FORENSIC BALLISTICS

Bullet-bearing surface - that part of the outer surface of a bullet that comes into direct contact with the interior
surface of the barrel.
Bullet creep - the movement of a bullet out of the cartridge case due to the recoil of the firearm and the inertia of
the [Link] called bullet [Link] known as popping.
Bullet,frangible - a projectile designed to disintegrate upon impact on a hard surface in order to minimize
ricochet or spatter.
Bullet jacket - usually a metallic cover over the core.
Bullet,lead - a standard lead bullet having a harder metal jacket over the nose formed from a lead alloy,also
known as metal-point [Link] non spherical projectiles is for use in a rifled barrel.
Bullet recovery system - any method that will allow the undamaged recovery of a fired [Link] tanks and
cotton boxes are most commonly in use.
Bullet wipe - a dark ring-shaped mark made up of lead,carbon,oil and dirt brushed from a bullet as it enters the
skin and found around the entry [Link] discolored area on the immediate periphery of a bullet hole,caused
by bullet lubricant,lead,smoke bore debris or possibly,jacket [Link] called burnishing or leaded
edge.
Burr striations - a roughness or rough edge especially one left on metal in casting or cutting.A tool or device
that raises a burr.
Butt - in handguns,the buttom part of the grip [Link] long guns,it is the rear of shoulder end of the stock.
Caliber - the approximate diameter of the circle formed by the tops of the lands of a rifled barrel.
Cannelure - a circumferential groove generally of a knurled or plain appearance in a bullet or the head of a
rimless cartridge case.
Carbine - a rifle of short length and lightweight originally designed for mounted troops.
Cartridge - is also called a round, packages the bullet,propellant (usually smokeless powder or gun powder) and
primer into a single unit within a containing metallic case that is precisely made to fit within the firing chamber of
the firearm.
Cartridge case head - the base of the cartridge case which contains the primer.
Cartridge,centerfire - any cartridge that has its primer central to the axis in the head of the case.
Cartridge,rimfire - a flange-headed cartridge containing the priming mixture inside the rim cavity.
Center of impact - the points of impact of the projectiles being dispersed about a single point.
Chamber - the rear part of the barrel bore that has been formed to accept a specific [Link] cylinders
are multi-chambered.
Chamber mark - individual microscopic marks placed upon a cartridge case by the chamber wall as a result of
any or all of the following 1. chambering 2. expansion during firing 3. extraction.
Choke - (shotgun) the constriction of the barrel of a shotgun to reduce the spread of shot as it leaves the gun to
increase its effective range.
Clip - a separate cartridge container used to rapidly reload the magazine of a [Link] called  stripper.
Coefficient of form - a numerical term indicating the general profile of a projectile.
Combination gun - a multiple-barreled firearm designed to handle different  sizes or types of ammunition.
Concentric fractures - patterns of cracks in glass pierced by a missile like a bullet which runs between the radial
fractures and which originate on the side of the glass from which the impact came.
Copper-clad steel - a composite structure of copper and steel used for the manufacture of certain bullet
[Link] element with the chemical symbol Cu and atomic number 29 that commonly comprises "cartridge
brass" that is typically 70% copper and 30% zinc (Zn)
Centerfire - is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case [Link] rimfire
cartridges,the primer is a separate and replaceable component.
Chamber - is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired.
Clay pigeon shooting - (clay target shooting) formally known as inanimate bird shooting is the art of shooting at
special flying targets known as clay pigeons or clay targets with a shotgun or any type of firearm.
Cylinder - rotating chambered breech of a revolver. Damascus barrel - an obsolete barrel-making [Link]
barrel is formed by twisting or braiding together steel and iron wires or [Link] resulting cable is then wound
around a mandrel and forged into a barrel [Link] type of barrel is also called a laminated barrel.
Decant - the process of pouring off the supernatant during separation from a pellet after a mixture has been
centrifuged or left to settle.
Derringer - the generic term applied to many variations of pocket size pistols either percussion or cartridge made
by manufacturers other that Henry Derringer up to present time.
Discharge - to cause a firearm to fire.
Disconnector - a device to prevent a semi-automatic firearm from firing full [Link] pump action
shotguns also have disconnectors.
Distance determination - the process of determining the distance from the firearm, usually the muzzle, to the
target based upon pattern of gunpowder or gunshot residues deposited upon that [Link] multiple
projectiles such as shot have been fired,the spread of those projectiles is also indicative of distance.
Double action - a gun action where the pulling of trigger to fire a round recocks the gun so that the next round is
ready to be fired.
Drawback effect - the presence of blood in the barrel of a firearm that has been drawn awkward due to the effect
created by discharged [Link] is seen frequently in close-range contact gunshot injuries.
Driving edge,fired bullet - the driving edge of a fired bullet with a right twist is the left edge of the groove
impression or the right edge of the land [Link] driving edge of a fired bullet with left twist is the right
edge of the groove impression or the left edge of the hand impression.
Ejection - the act of expelling a cartridge or cartridge cases from a firearm.
Ejection pattern - the charting of where a particular firearm ejects fired cartridge cases.
Ejector - a portion of a firearms mechanism that ejects or expels cartridges or cartridge cases from a firearm.
Ejector marks - tool marks provided upon a cartridge or cartridge case on the head,generally at or near the rim
from contact with the ejector.