From: RustyÿBullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Once the police put it through forensic tests, is it in anyway possible to
>link that gun with a former killing? I know it's easy with a rifled weapon,
>but what can be done with a shotgun?
>The way I see it any cartridges impounded with the gun could be linked
>forensically by batch number, plaswads, maybe shot. But I'm hazy on this.
If the spent cartridges are removed from the scene it is very
difficult/impossible to link a smoothbored gun with a particular
crime. For instance deep scores or scratches in the barrel (chokes
also) can leave marks on plastic wads. On sawn-off shotguns, the
coarse hacksaw burrs often extend into the mouth of the barrel,
scratching the wad as it exits the muzzle - not many "blaggers"
are known to re-crown their muzzles!
The only evidence left when someone is shot with a good
smoothbore gun (when the cartridges are not left at the scene
and the gun is thoroughly cleaned afterwards) is the distance
fired and type of and make of cartridge - markers within the
powder of a cartridge may also be found at the scene which could
potentially give up a batch number and consequently a point of
sale of the cartridge.
If a cartridge manufacturer produces shot cups from a readily
identifiable source of plastic, then plastic fouling may point
to a gun as having fired a particular brand of cartridge.
Microscopic scratching of plastic wads or shot cups may be
relevant but once again this may be negated by a barrel in
good condition, also the plastic used in wads is often very
limiting in this respect - many plastics, polythene being one
of them, tend to "self heal" and are dificult to examine in
this way. So much so that several years ago Remington introduced
some plastic coated 158gr 38 sp ammo to cut down on lead fumes
on indoor ranges, the ammo was quickly dropped when it was
realised that the rifling marks on the spent bullet were
disappearing shortly after firing due to the plastic healing.
Rusty
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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