Firearm examination is a very specialised field that encompasses the analysis of weapons, ammunition, and evidence related to these to establish their application in crime. The tasks of firearm examiners cut across a wide range of cases from serious crimes like murder and manslaughter to robberies with guns, illegal possession, and firearms trading.
Some of the important points of firearm examination may be:
Identifying and categorizing firearms, modified, imitation, and antique weapons.
Determining whether the weapon is legally a firearm under UK law.
Determination of whether a firearm has been fired and correlating it with ballistic evidence.
Analyzing cartridge cases and bullets to detect one-of-a-kind tool marks that point uniquely to the specific firearm employed.
Analyzing 3D-printed parts and their effectiveness.
Forensic Access professionals have analyzed thousands of firearm-related cases, aiding criminal investigations and testifying as experts in court.
Knowledge of Firearm types and operations
One of the key elements of firearm analysis is knowledge of the various types of weapons and how they work. While all firearms have the same general function—propelling a projectile toward a target—there are many designs and mechanisms that affect how they work.
Some of the principal types of guns that are often found in forensic examinations include:
- Handguns
Semi-automatic handguns: Discharge one shot for each pull of the trigger and automatically reload from a magazine.
Revolvers: Employ a revolving cylinder for storing ammunition; each chamber indexes with the barrel upon firing.
- Rifles
Bolt-action rifles: Need a manual operation of the bolt in order to chamber the next shot.
Lever-action rifles: Employ a lever system to chamber cartridges.
Semi-automatic rifles: Discharge one round per trigger pull and reload with gas or recoil-operated cycling systems.
- Shotguns
Pump-action shotguns: Need manual cycling of the fore-end to chamber a new shell.
Semi-automatic shotguns: Reload automatically with gas or recoil-operated systems.
Sawn-off shotguns: Altered to have a reduced barrel for concealment, usually making them illegal under UK law.
Knowledge of these types of firearms assists forensic scientists in establishing how a weapon was employed in a crime, if it has been altered, and if it qualifies as a prohibited firearm under legal definitions.
The Application of Firearm Examination in Criminal Cases
Typography
- Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
- Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times
- Reading Mode