AFTE Store - Identification of Three 000 Buck Pellets Fired from a Sawed-off .410 Bore Shotgun

A recent homicide case submitted to the lab for examination included three 000 Buck pellets recovered at autopsy and a sawed-off .410 single-shot shotgun. Examination of the shotgun revealed a rough spot at the muzzle, which consistently marked test pellets fired from the shotgun. The autopsy pellets were subsequently identified as having been fired from the shotgun using these marks. The order of the pellets could also be determined by deformation indicating they all originated from a single shotshell.