fire arm
sarada avadhanam

Chapter 10: Preservation fire arm and ammunition at the scene of offence.
Guidelines for forwarding the material objects:
Dos:
Guidelines for forwarding the material objects:
The following precautions are to be taken while forwarding the material objects in ballistics:
Dos:
1. collect cartridge cases bullet pellets wads after noting down their position
2. collect unburnt / partially burnt grains fo propellant
3. if the bullet is lodged in furniture wall , first remove the material around the place of lodgement carefully so as to loosen the bullet which may then be taken by hand.
4. initials of IO may be marked on the inside of the open end of the cartridge case.
5. bullet may be marked on its base.
6. a fire arm may be marked on its frame receiver barrel
7. in case more than one bullet/ cartridge case are recovered they mayt be packed separately to avoid one scratching the other during transit.
8. the suspected firearm may be first got tested for latent fingerprints . it may then be wrapped in waste cloth and forwarded to the lab in a wooden box.
9. the muzzle of the fire arm may be closed by capping instead of plugging. The breech should also be wrapped by cloth paper.
10. live cartridges similar to that used in crime , if recovered may also be forwarded for test firing.
11. if burning, blackening pellet pattern are present on body or clothing keep a scale near to it and take a photograph [ colour] and send it to laboratory for estimating the range of fire.
12. PM report/ injury diagram / injury certificate should be sent for estimating the range of fire.
13. the clothing should not be cut creased or folded across a bullet hole cover the affected portion with cellophane paper for protection . use different packing for different clothing.
14. in cases involving shooting through glass:
- take a scaled photograph of the damaged glassware from both sides
- better to transport glass having bullet hole along with its frame. Care should be taken to avoid further damage.
- if powder pattern is present cover it with cellophane paper.
- note the distribution of glass pieces and collect the glass pieces on both sides should be packed separately
- collect clothing of the suspect which he was wearing during the incident.
Ballistics expert can give opinion on:
A] fire arm
Company made or country made
Bore / caliber
Make and model
Whether recently used for firing
The nature of gunpowder used
Whether in working condition order or if not what repairs are required
Prone to accidental discharge
Prohibited bore or not
Restoration of erased markings
Purview of arms act
Effective range killing range and maximum range
Cartridges:
Company or country made
Shot size if any
Live or not
Through which weapon they can be fired
Cartridge cases / bullets
Fired or not
The type of weapon from which it was fired
Whether it was fired from a given weapon or not
Wads, bullets pieces and other parts of ammunition
Nature of weapon used, no of shots are assessed
Clothes and skin pieces containing holes
No of fire arms used
no of shots fired
range of firing
entrance / exit/ multiple wounds by one bullet.
Common mistakes committed in writing letters of advice and packing:
Use of proper technical terms
Eg bullet as pellet, cartridge as bullet
Cartridge case as fired bullet
Company made as country made
Six chambered as five chambered
Mentioning cartridges as live
Brief history of the case
If it is a case of accidental firing complete picture of the case should be given
Sample seal/ seal of the parcel
Legible, specific and personal
Use of coins, common seals such as of police etc
Should be avoided
In cases where doctor recovers material objects sample seal of the doctor should be sent
colour photographs of fire arm wound
typed copy of post mortem examination report along with injury diagram
description of packing should be tallied
PC name and no should be tallied
Collection of clothers from the victim / deceased should be proper. Must be packed after drying in shade
Packing should be intact
Packing should contain outer label
One packing should contain case property of one crime only.
Don’ts:
Do not use probes to extract bullets / pellets from holes
Do not send the loaded firearm, in case, due to some reasons, it becomes necessary to send a loaded fire arm. The box containing the fire arm be labelled as ‘ loaded fire arm handle with care’ the safety catch may also be put in a safe position
Do not meddle with the inside of the barel
Donot wash barrels / bullets/ cartridge cases
Do not pack when the articles are wet
Do not cut the affected portion or its immediate surroundings while removing the clothing.
Dos:
To identify the shooter collect
Washings of both the hands separately in different glass containers with distilled water
Swabbing of hands with a cloth piece moistened with 0.1 HCL/5%HNO3.
In cases involving revolvers, the position of live cartridges and fired cartridge cases in a cylinder should be noted.
Photograph the ricochet area and then take scrapping/ washings of the same. Also preserve ricochet traces such as sand earth wood fiber on bullets.
Dry the clothes bullets pellets cartridge cases fire arms before packing.


Chapter 11
Practical on fire arm and ammo handling and packing.
What are the guidelines for handling, fire arms and ammunition and how will you pack and forward such objects
· Fire arms: record exact location. Describe it fully. Condition and position of safety catch. Presence / absence fired cartridge. Defective cartridge.
· Note its caliber type name of the manufacture serial no and peculiarities
· Handle it in unusual way avoiding obliteration of fingerprints
· Hold weapon by lifting muzzle end and the bottom of the grip put identity mark on it on barrel butt
· Cartridge cases and bullets
· Spent one are handled carefully lifted with tongues on its base and nose’
· Wads blood stained clothes should be handled without damaging the stains
· never send fire arm in loaded condition
· Do not clean
· Don not attempt to operate/ tamper
· Detain magazine if present
· ‘wrap in waste cloth
· Cover with a gunny bag and seal
· Do not mutilate scratch the case handle carefully with forceps spent cases
· Do not wash or clean
· mark inside mouth of the shell
· Roll individually in clean cover/ paper. Cotton rags pack in card board box
· Prevent damage to the bullet
· Do not wash clean bullet
· If more than one are recovered give separate numbering
· Wrap in clean absorbent cotton
· Place in card board box/ deal box/ rigid container
· Do not put then in one envelope
· Indicate on the box
· The place from where the bullet was recovered
· Handle pellets carefully
· Wrap individually in paper
· Place them in glass bottle/ clean pull box and pack glass bottle has to be suitably packed and sealed
· with cotton
· ‘seal container and paste a label
· Wads are kept in card board pill box
· place it in another cube and seal
· Live cartridges are packed in wooden container with cotton padding
· Even cloth pieces is marked and wrapped in clean paper. They are in turn kept in a single card board box.