ballistics study guide

What are striation marks?

Distinctive scratches or grooves that appear on a bullet's surface, caused by the bullet traveling down a rifled barrel.

Do rifled barrels ever leave the same striation marks?

No, rifled barrels produce unique striation marks due to slight variations in their design.

Do shotgun barrels have lands and grooves?

No, shotgun barrels are smooth bore and lack lands and grooves.

What is class evidence?

Characteristics shared by a group, such as general features of a gun barrel.

What is individualizing evidence?

Specific, unique traits such as striation marks that match a particular barrel.

What does internal ballistics encompass?

The processes that occur inside the firearm while the bullet is being fired.

What does external ballistics concern?

The behavior of the bullet after it leaves the barrel, including flight path and trajectory factors.

What is the focus of terminal ballistics?

What occurs when the bullet impacts its target, including damage caused and energy transfer.

What are lands and grooves?

Lands are the raised parts inside a barrel; grooves are the recessed areas between them for spinning the bullet.

What is firearms identification?

A specialized branch of ballistics that determines whether a specific firearm fired a given bullet or cartridge.

Where can gunshot residue be found?

On the shooter’s hands, clothing, face, hair, or on the victim if close to the shot.

Why is rifling necessary in a firearm?

Rifling spins the bullet for improved accuracy and stability during flight.