MODULE 1

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson the learners should beableto;

✔ Understand the historical background in forensicballistics.✔

Familiarized the person behind the development of firearms.
✔ Know a brief history of firearms.
✔ Learn about the primitive and modern firearms Lesson 1

BRIEF HISTORY IN THE STUDY OF BALLISTICS

⮚ Ballistics involves the study of the scientific properties of projectiles, their behaviors and
their terminal effects on biological tissues andother materials.
⮚ Wound Ballistics deals with the analysis of injuries caused by projectilesand the behavior of
projectiles within human or other biological; tissues. ⮚ The nineteenth century witnessed the
development of both areas withKocher’s hydrodynamic theory and the understanding of
significanceof bullet deformation in causing tissue injury.
⮚ Ballistics is the study of the flight path of projectiles. And whenusedincriminal investigations,
forensic ballistics or ballistics fingerprinting(alsocalled forensic firearm examination)
⮚ Forensic ballistics relies heavily on evidence such as bullets, gunpowder residues, shell
casings, firearms, etc., recovered fromthe crimescene. ⮚ In crime investigation, forensic
ballistics has now become synonymouswith the matching of the recovered bullets and their
casings tothefirearms from which they were discharged.

What is ballistics?
From the Greek word “ballo or ballien” which means to throw.

1
It was also derived from early Roman war machine knownas balistawhich means a
gigantic bow of catapult which used in missiles or largeobject at a distance to deter
 animals or enemies.
Ballistics is a science that deals with the study of motion of projectiles andconditions
affecting the motion of projectiles and conditions affectingthemotion.
It is divided into several disciplines.
⦿ Internal and external ballistics deal with the propulsion andtheflight of projectiles.
⦿ The transition of these two regimes is called intermediate ballistics.

⦿ Terminal Ballistics concerns the impact of projectiles,

separatecategoryencompasses the wounding of personnel.

What is Forensic Ballistic?

⦿ It is the study of firearms identification by means of ammunition's firedthrough them.
⦿ It is also a scientific study of firearm identification with theuseof laboratory examination.
⦿ The study of ammunition, projectiles, gunpowder, primer andexplosives, including the use
of the bullet comparison microscope.

What is forensic?
⦿ From the Latin word “forum” meaning a “public place” werepeoplegathered for
public disputation or public discussion.
⦿ Is the dealing with the application of scientific knowledgetolegal problems.

Origin of the word Ballistics

⦿ The word Ballistics derived from the two Greek words Ballo or Balleinwhichliterally means
“to throw”
⦿ And from the Roman war machine.

⦿ The earliest known ballistics projectiles were stones, spears andthethrowing stick.
⦿ The oldest evidence of stone-tipped projectiles which may or maynothave been
propelled by a bow, dating to c. 64,000 years ago, was foundin Sibudu Cave, South
Africa.

2
⦿ The oldest evidence of the use of bows to shoot arrows dates about10,000 years ago, it
is based on pinewood arrows found in theAhrensburgvalley north of Hamburg.
⦿ The oldest bow so far recovered is about 8,000 years
 oldfoundintheHolmeguard swamp in Denmark.

th
⦿ The first devices identified as guns appeared in China around1000AD century the
technology was spreading through Asia, andinto
and by 12
Europe by the 13
th
century. After the empirical development, the
discipline of ballistics was initially studied and developedbyItalianmathematician Niccolo
Tartaglia in 1531 and went on to be put onasolidscientific and mathematical basis with
the publication of PhilosophiaeMaturalis Principia Mathematica in 1687 which gave
mathematical lawssuccessfully predicts trajectries. The word ballistics comes
fromtheGreekballo or ballien, meaning “to throw”.

What is projectile?
It is any object projected into space (empty or not) by the exertionof aforce. Examples
are balls, arrows, bullets, shells, rockets, etc.

FIRST USE OF BALLISTICS IN FORENSICS

⦿ The first case of forensic firearm examination to be documentedwasin1835. that
was when Henry Goddard applied ballistic fingerprintingtolinka bullet recovered
from the victim to the actual culprit.
⦿ Back in 1860, the case of Regina v Richardson, showcase other examplesof the early
application of firearm identification. The major evidence, inthis case was newspaper
wadding.

The Birth of magnification

⦿ In 1902, Oliver Wendell Holmes, who later became the justiceof theUSSupreme Court, is
said to have used a magnifying glass to examineatestbullet that he fired into cotton wool
to compare its striations withthosefound on the bullet recovered from the victim during an
autopsy.
⦿ Later in Paris (1912), Professor Balthazar took numerous photographs of
thecircumferences of the bullet found at the crime scene. Then heenlargedthis
photograph to compare the markings with those obtainedonthebullet that he had test-
fired from the suspect’s weapon.
 3
PAVING THE WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPARISONMICROSCOPE ⦿ Magnification
became a crucial part of firearm examinations. However, even though microscopes did
exist back then, it quite challengingtocompare two bullets simultaneously.
⦿ While examining one bullet under the microscope, forensic examiners hadto retain the
mental image of the other bullet meant for comparison. Thisposed risks the validity and
reliability of the investigations.
⦿ Charles H. Stielow in 1915 in the United States. ⦿ The first significant application of this
microscope was in the investigationsof the saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929.

HISTORY OF FIREARMS
Firearms in India
⦿ So far India is concerned, a stanza appperas in Atharva Rahasyaaboutthe existence of
the mixture consisting of charcoal sulphur other materialsproviding fire powder. Indians
used gun powder much beforeChineseaswas reported by the Hindustan Times, dated
Oct. 7, 1980.
⦿ Nitishastra described account of smoke balls containing gunpowder among weapons to
use against the enemy.
⦿ Opperk G. mention that gunpowder is known is Sanskrit literatureas ‘Agni Choorma’or
fire powder and the expression “NALIKA” in text refers togunmade in ancient India out
of bamboo pipes.
th th
century and firearms inthe14
⦿ China had invented gun powder in the 9 century. These inventions were later transmitted
to the MiddleEast &Europe.

PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
ROMAN CANDLE TUBE
⦿ The first to use gun powder to throw objects without any intentionof hurting or injuring,
through penetration but for the sake of fun was madeby Roman and the device consisted
of a hollow tube made fromwoodor bamboo. The tube was loaded from the muzzle end
withalternatecharge of powder end urine diary bomber.

ROMAN CANDLE TUBE

 4

There was a gradual improvement and development of different locks suchas:

⦿ Match Lock
⦿ Wheel Lock
⦿ Flint Lock

✔ But the use of these systems came to an end, when a comparativebetter system came into
existence, which may be called as predecessor of themuzzle-loading guns.

SUMMARY

⦿ This module discusses the history of crimes and their investigationprocedures that lead to
the development of forensic science. Asdiscussed in this module, forensic science is a
wide branch that playsamajor role in investigation process of a crime. This helps to
improvetheprocedures of analysis and precautions to protect the causingof crimes. The
word forensic comes from the latin word “forensis” that means “of or before the forum”.
The overall aims of this module moduleis toconfer about the origin of various branches of
forensic science. The investigationwas based on the type of evidence and their analyses.
Beforegoingtothe advanced techniques of finding the cause and manner of deathor
acrime, analyzing, and investigation, getting the knowledge of theroot of these
procedures in earlier days is important. Many expectedandunexpected analysis,
investigation, and crimes led to developof forensicscience. Studying history helps us to
learn about the actual root of forensicscience, and the history of a few of which such as
forensictoxicology, forensic entomology, forensic pathology, fingerprint forensics, digital
forensics, forensic odontology, forensic serology and forensic ballistics hasbeen
elaborated in this module.

5
Activity 1
 1. What is Ballistics?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________2. What is Forensic
Ballistics?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________3. What is forensic?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________4. Explain and expound your answer why
you need to understandthebasic
terms of forensic ballistics?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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 6

Lesson 2

BRANCHES OF BALLISTIC

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson the learners should be able to;

✔ To know the branches of ballistics

✔ Define and discuss the internal ballistics, external ballistics, terminal ballistics, shot ballistics,
wound ballistics and forensic ballistics.

Introduction

Forensic Ballistics it is important to understand what it is and what isn’t. todaythe term forensic
ballistic does not mean the use of scientific knowledgeor method suitable to a court of law in
solving crimes concerning the movement of objects such as bullets or rockets that are shot or
forced to moveforwardthrough the air, it is about identifying a weapon to a bullet or shell
casingfromacrime scene.

⦿ Calving Goddard coined the use of the team Forensic Ballistics in1925inhis paper using
that title, however the paper discusseduseof acomparison microscope to match shell
casings and bullets toaspecificgun.

⦿ In the field of forensic science most firearms have their ownuniqueidentifying features and
even if a gun has not been left at thecrimescene many degrees of information can be
determined fromthebullet, the nature of the wound and any residue that is left around it.

⦿ The bullets contain a mixture of gunpowder and cordite andtheseleaveburn marks on

the skin of the individual either wounded or killed, theyalsoleave a fine residue on the
fingers and hands of the individual firingthegun.

What is ballistic?

⦿ Derived from the Greek word “ballo or ballien” which means tothrow.
 7
⦿ Also derived from roman war machine known as ballista whichmeansagigantic bow of
catapult which used in missiles or large object at adistance to deter animals or enemies.

⦿ It is the science dealing with motion of projectiles andconditionsgoverning

that motions.

What is interior/internal ballistics?

⦿ It is the science dealing with motion of the projectiles while still insidethebarrel of the
firearm.

⦿ It is also the study of what happens within the barrel of a weaponfromthemoment the
firing pin hits the primer to the time the bullets exist fromthebarrel.

⦿ It is the study of the motion of the projectile while it is still

insidethefirearm(chamber/barrel) which extends from the breech to themuzzle.

The condition attribute to interior ballistics are as follows;

1. Firing pin hitting the primer

2. Ignition of the priming mixture (percussion action)
3. Combustion of gun powder
4. Expansion of heated gas
5. Pressure developed
6. Energy generated
7. Recoil of the gun
8. Rotation of the bullet in the barrel
9. Engravings of the cylindrical surface of the bullet

NOTE: A firearm such as a rifle, pistol, or artillery piece fires a projectileas aresultof the
burning of its propellant, which usually is smokeless powder.

What is exterior/external ballistics?

⦿ It is the science dealing with the motion of projectiles after leavingthemuzzle

of the gun.

⦿ Deals with the flight of the bullet from the muzzle of the weapontothetarget.
 8
⦿ It is also study of motion of the projectile after leaving the gun muzzle

1. muzzle blast
2. muzzle energy
3. trajectory
4. Range
A. Accurate
B. Effective
C. maximum Extreme
5. velocity
6. Air resistance
7. Pull of gravity

What is terminal ballistic?

⦿ It is the study dealing with the effect of the impact of the bullet onthetarget.

⦿ Deals with the behavior of the missile once it reaches the target.

⦿ These also study the effects of the projectile on the target andthestudyof the behavior of
the projectile upon hitting the target and thetransfer of its kinetic energy to the target.

1. Terminal accuracy
2. Terminal energy
3. Terminal velocity
4. Terminal Penetration

NOTE: The penetration of tank armor by armor-piercing ammunitionis animportant concern of

terminal ballistics. Another is the damage donetothetarget by the blast effect and flying
fragments of a shell or bomb. Thestudyof terminal ballistics helps scientists to develop more
effective weapons andtodevise means of defense against.

What is shot ballistic?

✔ It is the study of shotgun ammunition including its characteristics spreadand trailing.

NOTE: In SHOT BALLISTICS - a shot shell pellet’s ballistic coefficient is acomparative measure of its
ability to overcome the force of air resistance. Thepellet’s sectional density is equal to its weight
(in lbs.) divided by thesquareof its
 9
diameter (in inches). The form factor for a truly spherical pellet is equal toone(1.0). If two
dissimilar pellets have the same ballistic coefficient andarelaunched with the same muzzle
velocity, their velocities (flight time) at anydownrange point will be the same.

What is wound ballistics?

⦿ Is the study of the effect of a projectile on a target and theconditionsthat affect them.

⦿ Is the study of projectile penetration of tissues.

⦿ A clinically relevant understanding of wound ballistics helps withatargeted physical

assessment and appropriate treatment options.

FORENSIC BALLISTICS

⦿ The science of Firearms Identification by means of the ammunitionfiredthrough it.

1. Field Investigation (Police Phase)

2. Technical examination of ballistics exhibits (Laboratory Phase) 3. Legal
proceedings (Judicial Phase)

Damage produced in three ways:

1. Laceration and crushing- Disruption and destruction of tissuecausedbythe projectile as it

crushes and punches a hole in the tissue. Theresult islocalized area of cell necrosis.

2. Cavitation

✔ Permanent Cavity- the hole left by the passage of the projectileisproportional to the size of
the projectile. This is the volume of spaceonceoccupied by tissue which has been
destroyed.

⦿ Cavity is a function of penetration and frontal area of the projectilewhichmakes it.

⦿ Cross-sectional area of the projectile track is comparabletothepresenting area of the

projectile comparable to the presentingareaof the projectile and its dimensions are
roughly the same for all soft tissues.

10
 ⦿ Size of the permanent cavity can be increased by yaw(deviationof bullet from straight
path within tissue).

⦿ Deformation is when a projectile change it shapes upon contact withtissue which

increases the diameter of the projectile. The flatteningor deformation can cause 4 to 6
greater tissue contact thus moretissuedamage.

⦿ Fragmentation is when a projectile breaks apart within tissuecreatingmany smaller

projectiles. Fragmentation is more devastatingthandeformation.

⦿ Temporary Cavity- the transient expansion of the permanent cavitybystretching

due to the transfer of KE during the projectiles passage.

⦿ Temporary cavity may be thirty times the diameter of the projectilewithalifetime of 5 to 10

milliseconds with pressures of up to 100to200atmospheres.

⦿ Damage is due to the stretching of the tissue.

⦿ If the pressure of the temporary cavity exceeds the elastic limit of tissue, then the organ
may be disrupted “burst” or fractured” andalargepermanent cavity may be seen.

3. Shock Wave- acoustic wave which travels through tissue precedingtheprojectiles passage.
Magnitude may be 100 atmospheres, but durations is2microseconds. No detectable harmful
effect on tissues.

WOUNDING POWER

PROJECTILES MASS AND VELOCITY

⦿ Velocity dominant determinant of kinetic energy recal KE=1/2(m*v^2) ⦿ Velocity almost

to exclusion of mass is operative factor ⦿ Double mass only doubles the KE
⦿ Double velocity quadruples the KE
⦿ Range affects the velocity at which the projectile strikes body tissue. PROJECTILES

PHYSICAL PACIFICATIONS

11
 ⦿ Caliber and shape of projectile influence effect in tissues andthelossof KE. Larger the
caliber the greater the loss of KE.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TISSUE THAT HAS BEEN PENETRATED

⦿ Resistance or vulnerability to stretch damage depends mostly ontissueelasticity.

⦿ Elastic Tissue- skeletal muscle, skin, blood vessels may be pushedasidebut then rebound.

⦿ Inelastic tissue- bone or liver may fracture or burst.

⦿ Wound track- the longer the wound tracks the greater the loss of stabilityand the greater
the deformation of the projectile with resultant increasedloss of KE.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WOUND BALLISTICS

⦿ Exit wounds are larger than entrance wounds- unreliable andseldomimpacts care.

⦿ All projectile tracks must be fully explored- elastic soft tissuegenerallyheals eventfully and
does not require excision provided the bloodsupplyremains intact. Temporary cavity
effects are analogous to blunt trauma.

TRIAGE AND TREATMENT DECISIONS

⦿ Treat the wound not the weapon/projectile.

⦿ Treatment decisions based on type of wound, location, andamount of tissue disruption.

⦿ Document wounds completely avoiding temptation tolabel as“entrance” or “exit”.

NOTE: Wound ballistics is mainly concerned with the mechanisms andmedical implications
of trauma caused by bullets and explosively driven fragments. Uponpenetration, the
momentum given to the surrounding tissues generates alargetemporary cavity. Evidence
suggests that physical injury is proportional totheprojectile’s velocity cubed, its mass, and its
cross-sectional area. Thewounding

12
potential of a bullet is thus increased by tumbling or mushrooming uponimpact. Further injury is
often caused by fast moving fragments of impactedbone.
What is forensic ballistics?

✔ It is the study of firearms identification by means of ammunitionfiredthrough

them.

⦿ It is also a scientific study of firearm identification with theuseof laboratory examination.

⦿ The study of ammunition, projectiles, gunpowder, primer andexplosives, including the use
of bullet comparison microscope.

⦿ It also deals with the principles in the microscopic and macroscopicexamination of firearm
evidence and the preparation of reports for legal proceedings in the solution of cases
involving firearms.

SUMMARY

⦿ The field of forensic science recognizes four types of “ballistics”.

⦿ Internal ballistics refers to the forces, pressure, and ignition that operateonthe bullet
while still inside the firearm.

⦿ External ballistics describes the flight of the bullet between thefirearmmuzzle and its
impact at target.

⦿ Terminal ballistics describes the mechanics of impact on bothprojectileand the target.

⦿ Forensic ballistics which is the analysis of bullet and cartridgecaseevidence and the use of
that evidence to link specimens toeachother and to weapons.

⦿ In word of forensic science, a “tool mark” refers to any mark left onanobject by
encountering another, typically harder, object.

BALLISTICS describes the science of gunshots, which can be subdividedintothethree

branches: inside firearms, exterior (from muzzle to target) andterminal (target) ballistics.

13
⦿ Interior ballistics deals with the processes inside the weaponfromthemoment the firing
hits the primer to the time the bullet leaves thebarrel.
 ⦿ Exterior ballistics is concerned with the flight of the projectileinair fromthe muzzle to
the target.

⦿ Wound ballistics is the science of the penetration of biological targets bya missile.

Activity 2
1. Define and discuss ballistics.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________2. Enumerate
and define the branches of ballistics
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________3. What is shot
ballistic? Explain your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________4. What is
wound ballistic? Expound your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________5. Define and
explain forensic ballistics.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
 14
CLASSIFICATION OF FIREARMS
Lesson 3

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson the learners should be able to; ✔ Know the classification
of firearms
✔ Learn the legal definition of firearms
✔ Know the technical definition of firearms
✔ Identify the minor parts of firearms
✔ Learn the types of firearms
✔ Familiarized the common types of firearms
✔ Know the other types of firearms

INTRODUCTION

•The Firearms Protocol definition refers to firearm’s technical characteristics andtheir way of
functioning and does not list or classify the actual type of weapons subject tothe protocol. At both
national and international level, the need of firearms classificationis acknowledged, for legislative,
regulatory and investigative purposes.

LEGAL DEFINITION OF FIREARMS

•Firearms or Arms includes rifles, muskets, carbines, shotgun, revolvers, pistols, andall other deadly
weapons from which a bullet, ball, shot or other deadly missilemaybedischarged by means of
gunpowder and other explosive. This termalso includerifle, except such of being of small caliber and
limited range used as toys. The barrel shall beconsidered a complete firearm for all purpose.
(sec.877 Revised AdministrativeCode) .
FIREARMS
•Refers to any handheld or portable weapon , whether a small armor light weapon, that expels or
designed to expel a bullet, shot, slug, missile or any projectile, whichisdischarged by means of
expansive force of gases from burning gunpowder or other form of combustion or any similar
instrument or implement.(Barrel, frame or receiver isconsidered a firearm) RA 10591.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF FIREARMS
•A firearm is an instrument that is used for the propulsion of projectile by means of theexpansive
force of gases of a burning gunpowder.
OTHER DEFINITION OF FIREARMS
•Firearms or Arms include rifles, muskets, carbines, shotgun, pistols, revolvers, andall deadly
weapons from which a bullet, shot, a shell or missiles may be dischargedbymeans of gunpowder
or other explosives.
•The terms also include air rifles except those that are small in caliber andusuallyusedas
toys.
MINOR PARTS OF FIREARMS
•Refers to the parts of the firearm other than the major parts which are necessarytoeffect and
complete the action of expelling a projectile by way of combustion, except

15
those classified as accessories. Sec. 3. Par. (x) R.A. No. 10591
ComprehensiveFirearmsand Ammunition Regulation Act.

TYPES OF FIREARMS
According to used;
•Small Arms refers to firearms intended to be or primarily designed for individual useor that which is
generally considered to mean a weapon intended to be firedfromthehand or shoulder, which are
not capable of fully automatic bursts of discharge, Sec. 3.Par.(dd) R.A.No. 10591 Comprehensive
Firearms and Ammunition RegulationAct”. Such as:
1. Handgun which is a firearm intended to be fired from the hand, which includes: a. A pistol which
is a hand-operated firearm having a chamber integral withor permanently aligned with the bore
which may be self-loading; and b. Revolver which is a hand-operated firearm with revolving
cyclingcontainingchambers for individual cartridges.
2. Rifle which is a shoulder firearm or designed to be fired fromthe shoulder that candischarge a
bullet through a rifled barrel by different actions of loading, whichmaybeclassified as lover, bolt,
or self-loading; and
3.Shotgun which is a weapon designed, made and intended to fire a fewball shots or asingle
projectile through a smooth bore by the action or energy fromburninggunpowder.

•The General Classification of Firearms can be based on the following criteria: 1. Level of Harm
They Produce
✔ Lethal- designed with the intent to eventually kill the target. ✔ Non-Lethal –designed with the
intent to scare or incapacitate the target, without killing or producing major, irreversible injuries.
2.Traditional structure
•Firearms: A firearm is a weapon that fulfil the characteristic of the definitionintheFirearms Protocol,
Article 3a. Technically, the firearm is characterized by theactionof an explosive gas or powder to
expel a projectile through the barrel. •Conventional weapons: Conventional weapons are
traditionally weapons that arerelatively widely used and designed for military purposes, without being
classifiedasweapons of mass destruction. The United Nations Register of Conventional Armsincludes
the following seven categories of major conventional weapons, plus small armsand light weapons:
✔ Battle tanks
✔ Armored combat vehicles
✔ Large caliber artillery systems
✔ Combat aircraft including manned and unmanned aerial vehicles ✔ Attack
helicopters
✔ Warships
 ✔ Missiles and missile launchers
•Non-conventional weapons: Refer to weapons of mass destruction, alsoknownasABC (atomic,
biological and chemical) or NRBC (nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical) weapons.
3.Portability: Depending on their portability, weapons can be classified in thesethreecategories:
Weapons that can be transported by one person without additional

16
support (small arms) Weapons that can be transported by a small crewof people(light weapons)
Other systems that must be transported with the help of technical means. 4.Physical characteristics,
size and support
•Short or hand-held firearms (handguns) are portable arms designed to beaimedandfired with the
action of one hand, whether the weapon has been re-designedor altered to be aimed and fired
differently.
•Long or shoulder fired firearms (long guns) are portable weapons designedtobeusedand fired
from the hip or shoulder with the action of both hands. 5. Action of weapon: "Action" refers to the
firing system of a firearm, morespecificallythe physical mechanism through which cartridges are
loaded, locked andextractedaswell as the firing frequency when the trigger is actioned. There
are five commontypesof action related to firearms:
•Single shot - Fires a single round from the barrel(s) for every depression of thetrigger; requires
manual reloading of the barrel(s) after each shot. •Repeating - Fires a single round from the
barrel(s) for every depression of thetrigger; requires a repetitive action for the reloading of the
barrel(s) after each shot. •Semi-automatic - Fires a single round for every depression of the trigger,
andautomatically cycles between rounds (i.e. is self-loading).
•Burst - Fires a small set of rounds for every depression of the trigger, and automaticallycycles
between rounds with each trigger pull (i.e. is self-loading).
•(Fully) Automatic - Fires continually upon a depression of the trigger, until thetrigger isreleased;
automatically cycles between rounds (i.e. is self-loading). 6. Type of firearm: For ease of
understanding and accessibility, the Modulewill explainthe most commonly accepted categories of
firearms [SALW]: revolver, pistol, shotgun, rifle, sub-machine gun and machine gun. In addition,
there is a generic "Other firearms" category that includes firearms that either are crafted or
assembled outsideproductionfacilities, are modified and converted, are using interchangeable
parts or takeadvantage of new technologies, such as replica, converted, modular, 3Dprintedetc.

COMMON TYPES OF FIREARMS

The most common classification of firearms is done by types, and the most usedtool for firearms
identification is the Firearms Reference Table (FRT). The FRT is a computerizeddatabase available
online and offline. It was proposed and developed by Canadian
Royal Mounted Police and it was further adopted by INTERPOL as areferenceclassification tool. Use
of the FRT Web is limited to individuals who have been authorizedby the RCMP. Authorized users
include members of the police community, specificPublic Agents and approved firearm verifiers.
•UNODC adopted a simplified classification in its 2015 Study and in its global illicit armsflow
questionnaire, which is based on the following types: REVOLVER
•Is a short or hand-held firearm with a revolving cylinder typically of fivetoninechambers, manually
loaded with cartridges. As the cylinder rotates into position, thetrigger can be pulled, releasing the
hammer firing the cartridge. Expendedcartridgecases remain in the cylinder until manually
unloaded.
PISTOL
•Is a short or hand-held firearm designed for semi-automatic operation. Thechamber ispart of the
barrel. Cartridges are generally loaded into a magazine, which is inserted

17
into the grip. The action of the firearm feeds the next cartridge and expels thespent round.
•Action: single shot, repeating, semi-automatic and automatic pistol. SHOTGUN
•Is a shoulder-fired long gun with one or two unrifled barrels (side-by-sideor over configuration),
usually designed to shoot many small projectiles ("shots") rather thanabullet. The caliber of a
shotgun is referred to as the gauge and is usually larger indiameter than other small arms.
•Action: Usually single shot. May also be repeating, or semi-automatic RIFLE OR CARBIN
•Is a shoulder-fired long gun, with a series of spiral grooves cut inside the barrel ("rifling")imparting spin
to the projectile. Some rifles have a detachable magazine likethepistolsdescribed above, and others
have integral magazines. A carbine resembles ariflebut has a shorter barrel.
•Action:Single-shot, repeating, semi-automatic or fully automatic. ASSAULT
RIFLE
•Can be considered a subcategory of rifles and represent ' any of various intermediate range,
magazine-fed military rifles (such as the AK-47 or M16) that can beset for automatic or
semiautomatic fire.
•Action: Semi-automatic or fully automatic.
SUB-MACHINE GUN
•At is a hand-held, lightweight short barreled machine gun consisting of relativelylow- energy
handgun-type cartridges and fired from the hand, hip or shoulder. •Action: Semi-automatic or fully
automatic. Where the firing systemis automatic, thefirearm would be classified as an automatic pistol
or automatic sub-machinegun. MACHINE GUN
•It is a firearm that is capable of fully automatic firing (more than one shot without manual reloading,
by a single function of the trigger) and that fires rifle ammunition. It isgenerally crew-operated
('heavy machine gun'), but some forms may be firedbysingleindividuals ('light machine gun'). Most
machine guns have the ammunition fedbybelts, although some use magazines.

OTHER TYPES OF FIREARMS?

This category encompasses various types of firearms which may
overlapwiththosementioned but are deserving their own classification.
•Gunsmiths and handcraft production can be found in all regions. For example, theSmall
Arms Survey highlighted some previous research carried out. 3D PRINTED FIREARMS
•A 2018 3D Printed Gun Report released by All3DP, the world's leading3Dprintingmagazine,
concludes that the threat of these arms remains rather limited. •The technological
development and the availability of cheap but performant CNCmachines and 3D printers will
make the production of 3D firearms far simpler andmoredifficult to regulate against.
UNLICENSED COPIES
The unlicensed copies are encountered in situations when manufacturers either:

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REPLICA AND IMITATION FIREARMS
•A replica firearm is a device that is manufactured to resemble an existingdesignof afirearm but is
not intended to fire. Typically, replica firearms are manufacturedfor firearm collectors, especially
collectors of antique firearms
DEAIVATE AND CONVERTED FIREARMS
•A deactivated firearm is any firearm that was modified in such a way that it cannolonger fire
and expel any form of projectile. Usually, the deactivation process has tobepermanent.
MODULAR FIREARMS
•One good example in this range is the Glock pistol, which, although not conceivedasa modular
weapon, bears the modularity characteristics and can be easily transformedfrom a semi-automatic
pistol into a fully automatic sub-machine gun with 50or 100rounds magazine, scope, silencer, shall
recovery system and other modular parts.

Activity 3
1. In your own understanding explain the classification of firearms?
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______________________2. What are the legal definition of firearms? Explain and expound your
answer.
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______________________3. Discuss and explain the technical definition of firearms
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______________________4. What are the minor parts and functions of firearms?
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______________________5. What are the types of firearms?
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6. Discuss the common types of firearms.
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__________________________________________________________________7. Discuss the
other types of firearms.
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References

Barreda, A.B. (2021), Forensic Ballistics. Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc. END
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