AFTE Store - The Effects of Firelapping on Forensic Handgun Identification

Firelapping is a process utilized primarily by competitive shooters to improve the accuracy of their barrels. The process involves firing a sequence of bullets that have been coated with increasingly fine particles of grit suspended in a lubricant base through the barrel to polish out imperfection in the metal. To test the effect of firelapping on individual characteristics in the barrel, five guns were firelapped. Test fired bullets fired after the process were compared to those fired before. The post firelapping bullets showed significant reductions in previously prominent striae and gross marks, as well as the addition of characteristics and the modification of the appearance of other features. The firelapping process effectively removes a significant amount of the individual characteristics from the barrel, such that bullets fired after the process may be found to be an inconclusive match to those fired from the same gun before.