Forensic Ballistics 2

FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Bullet-bearing surface - that part of the outer surface of a bullet that comes into direct contact with the interior
surface of the barrel.
Bullet creep - the movement of a bullet out of the cartridge case due to the recoil of the firearm and the inertia of
the bullet.Also called bullet starting.Also known as popping.
Bullet,frangible - a projectile designed to disintegrate upon impact on a hard surface in order to minimize
ricochet or spatter.
Bullet jacket - usually a metallic cover over the core.
Bullet,lead - a standard lead bullet having a harder metal jacket over the nose formed from a lead alloy,also
known as metal-point bullet.This non spherical projectiles is for use in a rifled barrel.
Bullet recovery system - any method that will allow the undamaged recovery of a fired bullet.Water tanks and
cotton boxes are most commonly in use.
Bullet wipe - a dark ring-shaped mark made up of lead,carbon,oil and dirt brushed from a bullet as it enters the
skin and found around the entry wound.The discolored area on the immediate periphery of a bullet hole,caused
by bullet lubricant,lead,smoke bore debris or possibly,jacket material.Sometimes called burnishing or leaded
edge.
Burr striations - a roughness or rough edge especially one left on metal in casting or cutting.A tool or device
that raises a burr.
Butt - in handguns,the buttom part of the grip frame.In long guns,it is the rear of shoulder end of the stock.
Caliber - the approximate diameter of the circle formed by the tops of the lands of a rifled barrel.
Cannelure - a circumferential groove generally of a knurled or plain appearance in a bullet or the head of a
rimless cartridge case.
Carbine - a rifle of short length and lightweight originally designed for mounted troops.
Cartridge - is also called a round, packages the bullet,propellant (usually smokeless powder or gun powder) and
primer into a single unit within a containing metallic case that is precisely made to fit within the firing chamber of
the firearm.
Cartridge case head - the base of the cartridge case which contains the primer.
Cartridge,centerfire - any cartridge that has its primer central to the axis in the head of the case.
Cartridge,rimfire - a flange-headed cartridge containing the priming mixture inside the rim cavity.
Center of impact - the points of impact of the projectiles being dispersed about a single point.
Chamber - the rear part of the barrel bore that has been formed to accept a specific cartridge.Revolver cylinders
are multi-chambered.
Chamber mark - individual microscopic marks placed upon a cartridge case by the chamber wall as a result of
any or all of the following 1. chambering 2. expansion during firing 3. extraction.
Choke - (shotgun) the constriction of the barrel of a shotgun to reduce the spread of shot as it leaves the gun to
increase its effective range.
Clip - a separate cartridge container used to rapidly reload the magazine of a firearm.Also called stripper.
Coefficient of form - a numerical term indicating the general profile of a projectile.
Combination gun - a multiple-barreled firearm designed to handle different sizes or types of ammunition.
Concentric fractures - patterns of cracks in glass pierced by a missile like a bullet which runs between the radial
fractures and which originate on the side of the glass from which the impact came.
Copper-clad steel - a composite structure of copper and steel used for the manufacture of certain bullet
jackets.Metallic element with the chemical symbol Cu and atomic number 29 that commonly comprises "cartridge
brass" that is typically 70% copper and 30% zinc (Zn)
Centerfire - is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case head.Unlike rimfire
cartridges,the primer is a separate and replaceable component.
Chamber - is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired.
Clay pigeon shooting - (clay target shooting) formally known as inanimate bird shooting is the art of shooting at
special flying targets known as clay pigeons or clay targets with a shotgun or any type of firearm.
Cylinder - rotating chambered breech of a revolver. Damascus barrel - an obsolete barrel-making process.The
barrel is formed by twisting or braiding together steel and iron wires or bars.The resulting cable is then wound
around a mandrel and forged into a barrel tube.This type of barrel is also called a laminated barrel.
Decant - the process of pouring off the supernatant during separation from a pellet after a mixture has been
centrifuged or left to settle.
Derringer - the generic term applied to many variations of pocket size pistols either percussion or cartridge made
by manufacturers other that Henry Derringer up to present time.
Discharge - to cause a firearm to fire.
Disconnector - a device to prevent a semi-automatic firearm from firing full automatic.Some pump action
shotguns also have disconnectors.
Distance determination - the process of determining the distance from the firearm, usually the muzzle, to the
target based upon pattern of gunpowder or gunshot residues deposited upon that target.Where multiple
projectiles such as shot have been fired,the spread of those projectiles is also indicative of distance.
Double action - a gun action where the pulling of trigger to fire a round recocks the gun so that the next round is
ready to be fired.
Drawback effect - the presence of blood in the barrel of a firearm that has been drawn awkward due to the effect
created by discharged gasses.This is seen frequently in close-range contact gunshot injuries.
Driving edge,fired bullet - the driving edge of a fired bullet with a right twist is the left edge of the groove
impression or the right edge of the land impression.The driving edge of a fired bullet with left twist is the right
edge of the groove impression or the left edge of the hand impression.
Ejection - the act of expelling a cartridge or cartridge cases from a firearm.
Ejection pattern - the charting of where a particular firearm ejects fired cartridge cases.
Ejector - a portion of a firearms mechanism that ejects or expels cartridges or cartridge cases from a firearm.
Ejector marks - tool marks provided upon a cartridge or cartridge case on the head,generally at or near the rim
from contact with the ejector.

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FORENSIC BALLISTICS

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