Forensic Ballistics: Presented by

FORENSIC
ballistics
Presented by: Rendeep prem

Ivth sem LLM
Govt.Law college,ekm
What is Forensic Ballistics?
Firearms Identification is a forensic science often

referred to as ballistics. Forensic ballistics
identifies firearm usage in crimes.
The term ballistics refers to the science of the travel of a projectile in flight.
The flight path of a bullet includes:
• travel down the barrel,

• path through the air and
• path through a target.
How and why!!!
• The firearm, made of a • Just like fingerprints, no two
firearms, even those of the same
material harder than the make and model, will produce
ammunition components, the same marks on fired bullets
acts as a tool that leaves and cartridge cases. Furthermore,
impressed or striated the manufacturing processes and
the use of the firearm leave
marks on the various shell surface characteristics that
casings and other cannot be exactly reproduced in
ammunition components any other firearm. This means
that the toolmarks are unique to
with which it comes into
each firearm.
contact.
Firearms evidence submitted to a will typically include:
• a firearm
• spent bullets
• spent cartridge cases
• spent shot shells and/or shot
• shot shell wadding
• live ammunition
• clothing
What do Forensic Ballistic Experts Do?
• Forensic ballistic experts look at certain characteristics

of firearms that relate to the bullets fired from them
including the caliber of the firearm and the rifling
pattern contained in the barrel of the firearm.
• Cartridges and cartridge cases on the other hand are
examined for similarities in what are called breech
marks, firing pin impressions, extractor marks, ejector
marks and other named toolmarks.
• One of the most important tools in forensic ballistics is
the comparison microscope also called a comparison
macroscope, where these toolmarks can be compared
side by side and matched or eliminated.
What’s the PURPOSE???
Through forensic ballistics, criminal
investigators can identify the owner of a gun
or a person whose fingerprints are on a gun as
the perpetrator of a gun crime. With the
prevalence of private gun ownership in India
with license for guns, law enforcement
agencies depend on forensic ballistics to find
the perpetrators of gun crimes.
BULLET and Barrel
• Barrel
• -A) Land
A
• -B) Groove
• Bullet
B • -A) Land impression
• -B) Groove impression
• Rifling – the spiral
• grooves that are formed in
• the bore of a firearm
B A B
• barrel. Makes projectile
• spin when fired.
Cartridge Parts and How it Works
Primer Cartridge Case Gun Powder Lead Bullet

Anatomy of the Gun
Action
Muzzle Chamber
Barrel
Hammer
Bore Magazine
(Clip)
Caliber Rifling
PARTS OF A FIREARM
USABILITY IN EVIDENCE
Cartridge Case Individual Characteristics
• Firing Pin Impressions

• Breech Face Marks
• Ejector Marks
• Extractor Marks
Breech face Firing Pin Extracting Pin
Gun Animation
Barrel
Status : Very important
Barrels of most firearms imprints marks on all fired projectiles

which fit tightly into the barrels. In rifled firearms the marks
are from the imperfections of the lands and the grooves
(mostly from lands).
In smooth bore firearms the slight (microscopic) imperfections
in the inner surface of the barrels imprints the projectile
with striation (lines)marks.
BARREL Inside - Out
FIRING PIN (STRIKER)
Status: Very crucial in evidence Reason
• Each pin causes different
marks on the bullet.
• Firing pin indentations are
invariably present in all
fired cartridges.
• Firing pin indentations
alone leads to
identification of the
firearm in 98% cases.
Firing Pin 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.
Firing Pin Animation
Breech Face
Status: Important
It’s the area surrounding the
firing pin. When a cartridge is
fired, the explosion forces the
bullet down the barrel and
the shell casing is forced back
against the breech. This leaves
impressions unique to the
individual gun’s breech on the
shell casing.
Examples of Breech Face Marks
Breech Face Marks Comparison
Breech marks Firing Pin marks
Extracting Pin and Ejector Marks
Status: Important in some cases
The extracting pin and
ejector throw the spent
shell casing from the
chamber of the gun. These
leave marks on the shell
casing that are unique to
those parts on that
particular firearm
Shotguns have smooth barrels with not rifling.
Therefore there are no land or groove marks
left on the bullet. Identification can still be
made by comparison of extractor/ejector
markings on shotgun shell.
SHOTGUN
LEED
Status: Used rarely
When the bullet is pushed
out from the cartridge case
and before it sets into its
grooves ,its slips over the
leed and gets imprinted
with the slippage marks. It
is used only in cases where
there are no barrel marks .
LATEST TECHNIQUES AND
TECHNOLOGIES IN
BALLISTIC EVIDENCE

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FORENSIC

Presented by: Rendeep prem

Firearms Identification is a forensic science often

The flight path of a bullet includes:

• travel down the barrel,

• Forensic ballistic experts look at certain characteristics

Primer Cartridge Case Gun Powder Lead Bullet

• Firing Pin Impressions

Barrels of most firearms imprints marks on all fired projectiles

In order to fire the

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