Origin

 Alexander John Forsyth was

credited being the first to
conceive the idea of using a
detonating compound for
igniting powder charge in small
arms by percussion, and in
1807 he obtained a patent for
this idea. Forsyth was a Scotch
Presbyterian minister, but he
was also a chemist, a hunter
and a well-known authority on
firearms.
 Two Types/Kinds of Primer

 Berdan Primer – was

invented by the U.S
Army Colonel Hiram
Berdan. The primer of
this type, have two vents
or flash holes towards the
gunpowder..
Boxer Primer –
was invented by
the British Army
Colonel Edward
M. Boxer. The
primer has only
one vent or flash
hole towards the
gunpowder.
Two Types/Kinds of Primer
 Parts of the Primer, Center-fire Cartridge

 Anvil - A portion of the

primer pocket or primer
which provides resistance
to the crushing action of
the firing pin which causes
the printing mixture to
detonate.
 Priming mixture – is a
highly sensitive mixture of
chemical compound
contained in the primer
cup.
 Parts of the Primer, Center-fire Cartridge

 Disc – piece of small paper or

disk of tin foil, where the
priming mixture is contained
and press over by the impact
of the primer and the anvil,
it’s purpose are:
 a. To hold priming mixture in
place;
 b. To exclude moisture.
 Primer cup – the container of
the anvil, disc and the priming
mixture
 Composition of Priming Mixture

 CORROSIVE IS A CHEMICAL COMPOUND

INSIDE THE PRIMER CUP THAT PRODUCES
PLUMES, VAPOUR AND CHLORIDE AFTER THE
EXPLOSION. ONE OF THE CHEMICAL IN
CORROSIVE PRIMERS IS POTASSIUM
CHLORATE, WHICH WHEN IGNITED BY THE
PRIMER FLASH, IT PRODUCES POTASSIUM
CHLORIDE. POTASSIUM CHLORIDE DRAWS
MOISTURE FROM THE AIR, AND THIS
MOISTURE SPEED RUSTING THE GUN
BARREL.
 Non-corrosive is a chemical compound
inside the primer cup that produces
plumes of metal, vapour and oxygen
that formed spherical and irregular
shape after the explosion. There are
new primers that eliminate potassium
chloride, and replaced by barium nitrate
type of priming compound.
 Trace evidence

It is usually found on the hand or

clothing of person, who had been in the
environment, at the time firearm was
discharged or fire. But it may also be
found on object in the vicinity of
discharged firearm.
 Transfer of Trace Evidence

o The principle of Edmond

Locard, “every contact
leaves a trace”
 Common Areas of Trace Evidence

o Hands – the hands is the

most common areas that
trace evidence is
collected from suspect
shooters.

o Face – the face of the

shooters can be a sample
on occasion, when
firearm such as rifles and
shotgun are used in the
shooting.
Major Components Inside the Primer
 The initiator – Lead styphnate Pb, which is set
off with a sharp blow, as when the firing pin
strikes the primer cup.
 The oxidizer – barium nitrate Ba, which gives
up its oxygen readily; the oxygen is needed to
burn the fuel;
 The fuel – antimony sulfide Sb, which burns at
a very high rate; the purpose of this initial burn,
is to ignite the gunpowder, which propels the
bullet.
Some early forms of primers.
 Mercury fulminate – most commonly used
primer for decades.
1898, US military abandoned mercury
fulminate.
 Chloratepriming – replaced mercury
fulminate because it cause brittle cartridge
which cannot reload the cartridge again.
 Lead styphnate – 1920’s it was used as
initiating compound.
 Different test for gunshot residue
 Sodium rhodizonate test is a chemical test for
the presence of lead styhpnate (pb).
 Walker test is a chemical test for the presence of
nitrates in unburned or partially burned
propellants. This test gives the investigator
valuable information about the range which the
weapon was fired.
 Greiss test is used to detect nitrate.
Modified Greiss Test - result of shot at three inches
Diphenylamine test is used to detect the
presence of nitrates and nitrites.
Marshall and Tiwari test used to
determine the firearm distance, both test
are for the nitrites
 Lunge reagent is a chemical used to indicate
the presence of nitrocellulose
 GUNPOWDER
DEFINITION
GUNPOWDER IS AN EXPLOSIVES
PROPELLANT WHICH WHEN DETONATED
BY THE PRIMER FLASH, WILL HAVE A
HEAVING EFFECT THAT PROPELS THE
PROJECTILES WITH A TREMENDOUS
PRESSURE, FROM THE HEATED GAS THAT
PASSES THROUGH THE BORE OF THE
BARREL THEN, TOWARDS THE TARGET.
 In 1886, Paul Vieille, invented
smokeless gunpowder with
nitrocellulose.
 In 1887 Alfred E. Nobel
of Great Britain,
developed smokeless
gunpowder called
Basllistite
 In 1890, Sir Frederick
Abel and James Dewar
obtained a patent on a
modified form of
smokeless powder
known as Cordite,
 Residue discharge of Firearms
 The examination and
detection of nitrates and
nitrites from gunpowder
residue was first applied
about 1911.
 In 1914, Dr. Iturriuz
was the first who used a
paraffin wax.
 In 1931 Teodoro
Gonzales performed a
modified version of the
Iturriuz’s test using
molten paraffin wax.
Origin

The first known
explosives was gunpowder, also
called Black powder.
 The black powder was used in
13th century it was the only
explosives known a hundred
years.
 Nitrocellulose and
nitroglycerine was both
discovered 1846.
 Two types of powder in small Arms
1. Black powder – is a
propellant large
volumes of grayish
smoke and considerable
amount of residue left
in then barrel of the gun

Potassium nitrate – 75%

Charcoal – 15%
Sulfur – 10 %
2. Smokeless powder – is
propellant which when
fired, does not give off
huge cloud of white
smoke like black powder.

60% nitrocellulose
35% ntroglycerine
5% vaseline
 Smokeless powder have two
classes:
 Single-base propellant  Double-base
or nitrocellulose: propellant:
 Contains only pure  Those having
nitroglycerine gelatinized nitrocellulose and
with nitrocellulose nitroglycerine as major
component.
Class Characteristics
are those characteristic
markings that are determinable even prior
to the manufacture of the firearms. These
class characteristics are factory
specification and within the control of
manufacturing these serve as basis for
indentifying a certain group or class of
firearms.
The following are class
characteristics:
 Bore diameter or caliber  Width of the Grooves

 Number of Lands  Direction of the twist

 Number of Grooves  Pitch of the rifling

 Width of the Lands  Depth of the grooves

Type of rifling's according to
type of firearm.
Smith and weason – 5R, G-L
Browning - 6R,
G2x
Colt type - 6L, G2x
Webley - 7R,
G3x
Army type - 4R,
G3x
Individual/Accidental Characteristics

Are those characteristics marking

which are in a particular striation, and do
not appear in all other firearms, these
characteristics marking are determinable
only after manufacturing of the firearm.
Corrosion

is the eating away of the

metal in the internal surface of
the bore of the barrel, the
formation of rust of other process
of chemical reaction, which
result, when neglected to be
cleaned after firing.
Erosion
is the result of the breaking and
wearing away of the metal at the surface of
the bore where the rifling is located. The
bearing surface of the projectiles comes in
contact with the walls of the bore, passage,
this usually takes place when the bullet, is a
jacketed bullet.
 In the identification of firearms from
the ammunition fired therein, the only
useful are class and accidental
characteristics, whose existence in a
firearm become evident from an
examination of the effects they produce,
on the metallic components of cartridges
fired in it. Such characteristics will be
termed pertinent characteristics.
Steps making a barrel
The barrel, which is one of the important
parts of firearm, is a cylindrical in shape with
projecting length, made of a carefully selected
solid piece of metal, fitted for its chemical and
metallurgical structure which has the capability to
withstand explosion and tremendous pressure
coming, from the expansion of heated gas. This
providers a high quality product after the various
machine operations, until it becomes a finish
product and consequently, as a real firearm.
Drilling Operation
A cylindrical solid piece of metal called barrel
blank is use, to have special deep hole at the center. A
drilling machine is used, with lubricating oil, is forced
by pressure at the center of the supposed barrel. This
operation results in a comparatively rough hole of
uniform diameter which extends longitudinally from
the breech end up to the muzzle end.
Reaming operation
 After the drilling operation is completed the next step
is reaming the drilled hole Of the barrel for its entire
length from the breech end up to the muzzle end. This
removes some of the irregularities imperfection,
roughness and scratches left by the drilling
operation; the reamer removes excess of the desired
caliber, the entire surface from breech end up to the
muzzle end. Since it is slightly larger in diameter than
the drilling machine blade.
 Rifling Operation
When the entire length of the bore of the barrel is
already reamed, the next steps are the alternate
spiral cutting of the grooves in the bore inside the
barrel. After cutting, the remaining not cut inside
the bore, is called lands. If the barrel is to be rifled,
it is done by the different tools used in making
rifling. Rifling is the combination of lands and
grooves inside the bore of the barrel.
Lapping operation
 This is the polishing operation inside
the barrel particularly in the grooves
portion, and the edge between lands
and grooves.
 But no matter how many polishing
and finishing operation made by the
gun smith, all of irregularities
imperfections, roughness and
scratches on the barrel are not
removed.
Different Types of Tools Used:

 Hook-Cutter System

 Scrape-Cutter System

 Broaching System

 Button-System
Cartridge Case

is a plastic or metallic
component of cartridge that
holds together the primer,
gunpowder and bullet.
Functions of Cartridge Case
 It serves as means, whereby the bullet,
gunpowder and primer are assembled into one
unit.
 It serves as a waterproof container, for the
gunpowder
 It prevents the escape of the gasses to the
rear, as the sidewalls of the cartridge cases
are forced against the wall of the chamber
by pressure.
Bullet

Is a part of a cartridge
consisting of lead or
jacketed projectile
propelled from a firearm
by means of heated gas
coming from the burning
powder charge.
Classification of Bullet

 Two kinds of bullets, according

to mechanical construction:

 1. Lead Bullets
 2. Jacketed Bullets
Purpose of Jacket

 1. To prevent adherence of
lead or metal inside the gun
barrel.

 2. to have better penetration

of the bullet to the target.
Parts of the Bullet
1. Base 7. Jacket
2. Bearing 8. Meplat
Surface 9. Ogive
3. Cannelure 
10. Point
4. Core 11. Shoulder
5. Head
Height
6. Heel
List of Equipments used in Laboratory :

 Bullet Recovery box  Caliper

 BulletComparison  Analytical Balance or
Microscope torsion balance
 Shadowgraph  Onoscope
 CP-6 Comparison  Chronograph
Projector  Taper Gauge
 Helixometer  Electric gun marker
 Micrometer  Stylus
 Stereoscopic Microscope – invented by Chenbin
d’Oreans in 1671 but it is pseudo stereoscope. Honorato
S. Greenough – forefather of stereomicroscope.
 Shadowgraph – contains series of microscope, it determine
class characteristics. Use infrared to record image.
 CP-6 comparison projector – by William howar livens.
Image is viewed in the large screen.
 Helixometer – measures pitch of rifling.
 Micrometer – by William Gascoigne.
 Caliper – used to measure bullet diameter.
 Onoscope – use to internal examination of bore for
irregularities etch.
 Chronoscope – used for muzzle velocity and striking
power measurement.
Bullet Recovery Box

 Several designs of bullet recovery had been used now a

days, for as it could meet the desire result in test firing and
retrieve the fired bullet undamaged. The picture of a Bullet
recovery Box below is Cylindrical designed, it is just one of
several designs.