20,May 2024
Have you ever wondered how the culprit is arrested by the police in cases that involve attacks by firearms? You must have come across many cases in which an individual shoots someone by firing bullets and then runs away from the crime scene. Such criminals are held accountable for their crimes after an investigation of the case by a forensic ballistics examiner. These are the examiners who handle the task of weapon analysis through microscopic methods and are known as ballistics experts. Here in this blog, we have given the complete details on forensic ballistics, syllabus, career opportunities, etc.
What Is Forensic Ballistics?
The branch of forensic science that deals with the examination of firearms, ammunition, and projectile motions of the missiles in crime mystery solving is known as Forensic Ballistics. Such experts reconstruct the series of events that happened during the gunshot injury and thus conclude the case by presenting their point in front of the legal system. The ballistics experts are able to give precise readings about the weapon that has been used for committing the crime.
Types of Forensic Ballistics:
Forensic Ballistics is a wide open field that opens several gates of firearms investigation to the examiners. But when it comes to investigation, ballistics is divided into four major categories along with several minor categories. However, we will be only discussing the major ones here.
1. Internal Ballistics:
This branch of forensics deals with all and every kind of material present inside a firearm. Along with this, it also deals with the kind of process that takes place when firing takes place till the bullet enters the projectile motion before leaving the gun barrel. The primary role associated with this kind of ballistics is to study the size and shape of the propellant, its ignition process, factors affecting internal functioning, ignition time, etc.
2. External Ballistics:
This branch deals with factors that play a major role while the bullet enters the projectile motion till the moment it hits the target. The factors that are studied for the investigation of ballistics are air resistance, yaw, trajectory computation, velocity, vacuum trajectory, etc.
3. Transitional Ballistics:
It is the intermediate process between the internal and external ballistics process when the bullet leaves the barrel and before it hits the target.
3. Terminal Ballistics:
It deals with the impact a projectile object creates when it hits the target and studies factors like bullet shape, velocity of striking, angle of strike, ricochet, and stopping power. Apart from these factors, the branch also deals with wounds caused by firearms and the nature of impact.
Forensic Ballistics Syllabus:
It is a unique branch and hence we see a lower number of colleges offering this course under the forensic science domain. The syllabus of forensic ballistics varies from college to college which is offering this program. Here we have mentioned the syllabus for this course that is followed by most of the institutes:
| Serial No. | Subjects | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Firearms | History and development of firearms; Classification of firearms; Weapon types and their operation; Firing mechanisms of different firearms. |
| 2. | Internal Ballistics | Definition; Ignition of propellants; Shape and size of propellants; Manner of burning; And various factors affecting the internal ballistics: lock time, ignition time, barrel time, erosion, corrosion, and gas cutting. |
| 3. | External Ballistics | Vacuum trajectory; Effect of air resistance on trajectory; Base drag, Drop; Drift; Yaw; Shape of projectile and stability; Trajectory computation; Ballistics coefficient and limiting velocity; Measurements of trajectory parameters; Introduction to automated system of trajectory computation; Automated management of ballistic data. |
| 4. | Terminal Ballistics | Effect of projectile on hitting the target, Function of bullet shape; Striking velocity; Striking angle and nature of target; Tumbling of bullets; Effect of instability of bullet; Effect of intermediate targets; Influence of range; Ricochet and its effects; Stopping power. |
| 5. | Ammunition | Types of ammunition; Constructional features and characteristics of different types of cartridges and bullets; Primers and priming compounds; Projectiles; Head stamp markings on ammunitions; Different types of marks produced during firing process on the cartridge; Firing pin marks; Breech face marks; Chamber marks; Extractor and Ejector marks. |
| 6. | Examination of Firearm Evidence | Matching of bullets and cartridge cases in regular firearms; Identification of bullets, pellets, and wads fired from improvised; Country made firearms; Automated method of bullet and cartridge case comparison; Determination of range of fire and time of fire; Mechanisms of formation of gunshot residues; Methods of analysis of gunshot residues from shooting hands and targets with special reference to clothing. |
| 7. | Firearms Injuries | Identification and nature of firearms injuries; Reconstruction with respect to accident, suicide, murder, and self-defense. |
| 8. | Firearms and Ammunition Linkage | Principles; Comparison of fired cartridge case and bullets; Automated bullet-cartridge identification system – IBIS and NIBIN. |
| 9. | Gunshot Residues | Introduction; Composition and its Forensic evaluation; Chemical and instrumental methods of GSR analysis. |
| 10. | Reconstruction of Shooting Incidence | Theory of shooting reconstruction; Mathematics of shooting reconstruction; Accidental discharge; Determination of range and time of fire; Shot pattern testing; Laboratory examination of firearms; Law related to examination of firearms in Indian arms act. |
Application of Forensic Ballistics:
This branch of forensic science deals with criminal cases like homicide, suicide, murder, local gang wars, firearms seizure, black marketing of firearms, and firearm-caused injuries. Since the evidence associated with ballistics is fragile and the chances of their tampering are really high. Hence, it requires professionals in this field to be attentive and critical thinkers during the collection and examination of such evidence.
Forensic Ballistics also known as forensic firearm examination is used in the reconstruction of a crime scene that involves the use of a firearm. Along with this, it also enables the crime investigators to trace the weapon that is used for committing such a crime and thus give a lead to the identification of the suspect.
The primary role of a ballistic examiner is to deal with the distance of fire, firing angle, and series of weapons used thus finally revealing the identity of the criminal also. These professionals match the recovered bullets, and discharged casings of the firearms. These people primarily rely on recovered bullet, gunpowder residues, casings, and firearms collected as evidence from the crime scene.
Tools And Techniques Used By Forensic Ballistics:
The ballistic analysis is done at minute levels so as to ensure the class and individual characteristics of the evidence. It is done so that such evidence can be presented as reliable evidence to the court of law. In such analysis and examination of the crime scene and evidence collected the following mentioned tools and techniques are used:
1. Comparison Microscope:
It is one of the most important parts of a forensic examination. It deals with the analysis and comparison of bullets and cartridge cases collected as evidence. It is done so because two bullets that are fired from the same firearm will have the exact same fire pin marks, face marks, chamber marks, and extractor marks. The microscope used for such analysis is known as a comparison microscope.
The compared bullets are the one fired from the suspect’s firearm and the one recovered from a crime scene as evidence. These two specimens are compared using compound light thus enabling the examiner to compare both the samples at one time.
2. Stereo Microscope:
Another important tool used in the crime investigation is ballistics. This kind of microscope examines the minute details of evidence and thus compares the findings.
3. Scanning Electron Microscope:
This type of microscope is used in the detailed examination of evidence collected from the crime scene consisting of firearms. It minutely scans every detail of the ballistics evidence.
4. Rifling Meter:
Crimes that involve counting the lands and grooves of a rifled firearm are dealt with rifling meters.
5. High Dimension Cameras:
For detailed analysis of the crime scene and the evidence associated with it, peripheral cameras and comparison cameras are widely used.
6. Walker Test and Griess Test:
In order to check the presence of major propellant component nitrites, both these tests are conducted.
7. Sodium Rhodizonate:
To check the presence of Lead and Barium in the gunshot residue, this test is conducted by the examiners.
8. GSR Analysis:
Another important technique used in the forensic ballistic examination is known as GSR analysis or Gunshot Residue analysis. This technique is used to determine the defect caused by the bullet on the target and the distance between the target and the shooter, commonly known as “muzzle-to-target” distance.
9. Morphology and Elemental Analysis:
This method of evidence analysis is used to identify the gunshot residue particles individually. The examination of these particles is done through scanning electron microscopy- energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). This method of analysis and examination is preferred over other methods of examination because it analyzes the materials without disrupting their actual nature.
The forensic ballistics field is widely used in all the cases that involve any kind of arms, ammunition, weapons, etc. This is the field that is used for the examination of the crime scene and identification of a criminal involved in bomb blasts, etc. It is because of ballistics experts that now we are able to trace offenders of crimes involving firearms.
References:
- https://www.azolifesciences. com/article/What-is-Forensic- Ballistics.aspx
- https://www.nist.gov/firearms -and-toolmarks#:~:text=What%20is%20 forensic%20ballistics%3F,marks%20are %20like%20ballistic%20fingerprints
- https://www.cranfield.ac.uk /courses/taught/forensic-ballistics
- https://anthroholic.com/ forensic-ballistics
- https://www.forensicscolleges .com/careers/forensic-ballistics