Republic of the Philippines

Province of Cotabato
Municipality of Makilala
MAKILALA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Conception, Makilala North Cotabato

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY

FORENSIC BALLISTICS
Course Number: Forensic 6 Instructor: Eva Mae C. Quiros
Course Title: Forensic Ballistics Mobile Number:

Module No.: 3 Email Address:

Duration: 3 weeks [email protected]

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Identify the different personalities who played pivotal roles in the development of firearms
2. Describe a firearm according to its legal definition.
3. Identify the classification of firearms according to the barrel construction and according to
the caliber of the projectile propelled
4. Determine the different types of repeating rifles
5. Identify the different types of shotguns
6. Identify the nomenclature of firearms and its functions

II. TOPICS/SUBJECT MATTER

• Definition of firearms and its classification

• Firearms nomenclature and miscellaneous types of firearms

III. REFERRENCES
• Manlusoc, A.C. (2016). Forensic Ballistics
 IV. COURSE CONTENT

CHAPTER 2

The Evolution of Firearms

John M. Browning - Wizard of the modern firearms and pioneered the breech loading
single shot rifle that was adopted by Winchester.

Samuel Colt - Patented the first practical revolver and maker of the Colt Peace Maker, one
of the most famous revolvers in history.

Michael Kalashnikov - Designed the AK (Automat Kalashnikova) 47 (Soviet Union) adopted

by the Russian Army in the year 1951.

Eugene Stoner - Designed the U.S. M16 Armalite under licensed by Colt Company from July
1959 onwards.

Col. Calvin H. Goddard - Father of modern Ballistics. He is the man who first utilized the
bullet comparison microscope to prove the identity of a fired bullet through comparison with
a test bullet.

Alexander John Forsyth - Father of the percussion powder. He successfully invented the
priming mixture and caused the integration of the primer, bullet, gunpowder and shell into
one unit.

CHAPTER 3
Firearms: Its Nature and Classification

Legal Definition

Firearm refers to any handheld or portable weapon, whether a small arm or light weapon, that
expels or is designed to expel a bullet, shot, slug, missile or any projectile, which is discharged by
means of expansive force of gases from burning gunpowder or other form of combustion or any similar
instrument or implement. For purposes of this Act, the barrel, frame or receiver is considered a
firearm. (Section 3 of RA 10591)

Technical Definition

Firearm is an instrument used for the propulsion of projectile by means of expansive force
gases coming from the burning gunpowder. (FBI manual of Firearms Identification)

CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS

A. According to Interior Barrel Construction

 1. Smooth Bore Firearms – Firearms that have no rifling (lands and grooves) inside their gun
barrel. Examples: Shotgun and musket

2. Rifled Bore Firearms – Firearms that have rifling inside the gun barrel. Examples: Pistols,
Revolvers, and other modern weapons.

B. According to the caliber of the projectile propelled

1. Artillery – refers to those types of firearms that propel projectiles with more than one inch
diameter. Examples: Cannon, Mortars, Bazookas

2. Small Arms – these are firearms that propel a projectile with less than one inch diameter and
can be handled, moved and operated. Examples: Machine gun, shoulder arms and handguns.

2.1 Machine guns

A machine gun is a type of firearm that is primarily designed for

military use. It is an automatic gun that fires bullets in
rapid succession for as long as the trigger is pressed.

Sub Machine gun - It is a hand-held, lightweight short barreled

machine gun consisting of relatively low-energy handgun-type
cartridges and fired from the hand, hip, or shoulder.

2.2 Shoulder Arms

Shoulder Arms are those types of firearms that were normally fired from the shoulder.
 Carbine - A short barrel rifle, with its barrel rifle, measuring
not longer than 22 inches. It fires a single projectile though a rifle-
bore either semi-automatic or fully automatic, for every press of the
trigger.

Muskets - is an ancient smoothbore and muzzle loading

military shoulder arms designed to fire shots or a single round lead
ball.

Rifles - A shoulder weapon designed to fire a projectile with more accuracy through a long-
rifled bore barrel, usually more than 22 inches.

Types of Repeating Rifles

1. Bolt action type

The bolt action type may appear as either turning bolt or a

straight-pull bolt type. The turning bolt type is manipulated by turning
the bolt handle first upward, making the bolt in an unlocked position
before pulling the handle to open the chamber causing the cartridge to
be exposed and be ready for another loading and closing before firing.
In the straight pull action type as its name implies, the bolt is directly
pulled to the rear without being turned. The chamber will open; loading
will follow, and then close again before firing. The Swiss army rifle
called Schmidt-Rubin is a good example of this type.

2. Lever type

The lever action mechanism derives its name from its

operational design. It is manipulated by moving a lever downward
and forward, which opens the breech, cocks the firing mechanism,
and positions a cartridge for loading. After loading, pulling the lever
back closes the action, chambers the cartridge, and prepares the
firearm for firing. This type of action is commonly found in rifles
designed for hunting and sport shooting

3. Automatic type.

It is a type of a rifle in which firing can be made continuously by a single press of the trigger and
while the trigger is pressed firing will only stop either by the action of the gunner or when all the
cartridges have been used.
 Shotgun - A smooth bore and a breech loading shoulder arm designed to fire a number of lead
pellets or shots in one charge. (FBA Manual)

A shotgun operates almost exactly in the same way as other rifles. It only differs in some extent
such as the interior barrel construction. Generally, all shotguns are equipped with a smooth bore
barrel designed to fire a number of lead pellets in a single charge.:

a. Single Barreled Shotgun

It is similar to a single shot rifle. It is loaded with a single

shotgun cartridge, closed, fired and to be reloaded manually by the
shooter. This is common in a break type, and breech-loading shotgun.

b. Double Barreled Shotgun

A double-barreled shotgun, also known as a double shotgun, is

a break-action shotgun with two parallel barrels, allowing two single
shots that can be fired simultaneously or sequentially in quick
succession.

c. Pump Action Shotgun

It is also known by the name "slide action" type. The hammer

of this shotgun is completely built inside the receiver which makes
it unexposed, thus, making it known also as "hammerless shotgun".
Its operation is done by back-and-forth manipulation of the slide by
the shooter.

d. Auto-loading Shotgun

An auto-loading shotgun, also known as a semi-automatic shotgun, is a type of shotgun that

automatically reloads after each shot. It uses a self-loading mechanism that ejects the spent shell
and chambers a new one without the shooter having to manually operate the action.

The barrel construction of shotguns may also be found in different bore construction.
These are:

• the cylinder bore type, a type of shotgun

bore with the same diameter throughout the
barrel (from breech to muzzle end); This refers
to a shotgun that has a barrel with a smooth
bore and no constriction at the muzzle. The
barrel has a consistent diameter from the
chamber to the muzzle, resulting in a wide spread of shot when fired. Cylinder bore shotguns are
often used for close-range shooting, such as in home defense or hunting in dense cover.

• the choke bore type, a type of shotgun bore

with a diminishing or reducing bore diameter
towards the muzzle. It is designed to limit the
spread of the shots or make the shots travel
longer before they spread; This constriction is
designed to control the spread of the shot
pellets when the shotgun is fired, thereby improving the accuracy and range of the shotgun.
 Chokes come in various degrees of constriction, such as improved cylinder choke, improve cylinder
choke, modified choke, full choke, each providing a different pattern density and range.

• the paradox shotgun, a very rare type of shotgun bore, having

a rifling only a few inches from its muzzle point.

SHOTGUNS VS. RIFLES

Feature Shotgun Rifles

Barrel Smoothbore (no lands and grooves) Rifled bore (with lands and grooves)

Ammunition Shotshells, containing multiple pellets Cartridges, containing a single bullet

or shots

Range Short to medium, up to 100 yards Medium to long up to 300 yards

Accuracy Low to moderate, depending on the High depending on the sight

choke

Use Hunting small and fast-moving target, Hunting large and still target,
defense, sport shooting marksmanship and law enforcement

2.3 . HANDGUNS
These types of firearms are designed or intended be fired using one hand. Examples, pistols and
revolvers.
 1. Pistol
In early firearm history, all handguns are generally called as
pistols. There were three classes of pistols that period. The single
shot pistol, the semi-automatic and the revolving pistol now
known as the revolver. The single shot pistol is operated by
depressing the lever causing the barrel to be unlatched and
tipped upward. In this position the cartridge is inserted to the
chamber and locked. The hammer is pulled rearward to be
cocked and ready to fire.

The Semi-automatic pistol is the type of pistol most common

in existence. This is loaded through the magazine, a slide action is taken to first load a cartridge to
the chamber, upon firing the empty shell will be extracted and ejected from the firearm at the same
time another cartridge is automatically loaded to the chamber without the gunner exerting additional
effort. Thus, firing can be made successively for every press of the trigger without the need to
constantly reload.

2. Revolver

A revolver is a type of handgun designed to hold and position

cartridges for firing using a rotating cylinder that serves as its
chamber. There are two types of revolvers according to its
mechanical firing action, they are as follows:

(a) the single action, a type of revolver that needs

manual cocking of the hammer before squeezing
the trigger;

and (b) the double action, a type of revolver that

does not need manual cocking. The gunner just
presses the trigger and it both cocked and releases
the hammer causing a much faster firing.
 C. Types of Firearms According to Mechanical Construction

1. Single shot firearms = types of firearms designed to fire only one shot for every loading.
Examples: single shot pistols, revolvers and shotguns.

2. Repeating arms = is a firearm equipped with a mechanism that enables it to fire multiple shots
successively without the need for manual reloading after each shot. These firearms include rifles,
shotguns, and pistols with actions such as bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, or semi-automatic
operation.

3. Automatic firearms = are types of firearms that allow for continuous firing with a single press
and hold of the trigger.

4. Bolt-action firearm operates like opening and closing a door bolt. The bolt solidly locks into the
breech, making it accurate and dependable. To open the action, lift the handle up and pull it to the
rear. If the firearm is loaded, the cartridge or shotshell will be ejected as you pull the bolt to the rear.

5. Break action is a type of firearm action in which the barrel(s) are hinged much like a door and
rotate perpendicularly to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading
of cartridges.

6. Lever Action - Lever-action firearms are operated by a lever located near the trigger guard.
When the lever is cycled, it extracts the spent cartridge and chambers a new round from the magazine
tube, enabling rapid follow-up shots. This design has been popularized by iconic rifles like the
Winchester Model 1894 and remains in use for hunting, sport shooting, and historical reenactments.

7. Pump Action - In a pump-action rifle, the shooter manually operates a sliding firearm, usually
located under the barrel. This sliding motion ejects the spent cartridge case and chambers a new
round. The shooter must pump the forearm back and forth to cycle the action, which is a manual
and repetitive process.

NOMENCLATURE OF FIREARMS AND ITS FUNCTIONS

1. Barrel and Muzzle: The barrel of a handgun is a crucial part of its design. It is the metal
tube through which the bullet travels after being fired. The muzzle is the front part of the
barrel from where the bullet exits.

2. Trigger and Trigger Guard: The trigger is the lever that the shooter pulls to initiate the firing
sequence. The trigger guard is the protective loop surrounding the trigger, designed to
prevent accidental discharge. Safety in handling a firearm hinges on responsible trigger use,
emphasizing the trigger guard's importance in overall firearm safety.
3. Firing Mechanism and Firing Pin: The firing mechanism in a handgun acts as the heart of
its operations. When the trigger is pulled, it activates the firing mechanism, releasing the
firing pin. This pin strikes the cartridge primer, igniting the powder inside the cartridge and
propelling the bullet forward. A precise firing mechanism is vital for reliable firearm
operations.

4. Rear Sight and Front Sight: The rear and front sights aid in aiming the handgun. The rear
sight usually consists of a small notch, while the front sight is a post. By aligning the post
within the notch, the shooter can aim the handgun accurately at the target.

5. Pistol Grip: The pistol grip of a handgun serves as the interface between the shooter and the
firearm. Designed to be held in the hand, it allows the shooter to control the firearm and
absorb the recoil when the gun is fired. An ergonomically designed pistol grip can improve
shooting accuracy and comfort.

6. Safety Mechanism: The safety mechanism of a handgun is an essential feature designed to

prevent accidental discharges. It can take various forms, such as a lever or button, and its
function is to block the trigger or firing mechanism when engaged.

7. Magazine: Found in semi-automatic pistols, the magazine is a removable component that

stores and feeds ammunition into the firearm. Depending on the design, a magazine can hold
several rounds of ammunition. It's inserted into the grip of the handgun, and a spring
mechanism pushes each round into the firing chamber when the previous one has been
fired.

8. Chamber that part of the firearm in which the cartridge is placed when ready to be fired.

9. Cylinder = serves as the chamber and magazine for a revolver.

10. Extractor = pulls the empty shells from the cylinder simultaneously.
 MISCELLANEOUS TYPES OF GUNS

1. Zip Gun – generally referring to homemade gun used by

juvenile delinquents in the United States of America. In the
Philippines, it is referred to as “paltik”

2. Cane Gun, knife pistols, cell phone gun, etc. = devices

principally designed for other purposes to which a gun
mechanism is incorporated or attached. It is also called as
freakish gun.

3. Flare Gun = designed for tracing or sending signals or locating

enemy troops.
4. Gas gun = generally referring to all gun designed for firing tear
gas.

5. Harpoon gun = refers to a barbed spear in hunting large fish.

6. Tool guns = are devices that resemble a gun’s design but are
generally used for construction of furniture e.g. glue gun, drilling
machine etc.

7. Trap gun = refers to gun used for trapping animals.