K10959_cover.fhmx 10K/12079/1519 _1c2o:3v5e rP.fMhm Pxa 1g0e/ 217 /11 12:35 PM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CCMY MK Y CM MY CY CMY K FORENSICS AND CRIFMOIRNEANLS JIUCSST AICNED CRIMINAL JUSTICE F F I N T E R N AI TNITOENRANLA TFIOORNEANLS IFCO RS CE NI ESNI CC ES C I E N C E i i r r A N D I N VAENSDT IIGNAVTEISOTNI GSAETRIIOE NS S E R I E S FirearmsF, itrheea rLmaws,, tahned L Faowr,e annsidc FBoarlelinstsiiccs Ballisticse e a a Third EditioTnhird Edition r r m m s s While gun designW hhailse ugnudne rdgeosnigen o hnalys munindiemrgaol nceh aonnglye movienrim thael ccheanntugrei eosv,er the centuries, , , FireaFrmiresa, rtmhes ,L tahwe, Law, investigative tooilnsv essutrirgoautinvdei ntog oflisr esaurrmro uusned ihnagv fei rgeraorwmn ussieg nhifaivcea ngtrlyo winn significantly in t t h h sophistication. Nosowp ihni sittsic tahtiiordn .e Ndiotiwo nin, Fitisr ethairrdm esd, itthioen ,L Faiwre, aarnmds F, othreen Lsaicw, and Forensic e e Ballistics has beBeanl luisptdiactse dh atso breefelenc ut predcaetendtl yt op urebfllieschte rde creesnetlayr cphu balnisdh needw research and new L Land Faonrde nFsoirce Bnsailcli sBtaiclslistics technology develtoepcehdn osilnocgey dtheev elalospt evdo lsuimncee. Btheeg ilnanstin vgo lwuimthe a. Bdeisgcinunssiniogn w oitfh a discussion of a a the developmentt hoef adremvesl oapnmd eanmt mofu naritmiosn afnrodm a mthme ufonuitriotene fnrtohm c ethnetu froyu troteenth century to w w the present day, tthhies pbroeoske netx daamy,in tehsis: book examines: , , • Firearms laws a•roFuirneda rtmhes wlaowrsld a, rionucnludd tinhge lweogarlld c, hinacllleundgiensg rlaeigsaeld c hina ltlheenges raised in the a a Third EdTihtiiordn Edition n n U.S. by the DaubUer.St .d beyc itshioen Daubert decision d d • Firearms manu•faFcitruerainrmg ps rmocaensusfeasc,t uthrien gm percohcaensissemss, tohfe v mareiocuhsa nfiirsemasrm osf ,various firearms, and the linking oaf nad p tahreti cliunlkairn bgu ollfe at opra srtpiceunlta cr abrutrlildetg eo rw sitphe nat scuasrptreicdtgeed with a suspected F F o o weapon weapon r r • The origins and• dTehvee loorpigminesn ta nodf ndeewve slcoipemnceen ti no ff irneeawrm scsi,e innccelu idni nfigrearms, including e e n n controversies, piocnoenetrrso,v aenrsdi easn, peixopnoeseér so,f atnhde a“qnu eaxcpko” spéu orvf etyhoer s“q oufa pcske”u pduor-veyors of pseudo- s s science science i i c c • Internal, extern•alI,n atenrdn atel,r mexintearln (awl,o aunndd )t ebramlliisntaicl s(wound) ballistics B B • The nature, com•pTohseit nioant,u aren,d c aonmaplyotsicitaiol nd,e taencdti oann aolyf tdicisacl hdaertgeec trieosni douf ed liescftharge residue left a a on a suspect on a suspect l l l l • The role of the •baTlhlies triocsle e oxfp tehret abta alllils stitcasg eesx poef rat acta saell, srtaanggeisn go ff rao mca sthee, ranging from the is is scene of the shoosctiennge i nocfi dtheen ts,h tohoet ipnogs tinmcoidrteenmt, ethxea mpoinsatmtioonrtse, mth ee xtaemstiinngations, the testing t t i i and examinationa onfd e exxhaibmitisn aatti othne o lfa bexohraibtoitrsy ,a at nthde t hlaeb porreastoernyt,a atinodn tohfe presentation of c c s s evidence in courtevidence in court • Recently introd•ucReedc ecnotmlyp iuntteror dsueacrecdh c toemchpnuiqteure sse aaprcphli etedc thon ciqaupetus raepdp alinedd to captured and T T digitally stored imdaiggietasl loyf smtoarrekds ilmefat goens foirfe md abruklsle ltesf ta onnd fsipreedn tb cuallrettrsid agned spent cartridge h h cases cases ir ir d d • Manual microsc•oMpiacn cuoaml mpaicrirsoosnc owpoicrk c oanmdparison work and E E computer-based sceoamrcphuetesr o-bna sdeigdi tsael aimrcahgeess o onf digital images of d d i i bullet and cartridbguel lceat saen md acrakrstr itdog dee cteasrme imnea rikfs to determine if ti ti o o a particular weapao np ahratisc ubleaer nw feiarepdo nin h parse vbieoeuns fired in previous n n cases cases Written by an expWerrittt ewnit hb ym aonr ee xthpaenrt 5w0it hye marosr oe fthan 50 years of experience usinge axnpde rhieanncdel inugsi nfigre aanrmd sh,a tnhdisli ntegx ftirearms, this text Tom WaTrloomw Warlow is enhanced withi sn eeanrhlya n2c5e0d iwlluitsht rnaetiaornlys ,2 m50a kililnugstrations, making W W it a premier guideit tao pthreem fuienrd gaumideen ttaol st hoef ffuirnedarammsentals of firearms a a and related evideanntdia rrey lcaotends iedveirdaetniotniasr.y considerations. r r l l o o w w K10959 K10959 6000 Broken Sound Parkway6,0 N00W Broken Sound Parkway, NW Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33S4u8it7e 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 711 Third Avenue 711 Third Avenue an informa business anN inewfo Yromrka, bNuYs in1e0s0s17 New York, NY 10017 www.crcpress.com w2w Pwar.kc Srqcuparree,s Ms.ilctoonm Park 2 Park Squarew, Miwlton wPark.crcprewsws.cwo.mcrcpress.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RNA, bUinKgdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK Composite Composite Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics Third Edition I N T E R N AT I O N A L F O R E N S I C S C I E N C E A N D I N V E S T I G AT I O N S E R I E S Series Editor: Max Houck Scientific Examination of Documents: Analytical and Practical Aspects of methods and techniques, 2nd edition Drug Testing in Hair D Ellen Pascal Kintz ISBN 9780748405800 ISBN 9780849364501 1997 2006 Forensic Examination of Human Hair Nonhuman DNA Typing: theory and J Robertson casework applications ISBN 9780748405671 Heather M Coyle 1999 ISBN 9780824725938 2007 Forensic Examination of Fibres, Chemical Analysis of Firearms, 2nd edition Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue J Robertson and M Grieve James Smyth Wallace ISBN 9780748408160 ISBN 9781420069662 1999 2008 Forensic Examination of Glass and Paint: Forensic Science in Wildlife Investigations analysis and interpretation Adrian Linacre B Caddy ISBN 9780849304101 ISBN 9780748405794 2009 2001 Scientific Method: applications in failure Forensic Speaker Identification investigation and forensic science P Rose Randall K Noon ISBN 9780415271827 ISBN 9781420092806 2002 2009 Bitemark Evidence Forensic Epidemiology B J Dorion Steven A Koehler and Peggy A Brown ISBN 9780824754143 ISBN 9781420063271 2004 2009 The Practice of Crime Scene Ethics and the Pracice of Forensic Science Investigation Robin T Bowen J Horswell ISBN 9781420088939 ISBN 9780748406098 2009 2004 Introduction to Data Analysis with R for Fire Investigation Forensic Scientists N Nic Daéid James Michael Curran ISBN 9780415248914 ISBN: 9781420088267 2004 2010 Fingerprints and Other Ridge Skin Forensic Investigation of Explosions, Impressions Second Edition C Champod, C J Lennard, P Margot, A Beveridge and M Stoilovic ISBN 9781420087253 ISBN 9780415271752 2011 2004 Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics, Forensic Computer Crime Investigation Third Edition Thomas A Johnson Tom Warlow ISBN 9780824724351 ISBN 9781439818275 2005 2011 I N T E R N AT I O N A L F O R E N S I C S C I E NCE A N D I N V E S T I G AT I O N S E R I E S Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics Third Edition Tom Warlow Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2012 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of 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Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Contents Series Preface xi Foreword xiii Preface xv Acknowledgments xvii The Author xix 1 The Beginnings 1 1.1 Blowpipes, Air, and Gas Guns 11 1.2 Percussion Ignition 12 1.3 Modern Rim-Fire and Center-Fire Cartridges 13 1.4 Smokeless Powders and Modern Arms 17 Further Reading 24 2 Firearms Legislation and the Definition of a Firearm 25 2.1 History of Weapons Legislation in Britain 25 2.2 Legislation and Gun Control 26 2.3 Firearms and Crime 42 2.4 Firearms Consultative Committee 52 2.5 European Weapons Directive 54 2.5.1 Category A—Prohibited Firearms 54 2.5.2 Category B—Firearms Subject to Authorization 55 2.5.3 Category C—Firearms Subject to Declaration 55 2.5.4 Category D—Other Firearms 56 2.5.4.1 Single-Shot, Long Smooth-Bore Firearms 56 2.6 Legislation in the United States 58 Further Reading 62 3 Marks and Microscopy—The Emergence of a New Science: Firearms Manufacturing Processes and Their Implications Concerning the Daubert Challenge 65 3.1 The Pioneers 65 v vi Contents 3.2 Experts and Charlatans—The American Experience 66 3.3 Court Battles—The English Experience 68 3.4 The Recent “Daubert Challenge” 71 3.5 Processes Used in the Manufacture of Firearms 72 3.5.1 Rifling of Barrels 72 3.5.2 Machining Processes 74 3.5.3 Finishing Processes 77 Further Reading 78 4 Mechanisms and Design Aspects of Firearms 81 4.1 Hinged Barrel Designs 81 4.2 Hammer Shotguns 81 4.3 Accidental Discharge 83 4.4 Repeating Arms 83 4.5 Magazine Systems 86 4.6 Bolt-Action Weapons 88 4.7 Lever-Action Rifles 88 4.8 Revolvers 89 4.9 Accident by Design, Manufacture, or Wear 89 4.10 Safety Catches and Internal Safeguards 92 4.11 Decocking Devices and Alternative Designs 95 4.12 Hazard Indicator Devices 97 4.13 Bolt-Action Rifle Safety Catches 98 4.14 Trigger Pulls 98 4.15 Blow-Back and Locked Breech Designs 101 4.16 Gas-Operated Arms 104 4.17 Gas and Air Weapon Designs 105 4.18 Crossbows 108 Further Reading 111 5 Internal Ballistics 113 5.1 Basic Principles 113 5.2 Efficiency of Energy Transfer 113 5.3 Powders and Pressures 116 5.4 Control of Powder Burning Rates 118 5.5 Drachms and Drams 121 5.6 Residues of Combustion 121 5.7 Primer Formulations 122 5.8 Gunshot Residue Analysis 124 5.9 Transfer of Marks to Missiles and Cartridge Cases 126 5.10 Microscopy of Air Weapon Missiles 130 5.11 Recoil and Barrel Flip 130 Contents vii 5.12 Choke Boring of Shotguns 132 5.13 Gauges and Bore Sizes 136 Further Reading 136 6 External Ballistics and Cartridge Loadings 137 6.1 Basic Principles 137 6.2 Bullet Stability and Instability 137 6.3 Bullet’s Flight 138 6.4 Bullet Shape, Sectional Density, and Ballistic Coefficient 139 6.5 External Ballistics and Their Calculation 140 6.6 Accuracy 143 6.7 Fin and Aerodynamic Stabilization 145 6.8 Question of Range 147 6.9 Spent Bullet Myth 149 6.10 Secondary Ejecta 150 6.11 Behavior of Shotgun Cartridge Wadding 151 6.12 Sabot Loadings 152 6.13 Choke Boring—Shotgun Pellet Spread and Velocity 153 6.14 Pellet Deformation within the Bore 159 6.15 Choke Operation 162 6.16 Soft and Hard Shot—Shotgun Pellet Ballistics 163 6.17 Steel Shot Loadings 164 6.18 Alternative Non-Lead Materials 167 6.19 Pellet Sizes and Weights 170 6.20 The Propensity for Ricochet 172 6.21 Gunfire and the Sounds Made during the Flight of Missiles 175 Further Reading 180 7 Terminal/Wound Ballistics and Distance Firing 183 7.1 Mass, Momentum, and Kinetic Energy 184 7.2 Incidence of Ricochet 191 7.3 Consequences of Impact and Penetration 192 7.4 Armor-Piercing Ammunition 198 7.5 Explosive Anti-Armor Munitions 202 7.6 Ballistic Body Armor and Screening Materials 203 7.7 Shotgun Missile Injuries 207 7.8 Pistol Bullet Injuries and Expanding Bullets 211 7.9 High-Velocity Wound Effects 216 7.10 Range Determination of Single-Missile Injuries 226 Further Reading 230 viii Contents 8 The Scene of the Shooting Incident 233 8.1 On-Call Rota System 233 8.2 Arrival at the Scene 234 8.3 Scene Examination 234 8.3.1 Pathologist at the Scene 245 8.3.2 Roles 246 8.4 Initial Examination of the Body 246 8.4.1 Postmortem Examination 247 8.5 X-Ray Examination 248 8.6 First Samples and Observations 248 8.7 Wound Sites 250 8.8 Arrow and Crossbow Bolt Injuries 258 8.9 Blank-Operated Tool and Humane Killer Injuries 259 8.10 Wound Track 261 8.11 Examination of Postmortem Exhibits Back at the Laboratory 271 Further Reading 278 9 Examination of Exhibits at the Laboratory 281 9.1 Initial Examination of Firearms 283 9.2 Trigger Pulls and Mechanical Tests 287 9.3 Firing Range Tests 290 9.4 Incomplete, Defective, and Converted Arms 301 9.5 Recovery of Serial Marks 305 9.5.1 Iron and Steel 306 9.5.2 Aluminum Alloys 306 9.5.3 Copper, Brass, German Silver, and Other Copper Alloys 307 9.5.4 Stainless Steels 307 9.5.5 Plastics 307 9.6 Examination of Ammunition 307 9.7 Tear Gas and Irritant Loadings 310 9.8 Electric Shock Devices and Stun Guns 314 9.9 Recovered Cartridge Cases, Bullets, Pellets, and Wadding 318 9.10 Examination of Bullet- or Pellet-Damaged Items 327 9.11 Analysis of Bullets, Fragments, and Shotgun Pellets 330 9.12 Comparison Microscopy 334 9.13 Image Capture, Data Storage, and Computer Searches 348 9.14 Electron Microscope 352 9.15 Analysis of Firearms Discharge Residues 354 9.16 Laboratory Reference Collections 364 Further Reading 368