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Firearms Examiner Training Modules 1 and 2 (History of Publications (1935…
Firearms Examiner Training
Modules 1 and 2
History of Comparisons (1800-1924)
1835: First recorded comparison using firearms in London, England by Henry Goddard in a murder case.
Goddard used flaw in fired projectile to trace to manufactured mold and identified paper patch as newspaper from suspects living quarters.
1863: Confederate General Stonewall Jackson shot with .67 caliber ball from smooth bore musket, which was determined to not be the caliber used by Union soldiers.
1864: Union General John Sedgwick shot by sniper using a hexagonal shape consistent with a Whitworth rifle.
1907: Fired cartridge cases evaluated after riot in Brownsville, TX. Photos taken of primer area under microscope for comparison. Primer marks and class characteristics were used.
1912: V. Balthazard used photographic comparisons to compare firing pin, breech face, ejector, and extractor marks.
1915: Charles Stielow case reinvestigated and cleared by Charles E. Waite by comparing fatal bullets to test fired bullet.
1917: Dr. Sydney Smith examined and collected bullets and cartridge case evidence from scenes in case they were useful in future investigations.
1924: Dr. Sydney Smith reconstructed crime scene relating to a murder and examined car/firearm evidence.
History of Publications
1857: Article regarding wounds inflicted by small caliber firearm published by Monsieur Noilles of Paris.
1900: Dr. Albert Llewellyn Hall detailed issues regarding land and groove markings as well as examination of gunpowder residue.
June 1925: Saturday Evening Post published 2 part series to educate the public about firearm identification and services offered by Bureau of Forensic Ballistics.
1934: The Identification of Firearms and Forensic Ballistics published which discusses early cases and firearms identification in the UK.
1935: Textbook of Firearms Investigation, Identification and Evidence published
1957: Revision published.
1935: The Identification of Firearms published which provided additional information about principles in identification.
1950: American Academy of Forensic Science began publishing Journal of Forensic Science
1958: An Introduction to Tool Marks, Firearms and the Striagraph published which includes information about examination and identifications of firearms and toolmarks.
1962: Dr. J. H. Mathews published two-volume Firearms Identification.
1973: Third volume published posthumously.
1969: AFTE Newsletter first published.
1980: AFTE Glossary published.
1994: Benchmark Evaluation Studies of the Bulletproof and Drugfire Ballistic Imaging Systems was released by ONDCP.
History of Testimony
1876: Testimony regarding time after firearm use allowed in Georgia State Court.
1896: Testimony regarding test firing allowed in Kansas State Court
1902: Massachusetts State Court permitted use of photographs of evidence and test-fired bullets.
1908: Wisconsin State Court allowed distance determination using presence/absence of gunpowder at various distances.
1920: Case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti called firearms examination into question due to nature of testimony from defense and prosecution witnesses.
1927: Special committee created for this case. Comparison microscope and helixometer used to reexamine evidence.
1921: Oregon court allowed testimony regarding linkage of cartridge case to rifle by flaw in breechblock.
1922: First time a state supreme court recognized firearms identification as admissible due to testimony from A. J. Eddy.
1993: Daubert ruling expanded the Frye Test.
2003: United States v. ODriscoll had a ruling that ballistics is relevant to cases.
2004: United States v. Foster allowed a ballistics expert to testify because he met the DAubert criteria.
2006: Ohio State v. Johnson concluded that the firearms expert was reliable.
2007: United States v. Edgar Diaz et. al. had the ruling that firearms and toolmark identification criteria are reliable. But they cannot be stated with absolute certainty.
History of Test Firing
1852: Sheriff in Oregon examined if a hole in a shirt was caused by a bullet or from a tear. Tested by firing into a shirt then testified that it was a bullet hole and not a tear.
1903: E.J. Churchill determined Camille Holland was shot at close range by test firing into sheep skulls.
1916-1925: Charles E. Waites gathers data on U.S and foreign small arms (manufacturer, caliber, number, twist, and size of rifling).
History of Comparisons (1925-
1963: Firearms examination played part in Warren Commission into John F. Kennedy's death.
1977: Select Committee on Assassinations assembled to review evidence
1968: Latent prints on rifle and cartridge case linked to suspect and evidence rifle in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassination.
1968: Comparison used in murder of Senator Robert Kennedy
1975: 7 AFTE examiners reexamined evidence.
History of Bureau's/Committees/Laboratories
1925: Bureau of Forensic Ballistics formed to provide identification services of firearms throughout the US.
1929: Bureau examined fired bullets, pellets, fired shotshell cases, and cartridge cases in St. Valentines Day Massacre grand jury.
1930: Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory created which provided scientific training for firearms and toolmark identification
1938: SCDL bought by City of Chicago
1932: FBI laboratory established
1975: Gunpowder and Primer Residues course offered
1940-1947: The following Laboratories were established:
First criminology lab in Oakland, CA
IPD laboratory under trained scientist
First state crime lab in Wisconsin
1969: Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners formed.
1970: First Annual Training Seminar held by AFTE
1977: FBI General Rifling Characteristics (GRC) was established.
1998: SWGGUN established
History of Inventions
1925: Helixometer developed to examine interior of firearm barrels.
1989: DRUGFIRE introduced by FBI Laboratory.
1991: BulletProof developed by Forensic Technology Inc.
1995: Brasscatcher developed by Forensic Technology Inc. which assisted with identification of cartridge cases.
Later merged together into IBIS.
1997: ATF and FBI merged these programs into the NIBIN which is formally established in 1999.
2005: Forensic Technology Incorporated developed a 3D system, IBIS-TRAX 3D which could image a bullet and cartridge case in 3 dimensions.