AFTE Store - The Effects of Fire Damage on the Ability to Make Identifications Part III: Comparison of Burned Firearms and Ammunition Components

The original purpose of this research was to determine if a firearm that is burned in a fire will retain its individual microscopic characteristics and if test fires taken from the firearm before the fire can be identified to test fires taken after the fire. This paper is the third and final part of this research project, which began in 2004. In Parts I and II of this research, two pistols were burned in a controlled fire. The firearms were removed from the fire debris, cleaned and examined. Both firearms were test fired before and after the burn and then test fires were microscopically compared for identification purposes. In the third part of this research, test fired ammunition components were placed in a pig carcass to simulate a case-like scenario of a victim being shot and then burned in a vehicle. The components were subsequently recovered from the victim and examined for identification purposes.