Warlow Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics, Third Edition

3. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4398-1828-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 518 Seiten

Reihe: International Forensic Science and Investigation

While gun design has undergone only minimal change over the centuries, investigative tools surrounding firearm use have grown significantly in sophistication. Now in its third edition, Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics has been updated to reflect recently published research and new technology developed since the last volume. Beginning with a discussion of the development of arms and ammunition from the fourteenth century to the present day, this book examines:

- Firearms laws around the world, including legal challenges raised in the U.S. by the Daubert decision

- Firearms manufacturing processes, the mechanisms of various firearms, and the linking of a particular bullet or spent cartridge with a suspected weapon

- The origins and development of new science in firearms, including controversies, pioneers, and an exposé of the "quack" purveyors of pseudo-science

- Internal, external, and terminal (wound) ballistics

- The nature, composition, and analytical detection of discharge residue left on a suspect

- The role of the ballistics expert at all stages of a case, ranging from the scene of the shooting incident, the post mortem examinations, the examination and testing of exhibits at the laboratory, and the presentation of evidence in court

- Recently introduced computer search techniques applied to captured and digitally stored images of marks left on fired bullets and spent cartridge cases

- Manual microscopic comparison work and computer-based searches on digital images of bullet and cartridge case marks to determine if a particular weapon has been fired in previous cases

Written by an expert with more than 50 years of experience using and handling firearms, this text is enhanced with nearly 250 illustrations, making it a premier guide to the fundamentals of firearms and related evidentiary considerations.

Zielgruppe

Forensic scientists and technicians and investigators.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Warlow, Tom

Fachgebiete

• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizinische Fachgebiete Forensik, Rechtsmedizin, Gerichtsmedizin
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Rechtsmedizin, Forensik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

The Beginnings
Blowpipes, Air, and Gas Guns
Percussion Ignition
Modern Rim-Fire and Center-Fire Cartridges
Smokeless Powders and Modern Arms
Firearms Legislation and the Definition of a Firearm
History of Weapons Legislation in Britain
Legislation and Gun Control
Firearms and Crime
The Firearms Consultative Committee
The European Weapons Directive
Legislation in the U.S.
Marks and Microscopy – The Emergence of a New Science: Firearms Manufacturing Processes and their Implications Concerning the Daubert Challenge
The Pioneers
Experts and Charlatans—The American Experience
Court Battles—The English Experience
The Recent "Daubert Challenge"
Processes Used in the Manufacture of Firearms
Mechanisms and Design Aspects of Firearms
Hinged Barrel Designs
Hammer Shotguns
Accidental Discharge
Repeating Arms
Magazine Systems
Bolt-Action Weapons
Lever-Action Rifles
The Revolver
Accident by Design, Manufacture, or Wear
Safety Catches and Internal Safeguards
Decocking Devices and Alternative Designs
Hazard Indicator Devices
Trigger Pulls
Blow-Back and Locked Breech Designs
Gas-Operated Arms
Gas and Air Weapon Designs
Crossbows
Automatic Arms
Internal Ballistics
Basic Principles
The Efficiency of Energy Transfer
Powders and Pressures
Control of Powder Burning Rates
Drachms and Drams
The Residues of Combustion
Primer Formulations
Gunshot Residue Analysis
The Transfer of Marks to Missiles and Cartridge Cases
The Microscopy of Air Weapon Missiles
Recoil and Barrel Flip
Choke Boring of Shotguns
Gauges and Bore Sizes
External Ballistics and Cartridge Loadings
Basic Principles
Bullet Stability and Instability
The Bullet’s Flight
Bullet Shape, Sectional Density, and Ballistic Coefficient
External Ballistics and Their Calculation
Accuracy
Fin and Aerodynamic Stabilization
The Question of Range
The Spent Bullet Myth
Secondary Ejecta
The Behavior of Shotgun Cartridge Wadding
Sabot Loadings
Choke Boring—Shotgun Pellet Spread and Velocity
Pellet Deformation within the Bore
Choke Operation
Soft and Hard Shot—Shotgun Pellet Ballistics
Steel Shot Loadings
Alternative Non-Lead Materials
Pellet Sizes and Weights
The Propensity for Ricochet
Gunfire and the Sounds Made during the Flight of Missiles
Terminal/Wound Ballistics and Distance Firing
Mass, Momentum, and Kinetic Energy
Incidence of Ricochet
Consequences of Impact and Penetration
Armor-Piercing Ammunition
Explosive Anti-Armor Munitions
Ballistic Body Armor and Screening Materials
Shotgun Missile Injuries
Pistol Bullet Injuries and Expanding Bullets
High-Velocity Wound Effects
Range Determination of Single-Missile Injuries
The Scene of the Shooting Incident
The On-Call Rota System
Arrival at the Scene
Scene Examination
Initial Examination of the Body
X-Ray Examination
The First Samples and Observations
The Wound Sites
Arrow and Crossbow Bolt Injuries
Blank-Operated Tool and Humane Killer Injuries
The Wound Track
Examination of Postmortem Exhibits Back at the Laboratory
Examination of Exhibits at the Laboratory
Initial Examination of Firearms
Trigger Pulls and Mechanical Tests
Firing Range Tests
Incomplete, Defective, and Converted Arms
Recovery of Serial Marks
Examination of Ammunition
Tear Gas and Irritant Loadings
Electric Shock Devices and Stun Guns
Recovered Cartridge Cases, Bullets, Pellets, and Wadding
Examination of Bullet- or Pellet-Damaged Items
Analysis of Bullets, Fragments, and Shotgun Pellets
Comparison Microscopy
Image Capture, Data Storage, and Computer Searches
The Electron Microscope
Analysis of Firearms Discharge Residues
Laboratory Reference Collections
Presentation of Evidence to the Courts
The Prosecution Witness
The Defense Expert
Proof Marks and the Proof of Firearms
UK Proof Markings Updated to include 2006 Marks and Specifications
Austrian Proof Marks
Belgian Proof Marks
Chilean Proof Marks
Czech Republic Proof Marks
French Proof Marks
German Proof Marks
Finnish Proof Marks
Hungarian Proof Marks
Italian Proof Marks
Spanish Proof Marks
Yugoslav Proof Marks
The Russian Federation
Denmark
Austro-Hungarian Empire
India
Military Arms
Hunting Weapons
Israel
Australia
Irish Proof Marks
Swedish Proof Marks
Swiss Proof Marks
Slovak Republic Proof Marks
American Proof Marks
Choke Markings
Appendix

Über Autor(innen)

Tom Warlow has more than 50 years of experience using and handling firearms and was for nine years a member of the statutory Firearms Consultative Committee, which advisedthe U.K. Government on firearms and firearms legislation as well as providing an annual report to Parliament. He was a casework reporting officer for more than 25 years in the national Firearms Unit in the U.K., a division with oversight of 50 million persons in England and Wales and covering 43 police force areas. Mr. Warlow has a keen interest in gun sports.