Firearms & Ammunition

What is the Firearms Act?

Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) oversees firearms licences and registration, maintains national firearm safety training standards, assists law enforcement agencies and aims to enhance public safety

What regulates the firearms in Canada?

The Firearms Act and Part III of the Criminal Code

What is not a firearm under the Firearms Act and Criminal Code?

• Antique firearms

• Devices designed exclusively for:

  • Signalling

  • Notifying distress

  • Firing blank cartridges

  • Firing stud cartridges

  • Explosive-driven rivets

• Shooting devices exclusively for:

  • Slaughtering domestic animals

  • Tranquilizing animals

What is a firearm?

A barrelled weapon that discharges projectiles capable of causing bodily harm or death, or anything that can be adapted as a firearm

What are the three firearm classes?

• Non-restricted

• Restricted

• Prohibited

What are non-restricted firearms?

Any rifle or shotgun that is neither restricted or prohibited

What are restricted firearms?

• Handguns that are not prohibited firearms

• Firearms that have a barrel less than 470nm in length

What are prohibited firearms?

• Handguns with barrels equal to or less than 105nm in length

• Handguns designed or adapted to discharge a 25 or 32-calibre cartridge

• Firearms adapted from a rifle or shotgun, whether a sawing, cutting or any other alteration

• Automatic firearms

What are Level 1 class characteristics of bullets, cartridges or ammunition?

Common feature(s) that is shared by a specific sub-group of the entire population

What are class characteristics of ammunition?

Common group source:

• Number

• Width and direction of land

• Groove impressions

• Calibre

• Shape of the firing pin

What are Level 2 class characteristics of bullets, cartridges or ammunition?

• Imperfections or irregularities that are produced accidentally and randomly during manufacture

• Unique to that firearm

• Result of use, abuse, corrosion, rust, and wear

How are cartridges compared?

• The cartridge comes into contact with various parts of the firearm when the cartridge is fired and/or cycled through the firearm

• Due to contact, the cartridge case will acquire microscopic marks from different areas of the firearm

• Does not have to be fired for marks to transfer

How are barrels compared?

• Barrels of rifles and handguns are manufactured with alternating elevated lands and recessed grooves that are called “rifling”

• The rifle barrel transfers its marks to the bullet as it passes down the barrel during firing

What consists of the Ballistics Network?

• Canadian Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (CIBIN)

• Info from bullets and cartridges/shotshell cases acquired on the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS)

• National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) (US)

• GRC file is a database by the FBI that lists various firearms makes and models according to their class characteristics

Case: Lawrence

• Two men attempted to melt a gun in a microwave causing an explosion

• Investigating officers determined the origin of the explosion and the gun had an obliterated serial number theorizing that the men were trying to melt the number

• Tampering with firearm serial number is under s. 108 of the Criminal Code Part III

How are 3D printed weapons presenting themselves in the modern world?

• Mangione killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO with a 3D-printed pistol - a nearly untraceable weapon

• Becoming a threat to the public

What are the challenges around 3D printed guns?

• No serial number

• Untraceable

What are the three results from interpretation?

1. Identification

   • The questioned/same firearm fired the ammunition components

   • Will be declared where there is an agreement of class characteristics and sufficient/overall agreement in the individual markings observed on the two items

2. Inconclusive

   • The ammunition components can neither be identified nor eliminated as having been fired by the questioned/same firearm

   • An inconclusive is declared when there is agreement nor disagreement in the individual marking observed on the two items

3. Elimination

   • The questioned/same firearm did not fire the ammunition components

   • Elimination declared when there is disagreement of class characteristics or when there is an agreement of class characteristics with sufficient/overall disagreement in the individual markings

What is the conclusion for identification?

• Exhibit 1 (cartridge case) was identified as having been fired by Exhibit 2 (firearm)

• Reached if the action marks present in the questioned cartridge case are determined to be because of the actual firing process

What is the conclusion for inconclusive?

• Exhibit 1 (cartridge case) could neither be identified nor eliminated as having been fired by Exhibit 2 (firearm)

• Reached of the cartridge case lacks sufficient action marks to be identified as from the questioned firearm or the firearm in question fails to produce reproducible individual characteristics on standards

How often were bullets the main contributor to inconclusive results?

~60%

What is the conclusion for elimination?

• Exhibit 1 (cartridge case) was not fired by Exhibit 2 (Firearm)

• Reached when the submitted cartridge case exhibits very good class characteristics or individual characteristics that are very dissimilar to those produced on standards

How often do false elimination rates occur?

• 2.8% related to bullets

• 1.8% related to cartridge casings

CanLii: R. v. Perez, 2019 - Background

• Police received call on March 8 at 12:49am that shots had been fired

• Police seized Perez’ car

CanLii: R. v. Perez, 2019 - Investigation Part I

• Warrant for search of car

• Evident consistent with a bullet hole

• Retrieval of projectiles

• Williamson noticed a bullet hole in the rear bumper below the licence plate

• Bullet passed through the rear bumper and entered the trunk

• No bullet was found

CanLii: R. v. Perez, 2019 - Investigation Part II

• Second search warrant for the car

• Williamson seized the loaded 9mm handgun from the glovebox and started using trajectory rods to locate the bullet

• Found bullet on the floor of the trunk

LIT Paper 2: Ricochet of 9mm pistol on glazed ceramic tiles

• Bullet ricochet is a common occurrence in shooting incidents

• Ricochet surface type and its reaction, bullet angle of incidence, bullet type, shape and construction, and impact velocity are some of the main factors responsible for the ricochet behaviours of bullet

• When the bullet continues to slide after impact, the surface experiences more deformation

LIT Paper 3: Bullet Caliber and Type Categorization from Gunshot Wounds in Sus Scrofa

• Evidence of ballistic trauma to the bones can yield important investigative information

• The design of the bullet used will also affect how the soft tissue is damaged

• Evidence of ballistic trauma to the bones can yield important

• The design of the bullet used will also affect how the soft tissue is damaged

• Hypothesis: The bullet calibre influences the velocity due to the differences in grain (mass)

• Differences found between a 0.22 calibre entrance would and a 0.38 calibre

• No difference between 0.38 calibre and 9mm entrance

LIT Paper 4: The Impact of lipid degradation on fingerprint quality on fired firearm cartridges

• Low recovery and poor quality are associated with the degradation of fingerprints deposited on firearm cartridges that have been exposed to high temperatures

• Mechanical factors, including friction and impact of firearm cartridges on internal parts of the armament during loading and firing ammunition, may also contribute to the destruction of fingerprints

• Fatty acids and triglycerides were detected in unfired and fired cartridges deposited with fingermarks

• The collection method, pressure exerted by the finger, and angle and during of deposition may interfere with the quantity of lipids deposited on different surfaces