The Importance of Firing Pin Impressions in the Identification of Firearms

Author(s): B. R. Sharma
Source: The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Sep.,
1963), pp. 378-380
Published by: Northwestern University
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THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRING PIN IMPRESSIONS IN THE IDENTIFICATION
OF FIREARMS

B. R. SHARMA

B. R. Sharma,Ph.D., is Director,ForensicScienceLaboratory,Punjab,India. He was appointed

to this positionin October1957,and in additionto his administrativeworkspecializesin the identi-
ficationof firearmsand otherballisticproblems.He receivedhis basic trainingat the PoliceTraining
Schoolof PunjabState at Phillaur,India, and has testifiedas an expertwitnessin severalstates in
India.His academictrainingis in the fieldof chemistry.-EDITOR.

The importance of the firing pin impressions on cartridge is fired. The pressure is transmitted in
fired cartridges in criminal cases is immense in our all directions and to the extent of 3 to 22 tons pei
country. Firstly, the most common weapon of square inch, and brings the cartridge cases in
offence in the firearms category is shot gun. The contact with the various parts of the gun. In this
projectiles fired through them do not offer much way striation details from the surfaces are perma-
evidence to complete the link of the crime with the nently left on the fired cartridges and form the
criminal, and therefore, the cartridge cases form basis of identification.
the only important link. Secondly, the ammunition It is inherent in the process of manufacture that
used by the criminals is more often than not old, these surface irregularities on the various parts
which they have been able to collect from illegal are never alike in any two weapons though they
sources. The pressure developed by the ammuni- may be the same make, kind, and batch. Even in
tion is often low, and the breech face marks, etc. the case of double barrel weapons, there will be
are not properly imprinted, and, therefore, we non-identity of the markings of the two barrels.
have to depend upon the firing pin impressions for This is due to the fact that in the way the surfaces
identification purposes. Lastly, the ammunition are processed, it is impossible to obtain two
used by the criminals may be refilled cartridges. surfaces alike. The surfaces are cut with cutters
The cartridges normally are made by replacing which get blunted after each stroke. The surfaces
the percussion caps, the rest of the cartridges may be levelled with files/machines. Again the
being used as such. Thus a cartridge case (exclud- filing process is so irregular that no two surfaces
ing the percussion cap) may bear impressions of are obtained with like striation. The surfaces may
more than one gun which can prove confusing to further be finished with sand and/or emery papers,
the expert. It is, therefore, important that the etc. However, all these processes are again irregu-
study of the firing pin impressions should be made lar, and the microscopicdetails left on the surfaces
thoroughly and foolproof. is never found identical. It is non-identity of these
The fired shells are very commonly left at the surfaces which individualize the weapon from
scene of heinous crimes, like murders, dacoities, which a particular cartridge case is fired, because
and attempted murders. The culprits run away it is the impressionof the surfaces which forms the
with the weapon, and the firearm sometimes thumb print of the gun on a particular cartridge
becomes the only connecting link with the scene case.
of occurrence. The fired shells are identified by It may be argued that the surfaces should also
firing test shells from the suspected weapon and change when they come into contact with the
comparison of the markings on the incriminating cartridgecases at such a high pressureas mentioned
shells with the test shells. The various portions of above. Some changes do take place due to this
the weapon which come into contact with the contact, but weapons are normally made from
shells are firing pin or the striker; the breech face, steel while the cartridge cases are made either from
the portion which surrounds the firing pin; the brass or copper. The latter metals are much softer
extractor; the ejector; and the chamber. These than steel. So the changes made on the surfaces
parts leave their imprints on the fired shells due of the weapon are, even after quite a good number
to the immense pressure developed when the of shots almost unnoticeable. However, if thou-
378

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1963] FIRING PIN IMPRESSIONS 379

sands of shots have been fired from the same that the firing pin impressions are alone sufficient
weapon, or it is ill-kept or misused, it may become to permit positive identifications. These findings
difficult, if not impossible, to establish the identity are consistent with those reported by Lucas.1
of the markings on the shells of the first and last The cartridge cases are normally examined
shot. under the stereo microscope for preliminary check
The most important constituent in the "thumb up where three dimensional view is obtained with
print" of the weapon is the firing pin impression. magnified image up to about 20 diameter. Larger
The cartridge is fired only if the firing pin strikes magnificationup to 100 diameter can also be easily
with a certain amount of force. Therefore, it has achieved with the stereo microscope, but the same
to come into contact with the cartridge without is seldom needed. After the preliminary examina-
fail and leave its impressions on its percussion cap. tion the firing pin impressions are examined under
The clarity of the markings of the firing pin will of comparison microscope, and the various points of
course depend on the pressure which is developed similarity of the firingpin impressionsare observed
by the cartridge. Only in a few cases will the mark- side by side and also adjudged for their relative
ings be indistinct so as not to permit identification. positions. The combined result of the examina-
As regards the breech face, it also comes into con- tions, i.e. that of stereo microscope and of the
tact with the cartridge. However, its impression comparison microscope does lead to foolproof
will be imprinted on the cartridge only if the case results and can be illustrated by photomicrographs
strikes back the breech face with a certain mini- of the firing pin impressions taken side by side
mum velocity which may be prevented in most of and also by composite photomicrographs to the
the cases either by the low pressure created in the layman.
cartridge or by the chamber which may hold the From the above, it must not be construed that
cartridge case if it is slightly tight. The markings the identification of the fired shells from the firing
left by the ejector and extractor become prominent pin impressions is a smooth-sailing process. In the
only if the firing develops sufficient pressure which absence of breech face, the extractor, and chamber
is not a fact in most of the cases. Chamber marks marks, the difficultiesof identificationare increased
are still less common due to the fact that the manifolds. The main difficulties in identification of
diameter of the chambers of the weapons are made fired shells from firing pin impressions result from
slightly larger than the diameter of the cartridges the smallness of the impressions, sometimes due
which are intended to be fired from the weapon, to the shattering of the percussion cap and quite
and unless there is some defect in the chamber its frequently due to tampering of the firing pin.
markings are seldom encountered. The firing pin impression is formed at some
The author has made a critical study of the fired depth. The depth of the impressionmay vary from
cartridge cases in about 600 firearm cases where one cartridge to another depending upon the pres-
the weapons used were mostly 12 bore guns, a sure created. If abnormal pressure is developed
few rifles, and a few revolvers and pistols. The the cartridge case is shattered. Even with high
breech face markings on most of these cartridge pressure, the percussion cap bulges out and makes
cases were practically non-existent. The extractor, the study of the striation details more difficult.
ejector, or chamber markings were found only in It is, therefore, desirable that the test cartridge
rare cases. Therefore, only the firing pin impres- should be of the same make and batch whenever
sions could be examined and compared with those possible. Or at least, the test cartridgesfired should
impressions on fired test cartridges. They were develop approximately the same amount of pres-
characteristic and individualistic in, at least, 98% sure which had been developed in the crime
icases while in less than 2% cases the impressions cartridge. This pressure can be adjudged by depth
were feeble and could not permit identification. of the impression itself. When the pressures are
This excludes those cases where the firing pin almost alike the difficulty of the examination of
the striation details is overcome to a great extent.
impressions were mutilated by several hits or by
The important factor in the study of the stria-
attempts to destroy the cartridgecases by hammer-
ing, filing, or burning. Further, it also does not 1 A.
LUCAS, FORENSIC CHEMISTRYAND SCIENTIFIC
include cases where the firing pins of the suspected INVESTIGATION,pages 210, 240 and 242. Lucas reports
on an investigation of 250 cartridge cases that 97.8%
weapons were tampered with or destroyed alto- contained firing pin impressions which were distinctive
gether. The experience has convinced the writer and characteristic.

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380 B. R. SHARMA [Vol.54

tion details is proper type of illumination. The The other type of difficulty in the study of the
smallness of the firing pin impression and slight firing pin impressions is the tampering of the
differences in the pressure developed in the cart- impression on the crime cartridges which is rare
ridge cases make it imperative that the lights strike but frequently can prevent identification.
the cartridge cases at the same angle and with alike The last source of difficulty may be the relative
intensities. The striation details are studied by the positions of the firing pin impression and the
brightness and the shadows created by them and breech face markings. They may not be identical
unless the illuminations are at the same angle the in the crime and test cartridges. This happens
details revealed by the brightness and the shadows sometimes due to either the looseness of the per-
will not be alike and can confuse the examiner. cussion cap or due to the revolving of the firing pin
This is especially true, when the percussion caps or due to the displacement of the base where the
in the fired cartridge cases had bulged out to differ- base is separate from the cartridge tube. It can
ent extents. However, if all the factors are taken confuse the inexperienced workers. In such cases
into considerationand properilluminations utilized the firing pin impressions and the breech face
the difficulties are not so great as are considered markings are compared independently.
by some authorities. It may be pointed out that in the course of my
The shattering of the percussion cap introduces a evidence, certain learned Sessions Judges and
different type of difficulty in the study of the defence counsels remarked that the diameter of
striation details. If it is so destructive that the the firing pin is so small that the striation details
portions of the percussion caps have blown off, contained on the firing pins and hence imprinted
nothing much can be done. If the firing pin has on the cartridge cases could yield erroneousresults
only pierced the cap at a particular point, the at least sometimes. However, it was pointed out to
study can still be made. The portion bearing the them that the small diameter of the firing pin
impression is straightened and is properly cleaned which is about 2 millimeter or less may be insuffi-
to bring it to its original brightness. Great care is cient to permit the examination of the details by
taken to avoid introduction of additional scratches the naked eye, but this examination should not be
etc. on the surface bearing the impression. The attempted with eyes alone. The cartridge cases are
cartridges with pellet charge and some of the wads examined for the firing pin impressions under
removed are fired for comparison purposes. Re- microscope where the magnification of a thousand
moval of pellet charge etc. prevents shattering. times can easily be achieved and hence the small
If however, the firingpin still shatters the cartridge diameter of 2 mm can be enlarged to 200 cm but
case, the powder content of the cartridge case is magnification of this order is never required and is
also reducedby a suitable amount. The study of the never attempted.
striation details is then carried out in the usual Thus, we see that with proper examinations
way. It may be mentioned that the study can also firing pin impressions can be identified and many
be made with a shattered test cartridge, though it shootings which otherwise cannot be cleared up
is not desirable. are solved.

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