ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 July 1974
Page Count: 7

Evaluation of SEM Potential in the Examination of Shotgun and Rifle Firing Pin Impressions
Grove, CA
Engineer, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, N.Y.

Judd, G
Associate professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, N.Y.

Horn, R
Senior firearms examiner, New York State Police Scientific Laboratory, N.Y.

(Received 8 February 1973; accepted 5 November 1973)

Abstract

Recently the scanning electron microscope (SEM) was successfully used for an indepth study of firing pin impressions of semiautomatic pistols [1]. The SEM's great depth of field was shown to reveal detail in the impression (far superior to optical microscopy) which could be successfully used for comparison purposes. It was thus the intent of this investigation to extend the work on pistols to shotguns and rifles, in order to see if their firing pin impressions possessed similar class characteristics and identifying features with repeated firings. In addition to this, the effect of preexisting primer marks on the resulting firing pin impression was also studied.

Keywords:

Paper ID: JFS10200J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS10200J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.