AFTE Store - The Beretta ‘Swoosh’ Mark

Certain Beretta 9mm Luger and .40 S&W semi-automatic pistols leave a curved and striated mark on the walls of normally fired, extracted and ejected cartridge cases. The source of these unusual ejection port marks has been isolated and identified as an area on the curved edge of these pistols’ slides immediately above and adjacent to the extractor. Close inspection of the forming and finishing process of this area revealed it to be unique and capable of producing identifiable toolmarks on cartridge cases that strike this area during the ejection process. Despite the semi-controlled engagement between an ejected cartridge case and this area of the slide, suitable matches in striated patterns on test-fired cartridge cases were found. Such matches stand to be valuable adjuncts to the usual comparisons of firing pin impressions, breechface marks, chamber marks, and ejector marks particularly when these latter marks result in inconclusive findings during traditional comparisons of evidence and test-fired cartridge cases.