Manufacturing of Firearm Barrels

These flashcards cover the essential vocabulary related to the manufacturing of firearm barrels and forensic ballistic characteristics.

Caliber

The measurement of the internal diameter of a firearm's barrel, measured in inches or millimeters.

Gauge

Determined by the number of lead balls of a specific diameter required to make one pound of that size ball.

Polygonal Rifling

A type of rifling with lands and grooves having a rounded profile, produced with Hammer Forging.

Class Characteristics

Measurable characteristics of a firearm barrel including caliber, number of lands and grooves, direction of twist, and width of lands and grooves.

Striations

Marks left on bullets by the rifling patterns in the gun barrel.

Direction of Twist

The orientation or spiral direction of the rifling inside the barrel of a firearm.

Lands and Grooves

The raised (lands) and lowered (grooves) areas inside a barrel that help impart spin to a bullet.

Impact Angle

The angle of incline from the shooter to the victim, used in ballistics calculations.

Power of Caliber

A larger caliber generally indicates more power due to the larger diameter of the bullet.

Hammer Forging

A manufacturing process used to create polygonal rifling in firearm barrels.