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Practical 5

This document outlines procedures for collecting, packaging, sealing, preserving, and examining various characteristics of fired cartridge cases from crime scenes or test fires. Key steps include: collecting cases and marking test fires; removing debris while preserving marks; microscopic comparison of marks like firing pin, breech face, extractor, and ejector marks between cases; and photographing similarities found. The goal is to determine the firearm used and number of firearms involved through analysis of class and individual characteristics on the cases.

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poorna chandra
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158 views4 pages

Practical 5

This document outlines procedures for collecting, packaging, sealing, preserving, and examining various characteristics of fired cartridge cases from crime scenes or test fires. Key steps include: collecting cases and marking test fires; removing debris while preserving marks; microscopic comparison of marks like firing pin, breech face, extractor, and ejector marks between cases; and photographing similarities found. The goal is to determine the firearm used and number of firearms involved through analysis of class and individual characteristics on the cases.

Uploaded by

poorna chandra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COLLECTION, PACKING, SEALING, PRESERVATION AND EXAMINATION

OF VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRED CARTRIDGE CASE.

Aim: To collect, package, seal, and preserve and examination of various characteristics of
fired cartridge case.
Materials Required:
Glasswares:
Chemicals:
Miscellaneous:

Diagram:

Figure 1 Centrefire and rimfire Cartridge cases having firing pin marks

Figure 2 Breech face marks Figure 3 Extractor and Ejector marks


Theory:
When a revolver is fired, the fired cartridge cases remain in the weapon until the weapon
is manually opened and the cartridge cases are ejected. Unless all the rounds have been fi red
and the weapon has been reloaded, it is unusual to find fired cartridge cases from a revolver
at the scene of a shooting incident.
With fully automatic weapons and self - loading pistols, rifles and shotguns, the empty
cartridge case is automatically ejected from the weapon after firing. Unless there is a
mechanical fault, a fi red cartridge case will always be found at a crime scene where one of
these weapons has been fired. In pump, bolt action and other repeating weapons, it is also
possible that after firing, the action will be manually cycled to load a fresh cartridge into the
chamber. During this process, the fi red cartridge case will be ejected from the weapon. As a
result, a fired cartridge case will often be recovered from a crime scene where a repeating
weapon has been used. The absence of a cartridge cannot, however, rule out the use of a
repeating weapon. As in the case of fi red bullets, these fired cartridge cases will also possess
‘class’ and ‘individual characteristics’. These class characteristics will include the position
and shape of the extractor claw (the hook at the end of the extractor which clips over the
cartridge rim to enable extraction) and ejector pin, marks made by the lips of the magazine
and feed ramp into the barrel, cut - outs on the standing breech face, marks made by the edge
of the ejector port on the slide and, in certain weapons, the actual shape of the tip of the
firing pin. These will, once again, enable the calibre, type, make and model of the weapon to
be ascertained with a high degree of accuracy.
Procedure:
Packing, sealing and disposal of examined case exhibit and case report:
1. The exhibit(s) examined in the Ballistics Division are resealed along with their
original wrapper with the seal of the concerned reporting officer/division.
2. The cover of the sealed parcel should contain the case reference and details of
articles contained therein.
3. The sealed parcel(s) should be kept in the outgoing strong room of the division. 4. Hand
over the original report in sealed condition and sealed exhibit parcel(s) to
authorized messenger under proper receipt or send original report by registered post,
wherever necessary.
5. Keep the first copy of the report in case file.
6. Keep the second copy of the report in the master record file of the laboratory. 7. Send
attested photocopy of the report, if forwarding authority requests, by registered post or by
authorized special messenger.
For comparison between test fired cartridges and exhibits, following procedure should
be followed:

a) Test Firing:
1. Conduct test firing with the available firearm
2. Obtain at least two test cartridges from each barrel or at least two test specimens when test
firing is not possible.
3. Mark the test cartridges/test specimens.

b) Removing debris from cartridge case(s):


1. Any cartridge case(s) having biological fluids/residue should be handled with gloves,
eye wear, and rinsed in hypochlorate solution prior to any other examination.
2. Attempt must be made to remove loose material by hand or rinsed with methanol.
Light brushing with an old tooth brush will help.
3. Swabs, moistened with methanol, must lightly be wiped over the surface, taking care
not to damage individual characteristics.
5. Acetic acid will remove plaster debris, but if caked on heavily it may need to be
soaked for several minutes.

c) Microscopic Examination:
1. Examination and comparison of individual characteristic marks present on the
test cartridges under stereo/comparison microscope with special reference to firing pin and
breech face marks must be made. Other marks such as chamber, extractor, ejector, magazine,
etc. if available also should be examined and compared.
2. Comparison of individual characteristic marks present on the tests with those present
on the crime cartridge(s) under comparison microscope whether similar or otherwise or
insufficient should be made.
3. Comparison of inter se individual characteristic marks present on crime
cartridge(s) whether similar or otherwise or insufficient to ascertain number of firearms
involved must be made.

d) Photo Documentation:
Photomicrograph(s) showing similarities duly labelled, marked and signed for record must
be taken.

Observation:
Documenting the bullets observed.

Observation table:
Sr. Typ Headsta Bree Base Materi Weig Firing Extractor Chamber Sh Rema
e mp ch al ht Marks/e marks a rks
N of Mark face Diamet used (g) pin jector p
cartri mark er impres marks e
o dge (mm) sion
. s
Result: Various marks formed on cartridge cases were examined.

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