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SWGGUN
Statement on the NAS Ballistic Database Study
The Scientific
Working Group for Firearm and Toolmarks (SWGGUN)
has released an informational statement about the National
Academy of Science (NAS), Ballistics Database Study report and
its implications on the admissibility of firearms related court
testimony. Visit the SWGGUN website to review the statement and
accompanying documents.
Visit SWGGUN.org...
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Micro Serialized Firing Pin
Study What Micro
Serialized Firing Pins Can Add to Firearm Identification in
Forensic Science: How Viable are Micro-Marked Firing Pin
Impressions as Evidence?
by David Howitt, PhD, Frederic A.
Tulleners, and Michael T. Beddow Forensic Science Graduate
Group University of California, Davis
From the Executive Summary:
"Every time a semiautomatic firearm is discharged, a bullet will
leave the barrel and the cartridge case, which initially
contained the bullet and powder charge will be ejected from the
firearm. During the discharging process, working surfaces inside
the firearm impart microscopic markings onto various areas of
each bullet and cartridge case. One of these working surfaces is
the firing pin, an object that strikes the primer surface in the
base or back of the cartridge case, thereby causing the powder
charge to deflagrate and fire the bullet. These ejected
cartridge cases are one of the key pieces of evidence used in
solving firearm-related crimes. More precisely, it is the
microscopic markings, such as those impressed onto the back of
the cartridge case by the firing pin, that forensic firearms
examiners scrutinize in order to determine whether an
identification with the crime gun can be made.
This examination
and comparison process is highly meticulous, time consuming and
requires a forensic scientist with specialized equipment,
training and experience.
 The transfer of intentional
microscopic impressions of intentional microscopic marking from
the working surfaces of a firearm to each fired cartridge case
was the goal behind the recent development of a micro-machining
technology designed to machine an array of microscopic
characters onto the face of a firing pin. The surface area of a
firing pin is sufficiently large enough for a wide variety of
alphanumeric characters, symbols, barcode lines, or other
encoding structures to be machined on it. Todd Lizotte of ID
Dynamics, located in Londonderry, New Hampshire, developed a
micro-machining method that utilizes an ultraviolet laser to
engrave micro-encoding structures onto firing pins. The method
is similar to that used to engrave codes on computer chips..."
Read the Full Report (582 KB pdf)
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Rifling Data Search 8
Rifling Data Search
8
is the latest version of the rifling search database
application for Microsoft Access 2000, XP, 2003, or
2007.
This
version updates the data to include all data contained in the
2008 FBI GRC release.
If you are a firearm examiner and don't have access to the new federally released
database you may find this database very helpful in casework. However, this application
is not being released publicly.
Please submit a request for this application via the
Help Desk.
If you are not a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner
DO NOT BOTHER ASKING FOR
THIS APPLICATION. I will not
respond unless I can verify you work in the
discipline.
I reserve the right to limit the availability of this database
application. All
requests will be considered but I cannot guarantee your request will be approved.
Delivery of the database will be via an
approximately 2.6 MB downloadable .exe file or
.zip file.
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 RIFLING BY FLOW FORMING
by BARIŞ GÜN and ILHAN GÜVEL"Flow forming of a barrel can be described as
a special application of forward flow forming which is used to
form grooves and lands inside the barrel while also forming
outside of the barrel."
"In rifling by flow forming, a barrel preform
over a special mandrel containing reverse image of desired
grooves and lands are flow formed by rollers. During the
process, the barrel material flows in axial and radial
directions. Axial flow elongates the barrel and radial flow
forms the rifling."
Read More...
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New Server!
Since our recent move to
the new web host there have been some lingering problems with a
few sections of the website. Two pretty big issues have
(we hope) been cleared up.
- The search features on the site are now
back up and running. In addition to the overall site
search engine located in the upper right corner of all pages
we have three online data search engines for you to utilize:
- Also, we have had issues with email sent
from our server to some email accounts. Primarily
affected were Hotmail, MSN, and Live mail users. We
somehow got placed on a spam list and these services were
blocking our mail. This was particularly troublesome
for individuals registering to use our Resource Area.
This too should now be fixed!
We continue to try to identify any problems on
the site, hopefully now the biggest problems are out of the way.
Please be sure to let us know if you run into any problems using
the resources on FirearmsID.com!
Thanks- Scott Doyle and Erik Dahlberg |
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Firearm Owner's
Manuals
 A
new resource for firearm examiners, students and gun enthusiasts
has been added to the resource area. Over
700 firearm
manuals provided by manufacturers and other sources!
Manuals allow you to understand both safety and
functional aspects of your firearms. Also, most will
provide parts schematics in case you need a specific part to
repair a firearm.
Login and view the manuals!
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 Examiners of the World
Meet Zolzaya who works in National Center of Forensic Investigation of Ministry Justice and Home Affairs of Mongolia. Zolzaya has been a firearms examiner for 10 years.
His laboratory was founded in 1954 year and employs four examiners. The lab is located in Ulaanbaatar city. Zolzaya writes, "Ulaanbaatar is capital city of Mongolia. I think you know that Mongolia is situated Central Asia between Russia and China. We are examine firearms, bullets, and cartridge cases that have been found at crime scenes or seized from suspects or criminals".
If you are a firearm examiner from outside the USA and would like to say hello to the world, send your picture to FirearmsID.com and you may be the next featured "Examiner of the World"!
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THE VALENTINE DAY MASSACRE: A STUDY IN AMMUNITION-TRACING
by CALVIN H. GODDARD
At about 10:30 A.M. on the morning of February 14th, 1929, seven men were gathered in the garage of the S.M.C. Cartage Company at 2122 North Clark Street, Chicago. Five of these were known as members of the so-called "Bugs" Moran gang; one was an automobile mechanic who worked upon the various motor cars which the "gang" used in gaining an honest livelihood, and one was an optometrist who found excitement in associating with gentlemen reported to be "tough" and in boasting of this to his friends. On this particular day, he was destined to meet with more excitement than he had bargained for.
Read More...
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The Manufacture of Smokeless Powders and their Forensic Analysis: A Brief Review
"Smokeless powders are a class of propellants that were
developed in the late 19th century to replace black powder.
 The term smokeless refers to the minimal residue left in the gun barrel following the use of smokeless powder. In forensic analysis, smokeless powders are often encountered as organic gunshot residue or as the explosive charge in improvised explosive devices."
Read More...
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Murder in the Museum!
Investigate a mysterious crime!
Monday 9.15 am. Our director has been discovered murdered in his office. What happened and why?
Mission: Play the part of the investigator. Subject the crime scene to a thorough analysis. Enter a professional laboratory and follow the traces (objects, prints, blood stains, corpse…).
Read More...
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 National Museum of the Marine Corps Tour
I am a member of the Scientific Working Group for Firearms and Toolmarks (SWGGUN.org) and have just returned from our fall meeting. SWGGUN is just one of the many scientific working groups sponsored by the FBI. We meet twice a year to discuss issues related to the discipline of Firearm and Toolmark Identification. Our fall meeting was held in Stafford, Virginia which sits just outside the US Marine base located in Quantico, Virginia.
Lucky for us the new National Museum of the Marine Corps had just been completed and opened to the public on November 10, 2006. So, on November 15, 2006 the other SWGGUN committee members and I had the pleasure to tour the new US Marine Corps Museum located in Quantico, Virginia.
Read More...
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Cambodian Street Gangs : A Case Study of Six Crime-Guns in Stockton
"Stockton is California’s 12th largest city with a population of approximately 280,000. It consists of 56 square miles along the Interstate 5 / 99 corridors. Stockton is a multi-ethnic city and is home to a large Hispanic and Southeast Asian population. Between December 1999 and November 2003, a very productive partnership was nurtured between the Stockton Police NIBIN Lab, various Investigative Units within the Stockton Police Department and a California Department of Justice Forensic Laboratory. IBIS Specialists at the Stockton Police NIBIN Lab worked in collaboration with Stockton Investigators and forensic experts at the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services in Ripon, using IBIS and the NIBIN database to cultivate actionable intelligence from test fires from recovered firearms and a collection of various items of ballistics evidence. The work focused on an abhorrent series of violent crimes that were committed by Cambodian street gangs."
Read the full publication prepared by Forensic Technology in collaboration with the Stockton Police Department
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Recently, an article was published in The Columbia Science and Technology Law Review entitled “A Systemic Challenge to the Reliability and Admissibility of Firearms and Toolmark Identification." Distinguished AFTE Member Ron Nichols has written a critical review of this article.
Read his review and view a PowerPoint Summary.
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Shotshell Component Search
Do you want to find out who makes a shotshell with a copper slug? Or one that uses plastic wadding? Now you can search through over 500 shotshells for those features and more! Pictures of the sectioned shotshell and headstamps are included.
Shotshell Component Search
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 Bullet Basics and Bullet Search 2006
Two new additions to firearmsID.com feature information related to the identification bullets. For the novice, start with the short tutorial that describes the basic shapes and materials used in the manufacture of bullets. Be sure to take the quiz at the end!
For the more advanced, be sure to check the new Bullet Search 2006 application. Search a database of over 1100 known bullet types with data from your "unknown" bullet. It may help you narrow down your bullet's caliber and manufacturer.
Bullet Basics
Bullet Search 2006
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School Stats on FirearmsID.com
Over 140 high schools and colleges are now using the classroom features of FirearmsID.com to teach their students the basics of comparison microscopy and forensic firearm identification. Visit a new "stats" page to see how your school is doing or to see the "top 10" schools training future forensic firearm examiners!
"School Stats on FirearmsID.com"
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Hi-Point Video Illustration
 If you have visited the Graphic Libraries in the Resource Area you probably have seen the Hi-Point 3D illustrations. We have taken these illustrations and created a little movie that describes the components and operation of the Hi-Point Pistol. Click the button on the right to view this FLASH movie!
Visit the Graphic Libraries!
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