Ballistic

• Ballistics


  The science of the motion of projectiles
• Ballistics


  • In its broadest sense, it is the scientific study of knowledge, motion, and projectiles
  • In its narrowest sense, it refers to the science of firearms identification, which involves the scientific examinations of ballistics exhibits
• Interior/Internal Ballistics


  That branch of the science that has something to do with the properties and attributes of the projectile while still inside the gun
• Interior/Internal Ballistics


  1. Firing pin hitting the primer

  2. Ignition of the priming mixture

  3. Combustion of the gun powder

  4. Expansion of the heated gas

  5. Pressure developed

  6. Energy generated

  7. Recoil of the gun

  8. Velocity of bullet inside barrel

  9. Rotation of the bullet inside bore

  10. Engraving of the cylindrical surface of bullet
• External/Exterior Ballistics


  That branch of science, which has something to do with the attributes and movement of the bullet after it has left the gun muzzle
• External/Exterior Ballistics


  1. Muzzle blast

  2. Muzzle energy

  3. Trajectory

  4. Range

  5. Velocity

  6. Air resistance

  7. Pull of gravity

  8. Penetration
• Terminal Ballistics


  That branch of the science, which deals with the effects of the impact of the projectile on the target
• Terminal Ballistics


  • Terminal Accuracy
  • Terminal Energy (Striking Energy)
  • Terminal Velocity
• Forensic Ballistics


  The study of the recovered projectiles to identify the firearms fired through them
• Forensic Ballistics


  1. Field Investigation

  2. Laboratory Examination / Technical Examination

  3. Court Testimony
• Gun chronograph


  A measuring instrument used to measure the velocity of a projectile in flight, typically fired from a gun
• Roger Bacon, an English monk, was the first person to mention and record the formulation of true gunpowder


  1248-1250
• Berthold Schwartz, a German monk, was credited with the application of gunpowder to the propelling of a missile


  Early 1300's
• The earliest firearms produced in Europe were cannons and hand cannons


  14th century
• The development of SERPENTINE (match-lock) weaponry

  15th century
• The development of WHEEL-LOCK arms

  16th century
• The FLINT-LOCK IGNITION SYSTEM was seen in Spain and referred to as "MIQULET-LOCK"


  Around 1630
• A similar system was seen in Holland and referred to as the "SPANHAUNCE-LOCK"


  Around the same period
• Percussion Ignition


  The Reverend Alexander John Forsyth, Father of percussion ignition system
• Percussion sensitive explosive mixtures were used to develop a range of new firing systems based upon the percussion system

  19th century
• Breech-loading arms utilizing self-contained cartridges of needle-fire, pin-fire, rim-fire and center-fire design were then used with true breech-loading arms


  Second half of the 19th century
• The needle-fire system was adopted by the Prussian armed forces


  1842
• The Frenchman Lefaucheux produces a gun and cartridge based upon the pin-fire system


  1836
• Firearms (legal definition)


  Includes rifles, muskets, carbines, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, and all other deadly weapons from which bullets, balls, shots, shells or other missiles maybe discharged by means of gunpowder or other explosives
• Firearms (technical definition)


  An instrument used for the propulsion of projectiles by means of the expansive force of gases coming from burning gunpowder
• Pistol


  A short barrel hand arm designed to a fire a single projectile through a rifled-bore for every press of the trigger
• Revolver


  A hand firearm in which a rotating cylinder, serving as magazine, successively places cartridge into position for firing
• Submachine gun


  An automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges, combining the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol
• Machine gun


  Any weapon, which shoots, or is designed to shoot automatically or semi-automatically, more than one shot, without manual reloading by a single press of the trigger
• Machine Pistol


  A fully automatic pistol, utilizing the same functions as a semi automatic pistol with a longer magazine or drum magazine
• Rifle


  Any weapon designed or intended to be fired from the shoulder and make use of the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single projectile through the rifle bore for each pull of the trigger
• Shotgun


  A smoothbore and breech loading shoulder arm designed to fire a number of lead pellets or shots in one cartridge
• Classification of Firearms by Gun Barrel Construction

  • Smoothbore firearms
  • Rifled-bore firearms
• Classification of Firearms by Caliber of Projectile Propelled

  • Artillery
  • Small Arms
• Classification of Firearms by Mechanical Construction

  • Single shot rifle
  • Repeating arms
  • Bolt action type
  • Automatic loading type
  • Slide action type
  • Lever type
• Categories of Small Arms

  • Handguns
  • Rifles
  • Shotguns
  • Submachine guns
  • Machine guns
• Single-shot Pistols


  A single-shot pistol is limited to one shot per firing cycle and has no reloading mechanism of its own
• Multi-barreled Pistols


  A firearm of any type with more than one barrel, usually to increase the rate of fire/hitting probability and to reduce barrel erosion/overheating
• Derringers


  Small pocket firearms with no magazine and cylinder, having multiple barrels and each of which is loaded and fired separately
• Revolvers


  The most common type of handgun, with a revolving cylinder that contains multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing