12 KAPOW / May 2014
Ballistic
Fingerprinting
What is Ballistic Fingerprinting?
Forensic Ballistics is the area of Forensic Science concerning firearms, including how they are used, why they are used, and why they are freqently used in murder. Ballistic fingerprinting refers to a set of that rely on marks left on bullets by firearms, in an effort to match the bullet to the gun it was fired from. Most guns have their own unique identifying features, which usually become evident on the bullets shot from them. Ballistic fingerprinting is an important area of Forensic Science, and much of its evidence is often used in criminal cases and proceedings.
The History of Ballistic Fingerprinting
Rifling, the process of making grooves in gun barrels that impart a spin to the projectile for increased accuracy, began in the fifteenth century. Bullets fired from rifled weapons acquire a distinct signature of grooves, scratches, and indentations, which are valuable in matching a fired projectile to its firearm. In 1835, the first firearms evidence identification was made in a criminal case. Alexandre Lacassagne was the first scientist to try to match an individual bullet to a gun barrel. Later, in 1902, the first official court case involving firearms evidence took place when a specific gun was proved to be the murder weapon. In 1918, Calvin Goddard, a man critical to the success of forensic ballistics, created a database of ballistic information, along with the help of Charles Waite. He then went on to open the Bureau of Forensic Ballistics in 1925. In 1980, the FBI created the General Rifling Characteristic file of over 18,000 rifling measurements, number of lands and grooves, direction of twist, and measurement of land impressions. Finally, in 1992, the FBI created the Integrated Ballistics Identification System with digital images of bullets and cartridges.