Forensic Ballistics in Court
Interpretation and Presentation of Firearms Evidence
2. Edition April 2013
396 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Forensic Ballistics in Court: Interpretation and Presentation of Firearms Evidence is an accessible introduction to firearms and ballistics evidence and how this is analysed and presented as evidence in a court of law.
The book contains little or no coverage of the history and development of weapons, ammunition and forensic technologies but rather approaches the subject in terms of the realities of case work.
Opening with a clear explanation of the correct nomenclature for various weapon types and their parts, illustrations help to clarify the names of the various components of these weapons. Ammunition is also extensively covered, again with annotated illustrations. Basic external and terminal ballistics, wounding capabilities are likewise covered to give an overview of the subject. The book is not intended to provide a detailed examination of all aspects of firearms and ballistics and should the reader need more detail on the subject reference is made to 'The Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics' also authored by Brian Heard.
A key aspect of the book covers the theory and philosophy behind striation matches and the associated statistics, how positive matches should be peer reviewed and the importance accreditation has on this subject.
Gunshot residue formation and identification and the various methods used in its analysis are reviewed in depth. This includes a critical examination of the pros and cons of each type of examination and the evidential weight which can be applied to each method. This type of analysis, due to the extremely small particles involved, is very susceptible to contamination, both environmental and cross contamination from police officers or other investigating agencies e.g. during exhibit photography or the taking of fingerprints.
As the main thrust of the book is directed towards the interpretation and assessment of the weight of evidence presented at court this will take up the major portion of the book. There will be considerable reliance on case work that the author has dealt with over the past 40 years to illustrate the various pitfalls of placing too much reliance on the face value of the various types of evidence. The majority of evidence presented at court can be interpreted in various ways and each and every one should be explored before deciding which is the more viable.
Key Differences between the proposed book and the Handbook for Firearms and Ballistics:
* History of firearms, ammunition, propellant and primer will not be included in this book- this is covered in detail in the Handbook.
* Information on internal and external ballistics and headstamps will not be covered as in the Handbook. Instead there will be large sections to assist the lawyer when interpreting such evidence. Some of these areas follow:
* Evidence from crime scene investigations,
* Ricochet analysis,
* The results of stria comparisons submitted by the forensic expert,
* Range of fire estimations,
* A weapons potential for accidental discharge
* Identification of bullet entry/exit holes.
* Missile penetration potential
* The 'lethality' of a weapon/ammunition combination
* Determination of when the weapon was last fired
* Examination as to the viability of ammunition
* Determining the age and origin of ammunition
* Whether recovered cartridge cases were from blank or live ammunition
* Determining the age of a weapon (i.e. can it be considered to be an antique)
* Lethality of air, gas and spring guns
* Convertability of toy, replica and blank firing weapons into firearms
The importance of witness and accused statements and their interpretation in relation to the investigation under review will also be examined. This is not covered in the Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics.
Introduction xv
About the companion website xix
1.0 Firearms History 1
Further reading 8
2.0 Weapon Types and Their Operation 9
Further reading 24
2.1 Gas and Air Powered Weapons 25
Further reading 31
2.2 Rifling Types and Their Identification 33
Additional reading 42
2.3 Home-made, Improvised and Converted Firearms 43
Further reading 50
2.4 Antique Weapons 51
3.0 Proof Marks 55
Further reading 61
4.0 A Brief History of Ammunition 63
Further reading 66
4.1 Ammunition Components 67
Further reading 79
4.2 Bullet Types 81
Further reading 86
4.3 Headstamps and Other Identifying Features on Ammunition 87
Further reading 91
4.4 Non-toxic and Frangible Bullets 93
Further reading 96
4.5 Non-toxic Shot 97
Suggested further reading 100
4.6 A Brief History of Propellants 101
Further reading 108
4.7 Priming Compounds 109
Further reading 114
5.0 An Introduction to Ballistics 115
Further reading 116
5.1 Internal Ballistics 117
Further reading 121
5.2 External Ballistics 123
Further reading 135
5.3 Terminal Ballistics 137
Further reading 152
6.0 A Brief History of Forensic Firearms Identification 153
Suggested further reading 160
7.0 Basic Concepts of Striation Matching 161
Further reading 172
7.1 Basic Concepts in Comparison Microscopy 173
Further reading 181
7.2 The Concept of Consecutive Matching Stria 183
Further reading 187
7.3 A Statistical Model to Illustrate the Concept of Individuality in Striation Matches 189
References 193
8.0 Accidental Discharge 195
Further reading 204
9.0 Identification of Calibre from the Bullet Entry Hole 205
Further reading 208
10.0 Ricochet Analysis 209
Further reading 213
11.0 Bullet Penetration and Trajectory through Glass 215
Further reading and references 223
12.0 Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations 225
12.1 Chemical Tests for Range of Fire Estimations and Bullet Entry/Exit Hole Identification 235
Further reading 239
12.2 Range of Fire Estimations for Shotguns 241
Suggested further reading 247
13.0 The Use of X-ray Photography for Projectile Identification 249
Further reading 254
14.0 Gunshot Residue Examination 255
References 275
15.0 Gun Handling Tests 277
Further reading 283
16.0 Laser-etched Serial Numbers and Bar Codes 285
Further reading 287
17.0 Classification of Firearms-related Death 289
References and further reading 293
18.0 Practical Considerations in a Firearms Case from a Legal Point of View 295
Further reading and references 300
19.0 Qualifying the Expert and Cross-examination Questions 301
Further reading 308
20.0 Chain of Custody 309
Further reading 311
Appendix 1 Standard of Review: 'Daubert Trilogy' 313
Appendix 2 Commercial and General Abbreviations for Bullet Configurations 317
Appendix 3 Some of the More Common Trade Names 323
Appendix 4 Important dates in the History of Firearms from 1247 335
Appendix 5 Dates for the Introduction of Various Cartridges by Calibre 341
Appendix 6 Some Trademarks Found on Guns 345
Appendix 7 General Firearms Values Conversion Table 349
Appendix 8 Hearing Loss 351
Appendix 9 A List of Handgun Cartridges 355
Appendix 10 A List of Rifle Cartridges 357
Appendix 11 Air Weapon Legislation 361
Index 367
