Law

Forensic Science & Forensic Medicine

26, Ballistics: history, classification of firearms and
Ammunition
 Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai Registrar, National Law
University Delhi
Co-Principal Investigator

Paper Coordinator Prof. (Dr) Sally Lukose Dean, School of Basic and
Applied Sciences, Galgotias
University, Greater Noida.
Content Writer/Author Dr Prashant Agrawal Division chair-Forensic
Science, Galgotias University
Content Reviewer Dr Uday Pratap Singh Scientific Officer, Forensic
Science Laboratory,
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh

DESCRIPTION OF MODULE

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Law
Paper Name Forensic Science and Forensic Medicine
Module Name/Title Ballistics: history, classification of firearms and
Ammunition
Module Id LAW/CJA/VIII /
Objectives To understand the role of ballistics in Forensic
Science, classification of firearms

 Terminology related with the firearms and

ballistics

 To learn about the history of firearms, different

types of firing mechanisms used in ancient
firearms

Prerequisites Basic knowledge of Forensic Science, physics

Key words Firearms, bullet, cartridge, history, terminology

Forensic ballistics is the analysis and interpretation of evidences by using scientific
methods to establish the facts in any gunshot case.
Forensics Ballistics may divided into 3 sub-categories
(a) Internal
(b) External
(c) Terminal ballistics or wound ballistics
Internal Ballistics: The mechanism that occurs inside a firearm when a shot is fired.
It may includes ignition mechanisms, barrel manufacturing techniques; factors
responsible for creating and maintaining internal gas pressure; firearm recoil etc.
External Ballistics: It starts from the time when projectile leaves the muzzle end of the
barrel and continue until it strikes the target.
Terminal Ballistics: The study of the projectile‟s effect on the target. The „target‟ can
be any solid or liquid object. If the target is a human or animal it is termed as “wound
ballistics”
Classification of Firearms:
Small Arms
1. HANDGUNS: Firearms which can be fired from the single hand. Pistols,
Derringers and Revolvers are the examples of handguns
Revolver is a firearm designed to be fired from the hand. It has rifled barrel and a
revolving cylinder containing 5 to 7 chambers each of which holds one cartridge.
They may be Solid frame (Samuel Colt 1835) type, Swingout type and Breakopen
type.
Pistol is a firearm designed to be fired from the hand. It has a rifled barrel. It may be
single shot, semiautomatic and fully automatic. It automatic pistol a removable
magazine for storing cartridges is present.

2. RIFLES: Firearms which have rifled barrel and needs a shoulder support to fire.
They may be
a. Single shot
b. Lever action
c. Bolt action
d. Pump action
e. Auto-loading (erroneously called "automatic rifles")

3. SHOTGUNS: Firearms with a smooth bored barrel and needs a shoulder support to
fire. They may be
a. Single shot
b. Over and under
c. Double barrel
d. Bolt action
e. Lever action
f. Pump action
g. Auto-loading

4. SUBMACHINE GUNS: Fully automatic firearms having a rifled barrel and which
fires pistol ammunition. They need a support of shoulder or the hip to fire.

5. MACHINE GUNS: Fully automatic firearms having a rifled barrel and which fires
rifle ammunition. They need a support of shoulder or the hip to fire.

History of Firearms

1232: The Chinese who invented gunpowder (black powder) first used it in
a weapon - gunpowder filled tubes aka rockets.
1364: First recorded use of a firearm - shooter lit wicks by hand that
ingnited gunpowder that was loaded into the gun barrel.
1400s: Matchlock guns - first mechanically firing of guns. Wicks were now
attached to a clamp that sprang into gunpowder that was placed in a "flash
pan".
1509: Wheel lock guns - wicks were replaced the wheel lock that generated
a spark for igniting the gunpowder.
1630: Flintlock guns - the flintlock did two things mechanically, it opened
the lid of the flash pan and provided an igniting spark.
1825: Percussion-cap guns invented
1835: Colt revolver - first mass-produced, multi-shot, revolving firearms
1840: Pin-fire cartridges
1850: Shotguns
1859: Full rim-fire cartridge
1860: Spencer repeating carbine patented
1861: Breech loaded guns
1869: Center-fire cartridge
 1871: Cartridge revolver
1873: Winchester rifle
1877: Invention of Double-action revolver
1892: Automatic handguns were used

Terminology:

Action: One of the three major parts of a firearm. It loads, fires, and
ejects an empty cartridge.
Barrel Second part of the firearm. It is the metal tube through which
the bullet is fired.
Black The old form of gunpowder invented over a thousand years
Powder ago and consisting of nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur.
Bore The internal of the barrel
Breech The rear end the barrel of a firearm. It is attached to action
part of the firearm.
Bullets Projectile
Butt or Third part of the firearm. Also known as grip. It is the portion
buttstock which is used to hold or support the gun
Caliber The diameter of the bore in rifled weapons
Cartridge Also called a "round". Made up of a case, primer, powder,
and bullet.
Centerfire The cartridge contains the primer in the center of the base,
where it can be struck by the firing pin

Chamber The portion of the "action" that holds the cartridge ready for
firing.
Choke A constriction of the barrel at the muzzle end in shotguns to
reduce the dispersion of the pallets.

Double- Pulling the trigger both cocks the hammer and fires the gun.
action
Double Firearm with two barrels may be side by side or one on top of
barrel the other

Gauge Diameter of the barrel on a shotgun in terms of the number of

lead balls the size of the bore it would take to weigh one
pound (10 gauge, 12 gauge, etc.)
Hammer A metal rod or plate that strikes the cartridge primer to
detonate the powder.
Magazine Device for storing cartridges in a repeating firearm for
loading into the chamber. Also referred to as a "clip"
Muzzle The end of the barrel out of which the bullet comes.
Pistol A handgun that uses magazine to store the cartridge
Primer volatile substance used to ignite the main propellant powder
Revolver Handgun that has a cylinder with holes to contain the
cartridges. The cylinder revolves to bring the cartridge into
position to be fired.
Rifling Internal of the barrel is cut in to spiral grooves that give the
bullet a spinning motion. The raised part between the grooves
is called a "land".
Rimfire The cartridge has the primer distributed around the periphery
of the base
Safety A mechanism on an action to prevent firing of the gun.
Shotgun Firearm with smooth barrel. Small pellets (of lead) are used
as the projectiles.
Sights The device on top of a barrel to aim the target
Silencer An extra device that fits over the muzzle of the barrel to
muffle the sound of firearm
Single- Hammer must be pulled back manually every time to cock
action the firearm.
Smokeless Propellant powder used in modern firearms. Produces less
powder smoke comparative to old black powder. May be single base
(Nitrocellulose alone) or double base (Nitrocellulose along
with Nitroglycerine)
Stock The part of the firearm used to hold it. Made up of Metal,
wood or plastic

Classification of Ammunition:
SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION: A typical cartridge comprise of four major parts
viz. cartridge case, primer, propellant and projectile.

1. CARTRIDGE CASE: It houses the other components of a cartridge. In rifled

weapons usually made up of brass (70% copper 30% zinc). Shotgun cartridge case
may be of plastic or paper. The main function of the cartridge case is to expand and
seals chamber against rearward escape of gases at the time of firing.
Types of cartridge case:
On the basis of their shape:
a. straight ("always" pistol ammunition)
b. bottleneck ("always" rifle ammunition)is
c. tapered ("obsolete").
On the basis of the extractor flange and base of the cartridge:
a. Rimmed
b. semi-rimmed
c. rimless
d. belted,
e. rebated.

2. PRIMER: it is present near the base of the cartridge where firing pin or hammer
strikes when trigger is pulled. It is a very sensitive material and explodes on
compression and ignite the propellant. Commonly used primers are lead styphnate,
barium nitrate and antimony sulphide.

On the basis of the location of the primer they may be-

a. Centre fire: Centrally placed primer assembly comprising primer cup (struck
by firing pin), primer, anvil with flash holes. Boxer design (USA) or Berdan
design (Europe).
b. Rimfire: No primer assembly. Primer spun into rim of cartridge case (rim
struck by firing pin) and in contact with propellant.

3. PROPELLANT: Third component of the cartridge which burns to produce

large volumes of gases under pressure.
Types of Propellants:

Black powder (charcoal, sulphur, potassium nitrate) now obsolete.

Smokeless powder
a. Single base: Nitocellulose alone
b. Double base: Nitrocellulose with nitroglycerine
Smokeless powder may be in the form of disc, flake or cylinder shapes. It may be ball
and flattened ball (Winchester) which may be coated with silver-black graphite.
4. BULLET
function: the part of the cartridge which exits the muzzle.
composition:
(a) lead alloyed with tin and/or antimony with/without copper or copper alloy
"gilding" (less than 0.0002 inches thick).
(b) metal jacketed with lead or steel core and jacket of cupro-zinc, cupro-nickel or
aluminium (0.0165 to 0.03 inches thick).
shape: (a) lead bullets - roundnose, wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, hollowpoint;
generally all have cannelures or grooves. (b) metal-jacketed (i) full jacketing in
military ammunition (ii) partial jacketing in hunting rifle and semi-automatic pistol
ammunition: semi-jacketed soft point, semi-jacketed hollow point, Silver-tip
(aluminium).

History and Development of Firearms

Hand cannons:
The earliest type of handgun was simply small cannon of wrought iron or bronze,
fitted to a frame or stock with metal bands or leather thongs. These weapons were
loaded from the muzzle end of the barrel with powder, wad and ball. A small hole at
the breech end of the barrel, the touch hole, was provided with a pan into which a
priming charge of powder was placed. On igniting this priming charge, either with a
hot iron or lighted match, fire flashed through the touch hole and into the main
powder charge to discharge the weapon.
Disadvantages:
Slow to fire and difficult to aim
Rain or damp weather had an adverse effect on the priming charge making it
impossible to ignite.

Their first reported use is diffi cult to ascertain with any degree of certainty, but a
number of instances are reported in Spain between 1247 and 1311. In the records for
the Belgian city of Ghent, there are confi rmed sightings of the use of hand cannons in
Germany in 1313. One of the earliest illustrations concerning the use of hand cannons
appears in the fi fteenth century fresco in the Palazzo Publico, Sienna, Italy. The fi rst
recorded use of the hand cannon as a cavalry weapon appeared in 1449 in the
manuscripts of Marianus Jacobus. This shows a mounted soldier with such a weapon
resting on a fork attached to the pommel of the saddle. It is interesting to note that the
use of the saddle pommel to either carry or aim
the hand guns could be the origin of the word „ pistol ‟ , the early cavalry word for the
pommel of the saddle being „ pistallo ‟ . Combinations of the battle axe and hand
cannon were used in the sixteenth century, and a number of these can be found in the
Tower of London. One English development of this consisted of a large mace, the
head of which had a number of separate barrels. At the rear of the barrels, a concealed
chamber containing priming powder led to all the barrels. When the priming
compound was ignited, all the barrels discharged at once.

Matchlock Firearm
This was really the first major advance in pistols as it enabled the weapon to be fired
in one hand and also gave some opportunity to aim it as well. The construction of the
matchlock was exactly the same as the hand cannon in that it was muzzle loaded and
had a touch hole covered with a priming charge. The only difference was that the
match, a slow - burning piece of cord used to ignite the priming charge, was held in a
curved hook screwed to the side of the frame. To fire the gun, the hook was merely
pushed forward to drop the burning end of the match into the priming charge.
Disadvantages:
The major defect with the matchlock design was that it required a slow - burning „
match ‟for ignition. As a result, it was of little use for surprise attack or in damp or
rainy conditions.

Wheel lock:
With the advent of the wheel lock the lighted match used in the matchlock was no
longer necessary. This important innovation in the field of firearms design made
ambush possible as well as making the firearm a practical weapon for hunting.
The wheel lock consisted of a serrated steel wheel, mounted on the side of the weapon
at the rear of the barrel. The wheel was spring - loaded via a chain round its axle with
a small key or spanner similar to a watch drum. When the wheel was turned with a
spanner, the chain wound round the axle and the spring was tensioned. A simple bar
inside the lock work kept the wheel from unwinding until released with the trigger.
Part of the wheel protruded into a small pan, the flash pan or priming pan , which
contained the priming charge for the touch hole. The serpentine, instead of containing
a slow - burning match, had a piece of iron pyrite fixed in its jaws. This was kept in
tight contact with the serrated wheel by means of a strong spring. On pressing the
trigger, the bar was withdrawn from the grooved wheel which then turned on its axle.
Sparks produced from the friction of the pyrite on the serrated wheel ignited the
priming charge which in turn ignited the main powder charge and fired the weapon.
Disadvantages:
The mechanism was complicated and expensive, and if the spanner to tension the
spring was lost, the gun was useless.

Flintlock:
The ignition system which superseded that of the wheel lock was a simple
mechanism which provided a spark by striking a piece of flint against a steel plate.
The flint was held in the jaws of a small vice on a pivoted arm, called the cock. The
steel, which was called the frizzen, was placed on another pivoting arm opposite the
cock, and the pan containing the priming compound was placed directly below the
frizzen.
When the trigger was pulled, a strong spring swung the cock in an arc so that the flint
struck the steel a glancing blow. The glancing blow produced a shower of sparks
which dropped into the priming pan igniting the priming powder. The flash produced
by the ignited priming powder travelled through the touch hole, thus igniting the main
charge and discharging the weapon.
The flintlock represented a great advance in weapon design. It was cheap, reliable and
not overly susceptible to damp or rainy conditions. Unlike the complicated and
expensive wheel lock, this was a weapon which could be issued in large numbers to
foot soldiers and cavalry alike.

Percussion system:
The flintlock continued to be used for almost 200 years and it was not until 1807 that
a Scottish minister, Alexander John Forsyth, revolutionized the ignition of gunpowder
by using a highly sensitive compound which exploded on being struck. This
compound, mercury fulminate, when struck by a hammer, produced a flash strong
enough to ignite the main charge of powder in the barrel. A separate priming powder
and sparking system was now no longer required.
With this invention, the basis for the self - contained cartridge was laid and a whole
new field of possibilities was opened up. Once this type of ignition, known as
percussion priming, had been invented, it still took some time to perfect ways of
applying it.
Shaw employed a small iron cup into which was placed a small quantity of mercury
fulminate. This was placed over a small tube, called a nipple, projecting from the rear
of the barrel. The hammer striking the mercury fulminate in the cup caused it to
detonate and so send a flame down the nipple tube igniting the main charge in the
barrel.

Pinfire system:
Introduced to the United Kingdom at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 by
Lefaucheux, the pinfire weapon was one of the earliest true breech - loading weapons
using a self - contained cartridge in which the propellant, missile and primer were all
held together in a brass case. In this system, the percussion cup was inside the
cartridge case whilst a pin, which rested on the percussion cup, protruded through the
side of the cartridge case. Striking the pin with the weapon‟s hammer drove the pin
into the priming compound causing it to detonate and so ignite the main propellant
charge. The pin, which protruded through the weapon‟s chamber, not only served to
locate the round in its correct position, but also aided extraction of the fired cartridge
case.

Rimfire cartridge:
It is a thin - walled cartridge with a hollow flanged rim. Into this rim is spun a small
quantity of a priming compound. Crushing the rim with the firing pin causes the
priming compound to explode, thus igniting the propellant inside the case. In the year
1855 Smith and Wesson manufactured the first revolver to fire rimfire cartridges.

Centre fire system:

This was the great milestone in weapon and ammunition development. In centre fire
ammunition, only the primer cup needed to be soft enough to be crushed by the firing
pin. The cartridge case could thus be made of a more substantial material which
would act as a gas seal for much higher pressures than could be obtained with rimfire
ammunition.