Forensics

ammunition

Any material fired from a pistol or long gun.

automatic firearms

A firearm that continuously fires ammunition as long as the trigger is held.

ballistics

The study of a projectile in flight; includes the launch and behavior of the projectile.

ballistic evidence

Evidence associated with the discharge of a projectile from a firearm.

ballistic examiner

A person certified to analyze and provide expert witness testimony on ballistic evidence.

breech

The end of the barrel attached to the firing mechanism of a firearm; where the cartridge is loaded and unloaded.

breechblock

The metal block located in the back of the firearm barrel that closes the breech at the moment of firing.

breechblock impression

The impression created on the bottom of the cartridge casing as a result of the backward strike of the casing against the breechblock at the moment of firing.

bullet

The projectile that is fired when a firearm is discharged.

caliber

The inside diameter of a firearm barrel.

cartridge

A case that holds a bullet, primer powder, and gunpowder.

firearms

A portable gun that uses a confined propellant to expel a projectile out of a barrel.

firearms examiner

Someone trained to analyze the physical firearm evidence in an investigation.

gauge

The measure of ammunition used in a shotgun.

gunpowder

The explosive mixture that propels the bullet.

gunshot residue (GSR)

Soot and particles of unburned gunpowder deposited on a person who discharges a firearm; may also be found on close-range victims and adjacent surfaces.

lands

The ridges (lands) and depressions (grooves) found on the inside of a firearm’s barrel that are created when the firearm is manufactured.

magazine

Cartridge storing device that feeds cartridges into semiautomatic and fully automatic firearms.

muzzle

End of the gun barrel where the projectile is released.

National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)

A national database of digital ballistic images of spent bullets and cartridge cases found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons.

pistols

A handgun with a barrel and chamber that are connected.

primer powder

The first explosive charge to be ignited in center fire ammunition.

projectile

The bullet or shot that leaves the barrel of a firearm when propelled by gunpowder explosions.

recoil

The backward movement of a firearm when it is discharged.

revolver

A handgun with a revolving cylinder.

rifles

A long gun that has a barrel with spiral grooves and that is fired from shoulder level.

rifling

The spiral pattern of lands and grooves in the barrel of a firearm.

semiautomatic firearms

Fires a single shot when the trigger is pulled.

shot

Small round pellets fired from a shotgun.

shotgun

A long gun with a smooth barrel that fires shot.

shotgun shell

Contains shot, gunpowder, and wadding.

slug

A single large projectile used in a shotgun.

trajectory

The flight path of a projectile.

wad or wadding

Material that separates gunpowder from the shot in a shotgun shell.