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FIREARMS & TOOLMARKS
Gary M. Lind, FA-AFTE
Anthony R. Spadafora, CFWE-IAI
Forensic Scientist
Firearm and Toolmark Section
Footwear and Tire Track Section
FIREARMS & TOOLMARKS
OVERVIEW
• TOOLS AND TOOLMARKS
• FIREARMS, BARRELS, AND BULLETS
• DISTANCE DETERMINATION
• FRACTURE MATCH/PHYSICAL FIT
• SERIAL NUMBER RESTORATION
• NIBIN
• PACKAGING
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TOOLS & TOOLMARKS
TOOL:
THE HARDER OF TWO OBJECTS THAT COMES INTO FORCEFUL CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER,
RESULTING IN THE SOFTER OBJECT BEING MARKED.
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TOOLS & TOOLMARKS
TOOLMARK:
FEATURES IMPARTED ON AN OBJECT BY THE CONTACT AND FORCE EXERTED FROM A TOOL.
TWO TYPES –
IMPRESSED TOOLMARKS
STRIATED TOOLMARKS
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TOOLS & TOOLMARKS
IMPRESSED TOOLMARK:
• FEATURES PRODUCED WHEN A
TOOL CONTACTS AN OBJECT WITH
ENOUGH COMPRESSIVE FORCE
THAT IT LEAVES AN IMPRESSION.
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TOOLS & TOOLMARKS
STRIATED TOOLMARK:
• FEATURES PRODUCED WHEN A
TOOL CONTACTS AN OBJECT WITH
LATERAL FORCE AND MOTION.
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BULLETS AND BARRELS
• FIREARM BARRELS CAN LEAVE STRIATED TOOLMARKS ON FIRED BULLETS, SHOTGUN WADS,
AND OTHER PROJECTILES.
• RIFLED BARRELS HAVE A SERIES OF LANDS AND GROOVES THAT CAUSE BULLETS TO SPIN,
MAKING THEM STABLE AND ACCURATE IN FLIGHT. RIFLING LEAVES IMPERFECTIONS FOR
IDENTIFICATION ON BULLETS.
• SMOOTHBORE BARRELS CAN STILL POTENTIALLY LEAVE IMPERFECTIONS FOR IDENTIFICATION.
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RIFLED VERSUS SMOOTHBORE
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RIFLED BARREL TOOMARKS
RIFLING – BARREL DIAMETER, RIFLING
DIRECTION, NUMBER OF LANDS AND
GROOVES, LAND AND GROOVE
WIDTHS, AND MICROSCOPIC
IMPERFECTIONS IMPRESSED INTO
BULLET WHEN FIRED THROUGH
BARREL
RIFLING IS OBSERVED, MEASURED,
AND COMPARED … ON A
COMPARISON MICROSCOPE
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COMPARISON
MICROSCOPE
• TWO MICROSCOPES JOINED BY AN
OPTICAL BRIDGE
• SIMULTANEOUS VIEWING OF
EVIDENCE ON LEFT AND RIGHT
SIDE, UNDER MAGNIFICATION
• FIELD OF VIEW IS SEPARATED BY
HAIRLINE
• EXAMINER WILL COMPARE
IMPRESSED AND STRIATED
TOOLMARKS ACROSS THIS HAIRLINE
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MICROSCOPIC
FIRED BULLET
COMPARISON
• LEFT AND RIGHT ARE MERGED
IMAGES OF TWO FIRED BULLETS
SEPARATED BY A HAIRLINE
• STRIATED OR IMPRESSED MARKINGS
ARE COMPARED ACROSS THE
HAIRLINE
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DISTANCE
DETERMINATION –
GUNPOWDER
PATTERNCAN OPINE APPROXIMATED MUZZLE TO
GARMENT DISTANCE
OBSERVED PATTERN DIAMETER, TEARING, AND BURNING ALONG WITH TEST FIRING
CAN BE USED TO ESTIMATE DISTANCE
INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY AND/OR
CHEMICAL PROCESSING MAY BE USEFUL TO
ENHANCE PATTERN FOR VISIBILITY
MOST FIREARMS STOP LEAVING A USABLE
PATTERN AT 2 ½ - 3 FEET FROM MUZZLE
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INFLUENCE ON GUNPOWDER PATTERNS
• INTERVENING OBJECTS
• ADHESION OF POWDER PATTERN TO EVIDENCE ITEM
• MOVEMENT OF EVIDENCE ITEM
• AMMUNITION VARIABLES (POWDER TYPE, PRIMER TYPE, NON-TOXIC)
• OTHERS?
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DISTANCE DETERMINATION –
SHOT PATTERN• THE APPROXIMATE PATTERN
DIAMETER IS MEASURED AND
EXAMINED FOR PELLET
DISTRIBUTION
• USUALLY, THE PATTERN SPREADS
ABOUT 1 INCH PER 3 FEET
DISTANCE FROM MUZZLE
(SMOOTHBORE BARREL)
• HOWEVER, AMMO, CHOKE,
MUZZLE CROWN, AND BARREL
TYPE CAN CAUSE UNUSUAL
THINGS…
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EXAMPLE PATTERN
• TEST PATTERN DIAMETER ABOUT
3 INCHES AT 9 FEET
• AGREEMENT OF 1 INCH OF
SPREAD PER 3 FEET DISTANCE
FROM MUZZLE
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FRACTURE MATCH/PHYSICAL FIT
• CAN DETERMINE IF TWO ITEMS AT
ONE TIME FORMED A SINGLE
OBJECT
• BULLET FRAGMENTS
• CAR PARTS
• BIKE HELMETS
• KNIVES
• ETC.
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SERIAL NUMBER
RESTORATION
• SERIAL NUMBERS ARE STAMPED
INTO FIREARMS
• THE STAMPS USED CREATE A MORE
DENSE AREA OF METAL BELOW THE
CHARACTERS
• SOMETIMES THE SERIAL NUMBERS
ARE REMOVED VIA SCRATCHING
OR GRINDING
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SERIAL NUMBER
RESTORATION
• SURFACE POLISHING AND ACID
ETCHING ARE USED TO RECOVER
THE SERIAL NUMBER.
• THE ACID WILL DISSOLVE THE LESS
DENSE METAL FASTER THAN THE
MORE DENSE METAL BELOW THE
CHARACTERS, THUS “RAISING” ASERIAL NUMBER
• SUCCESSFUL RESTORATION
DEPENDENT ON HOW FAR THE
CHARACTERS ARE OBLITERATED.
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DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEM THAT CAN CAPTURE AND SORT IMAGES OF EVIDENCE AND
TEST FIRED CARTRIDGE CASES IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP INVESTIGATIVE LEADS
(HITS) BASED ON SIMILARITY OF THE IMAGES.
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WHAT DOES NIBIN DO?
• DATABASE SEARCH FOR SIMILAR IMAGES
• ABILITY TO SEARCH ANY OTHER NIBIN SITE
NATIONWIDE
• DEVELOPS INVESTIGATIVE LEADS (NIBIN HITS)
BASED ON SIMILARITY OF IMAGES
• NOTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATIVE LEADS SENT
TO AFFECTED AGENCIES WITHIN 24 HOURS
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INVESTIGATIVE LEADS – CONFIRMED VIA LAB
EXAMINATION
• A NIBIN HIT OR MATCH IS CONSIDERED A PRESUMPTIVE TEST, NOT A CONFIRMATION OF
IDENTIFICATION
• IF AN INVESTIGATIVE LEAD – NIBIN HIT - IS DEVELOPED, THAT EVIDENCE CAN BE SENT TO A
LABORATORY FOR CONFIRMATION THROUGH MICROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION
• REPORT ISSUED DETAILING RESULTS OF MICROSCOPIC COMPARISON
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FIREARM PACKAGING
• ONE FIREARM PER PACKAGE
• EJECTION PORT OF CHAMBER VISIBLE, IF POSSIBLE
• NO OBJECTS THROUGH BARREL (ZIP-TIES, WIRE, ETC.)
• NO LOOSE AMMUNITION IN PACKAGE
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FIRED EVIDENCE PACKAGING
• ONE FIRED BULLET OR DISCHARGED CARTRIDGE CASING PER
PACKAGING
• SUBMIT MANY SMALLER ENVELOPES IN A LARGER PACKAGE
• HAVE MEDICAL EXAMINER RINSE AUTOPSY BULLETS PRIOR TO
PACKAGING
• AIR DRY ANY BIOHAZARDOUS ITEMS PRIOR TO SEALING IN
PACKAGE
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TOOL PACKAGING
• PROTECT WORKING ENDS OF TOOLS PRIOR TO PACKAGING
• SUBMIT ONE TOOL PER PACKAGE
• ALWAYS SUBMIT QUESTIONED TOOLMARKS SEPARATE FROM
SUSPECT TOOLS
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QUESTIONS?
FIREARMS@NIRCL.ORG
847-362-0676 X 153
WWW.NIRCL.ORG
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THANK YOU!
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