Ballistics and Firearms Study Notes

Learning Objectives

• Study of projectile motion, behavior, and firearm mechanics.

• Definitions and classification of ammunition, firearms, and explosives.

• Evidence collection, preservation, and documentation for ballistic, firearm, and explosive evidence.

• Analysis of ballistic and firearm evidence, including striations and impressions using microscopy.

• Calculations of projectile speed, mass, kinetic energy ($KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$), and trajectory angle ($\theta$).

Introduction

• Ballistics: Study of projectile launch, flight, impact, and effects (internal, external, terminal).

• Forensic ballistics: Examination of firearm, ammunition, and explosive evidence in legal cases, focusing on identification, trajectory analysis, and incident reconstruction.

Historical Milestones

• 1835: Henry Goddard linked a fired bullet to a specific mold, aiding forensic firearm identification.

• 1912: Victor Balthazard demonstrated unique rifling marks on bulletbs via photomicrography for identification.

• 1925: Colonel Calvin H. Goddard established the Bureau of Forensic Ballistics, the first dedicated U.S. firearm identification lab.