jacket and are used
against personnel only.
 Armored piercing
 It has hardened steel cores and are fired at vehicles
and other armored targets in general.
 Tracer bullet
 It contains a compound at the base usually similar to
barium nitrates, which is set on fire when the bullet
is projected. The flash of smoke from this burning
permits the flight of the bullet to be seen, especially
at night time.
 Incendiary bullet
It is a type of military bullet used to caused fire in a target,
generally designed to use by aircraft armament in order for the fuel
tanks to ignite.

 Explosive (fragmentation)
It is a small arms bullet containing a charge of explosive which will detonate
on impact.
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition (HEIAP) is
a form of shell which combines both an armor piercing
capability and a high explosive effect. In this respect it
is a modern version of armor piercing shell. The primary
purpose of these munitions is armor penetration
M80 7.62mm Ball M62 7.62mm Tracer
M995 5.56mm Armor
Cartridge Cartridge Piercing Cartridge
PURPOSE OF BULLETS

 .38 Bullet – disability purpose – used by police officers to get

confession.
 .45 Bullet – Knocking subdue purpose
 M16 – Fatal effect
 Garand and carbine – penetration, long range shooting.
Cartridge Case

It is a metallic and non- metallic tubular container usually of

brass (70% and 30% zinc) designed to unit the bullet, primer
and the gunpowder into one unit.

It is also known as shell or casing.

 The modern cartridge case serves several important
functions:

 Contains the other components (projectile, primer, propellant)

in a single unit for convenience of handling and loading
 Resists the firing-pin blow during ignition
 Forms a gas seal (obturation
Functions of Cartridge Case
1. It locates the bullet properly relative to the bore of
the firearm.
2. It is used to carry the means of ignition.
3. It provides gas seals at the breech against an
unwanted escape of propellant gas upon firing.
4. Serves as waterproof container for the propellant
or powder charge.
5. Acts as the insulator between the propellant and
the hot walls of the chamber in a rapid- firing of
firearms.
The Burnside rifle used an unusual
brass cartridge that was largely
supported by the breech rather
than the barrel. A small covered
hole in the base of the cartridge
received the blast from the
percussion cap; the seal burned
through, igniting the powder
charge. The Burnside cartridge
walls were stiff and did not expand
sufficiently to seal the bore.
Parts of the Cartridge Case

1. Base
It is the bottom portion of the cartridge case which
contains the head stamp.

Head stamp refers to the marking on the base of the

shell containing the caliber, manufacturer and in some
cases including the date, trade name and batch
number
2. Rim
It is the part of the cartridge designed to limit the
forward movement of the cartridge to chamber.
3. Extractor groove
It is the circular groove near the rim of the shell
designed for automatic withdrawal of the case
from the chamber.
4. Primer pocket
It is that part of the shell which provides the
means for the primer to be put to central
position. Its function is extended to:
a. hold the primer in place
b. to provide the means to prevent escape of
gas;
c. to provide solid support for primer anvil
5. Body
It is the cylindrical part of the shell which
houses the gunpowder.
6. Shoulder
It is that part of the cartridge case which
support the neck of the cartridge which is
evident in a bottle neck type.
7. Cannelure
It is the cylindrical groove formed in the outer
surface of the cartridge case designed to secure the
shell to the chamber as well as prevent the bullet
from being push down to the powder charge.
8. Neck
It is that part of the shell which is
actually occupied by the bullet. This is
obvious in a bottle neck type of shell but not
with the straight type.

9. Crimp
It is the cylindrical portion of the mouth
of the shell designed for two purpose:
1. to hold the bullet and prevent it from being
pull out from the shell
2. offers resistance to the bullet out of the
neck to ensure burning of the gun powder
10. Vent or Flash Hole
It is the hole at the bottom of the primer pocket serving
as the passage way for the priming mixture to impart an
ignition to the propellant charge.
PRIMER
What is a primer?

Primer is the ignition system of the cartridge used in a center- fire type,
containing a highly sensitive chemical compound that would easily ignite
or burst into flame when struck by the firing pin. It is also known as the
p e r c u s s i o n c u p .
Origin

The term “lock” was the one used during the ancient time when
referring to ignition system.

Ancient weapon such as muskets were found in varieties of ignition

system.
The earliest of this is the matchlock also referred to as “serpentine lock”
It burns at about 3 to 5 inches per hour.
 Wheel Lock
 This ignition system is comparable to the modern principle of our
cigarette lighters.
Flint Lock
Also known as “snap- lock”.
The main parts of a
flintlock are:
The hammer, which
holds and accelerates
a piece of flint
The mainspring, which
powers the hammer
The frizzen, which is
the piece of steel the
f l i n t s t r i k e s
The pan, which is the
place where a small
quantity of gunpowder
waits to receive the
s p a r k s
 Parts of the Primer
 Primer Cup - is the brass gilding metal cup which contains the
priming mixture, the disc and the anvil

 Priming Mixture - is the highly sensitive chemical compound which

ignites by the blow of the firing pin. Also called as percussion powder.
 Anvil - is that portion of the primer which provides solid support and
absorbs the blow of the firing pin causing friction that would initiates
ignition.

 Disc - is a thin paper or foil which is pressed over the priming mixture in
order to protect it from moisture attack.
 Types of Priming Mixture Compound

Corrosive
It contains potassium chlorate which when
ignited it produce moisture causing the formation of
rust in the bore of the firearm.

Non- corrosive
It is designed for less chances of rusting by
replacing the potassium chlorate with barium
nitrate.
 Types of Primer

 Berdan Type
 Boxer Type
 Battery Cup
 Berdan Primer

 It was developed by Col. Hiram S. Berdan.

 Is anvil form as art of the cartridge case and a number of flash hole
usually two (2) which serves as a passage of ignition.
 Boxer Primer

 It was developed by Col. Edward M. Boxer.

 The anvil of this type was formed separately from the shell and became
a part of the ignition cup having a single flash hole to serve as the
passage of ignition.
BOXER TYPE OF PRIMER
Battery Cup
 Primers for modern shot shells have an additional part; the battery cup
supports and adds strength to the primer. Battery cups may be made of
copper, brass, or copper-plated steel.
 The shot shell anvil is larger than that of a rifle/handgun primer anvil. The
anvil is a flat plate mounted perpendicular to the cup. Its leading edge
rests against the inside of the battery cup.
 Battery cup
 It is hollow and holds a significant volume;
 it is important to prevent finely granulated propellants from entering the
cup.
 If this happens, the added pressure inside the cup at firing can damage
the bolt or breech face of a shotgun.
 Thus, the opening (flash hole) through which flame and gas will pass is
sealed with a thin, combustible paper or plastic disk before seating the
anvil.
Battery Cup
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