AFTE Store - Using Original vs. New Firing Pin Designs of a Glock Pistol to Determine that a Firing Pin had been Switched

Ten cartridge cases collected at a crime scene were submitted for comparison with a 9mm Luger Glock model 19 pistol. While the cartridge cases were identified as having been fired in the submitted Glock pistol by examining the aperture shear and breech face marks, the individual characteristics within the firing pin impressions between the test fires and the evidence cartridge cases were completely different. The firearm was disassembled and the firing pin examined. By looking at the debris channel of the firing pin, it was determined that the firing pin was an aftermarket part modeled after the originalfiring pin design while all of the other parts in the firearm were factory parts modeled after the new or upgraded design. This led to the conclusion that the firing pin was switched after the firearm had been fired at the scene and prior to being submitted to the laboratory.