How do you calculate kinetic energy?
Ek = 1/2mv^2
What is a modern unit of firearm ammunition called?
A round
What is a round made up of?
- Catridge Case
- Bullet / Projectile(s)
- Propellant
- Primer
What is 1 gram equal to in grains?
1 gram = 15.4 grains
What is 1kg equal to in grains and lbs?
2.2lb = 15400 grains = 1kg
What are the classifications for firearm identification?
- Manufacturer
- Model
- Class
- Caliber
What is the caliber?
The caliber is the internal diameter of a firearm barrel but is also used as the effective diameter of the bullet that fits into the barrel of such diameter. It has NOTHING to do with the cartridge.
What are the 3 systems of mesurements for caliber?
- Metric (5.56mm)
- Imperial (0.223”)
- Caliber (223 cal)
What are examples of class characteristics?
- General firearms class
- General dimensions
- Caliber
- Chambering
- Make & model
- Shape of firing pin
What are examples of individual characteristics?
- Serial number
- Proof marks
What is the proofing process?
It’s a process by which the unit is tested around 30% beyond normal operating pressures and it must be done before release and after any major repair work on the firearm.
In terms of proof marks, what is a criminal offence to do?
It is a specific criminal offence to sell or offer for sale a non-proofed or out-of-proof firearm.
What are the main components of a firearm?
- Bolt
- Breech with firing pin window
- Extractor Claw
- Chamber
- Ejector
- Slide
- Magazine
- Receiver
What is the general firing procedure?
- A round is loaded into the breech and then the chamber which is then locked closed.
- When the trigger is pulled, a firing pin (or hammer) strikes the percussion cup which leads to the ignition of the propellant.
- Production of gas leads to increased pressure and at the optimum pressure, the bullet exits.
What are the different classes of firearms?
- Pistols
- Rifles
- Sub-machine guns
- Assault Rifles
- Machine guns
- Shotguns
- Airweapons
What are the features of a self-loading pistol?
- Magazine fed
- Self-loading after initial cocking so relatively high fire rate.
- Typically has 7-33 round capacity
- Generally lower energy than revolvers
- Semi-automatic mechanism
- Fast reload
What are the main components of a self-loading pistol?
- Hammer
- Slide
- Ejection port
- Muzzle
- Mainspring cap
- Frame
- Trigger
- Magazine
- Grip safety
- Front sight
- Rear sight
- Thumb safety
- Grip panel
- Magazine release
- Slide lock
What are the features of revolvers?
- Ammunition is held in a revolving cylinder
- Slow reload time
- Can be up to twice the energy of semi-automatic self-loading pistols (SLP)
- Single shot mechanism which leads to a low rate of fire
- Double or single action mechanism
What are the main components of a revolver?
- Front sight
- Scope
- Adjustable rear sight
- Hammer
- Cylinder release
- Grip
- Trigger
- Trigger guard
- Cylinder
- Crane
- Ejector rod
- Barrel
- Muzzle
What are the features of bolt-action rifles?
- Highly accurate
- Powerful: 448 Lapua is one of
the most ‘powerful’ small arms
currently in production - Low rate of fire
- Medium-speed reload
- Magazine fed: 5 - 30 rounds.
- Standard military weapon until the end of WWII, now used for sporting/hunting/tactical.
- Range from .17” (4.4mm) ‘varmint’ calibre to as high as .80” calibre in the case of the largest
anti-tank rifles.
What are the main components of a bolt-action rifle?
- Bolt
- Safety switch
- Receiver
- Scope
- Barrel
- Muzzle
- Loading port
- Tubular magazine
- Ejection port
- Bolt handle
- Trigger
- Trigger guard
- Sling swivel stud
- Butt plate
- Toe
- Heel
- Monte Carlo
- Grip
- Stock
What are the features of sub-machine guns (SMGs)?
- Magazine fed.
- 30 - 100 round magazine.
- Blowback or gas-operated.
- High rate of fire
- Fast reload.
- May be inaccurate depending on the design.
- Usually has a similar energy to SLP.
- Almost entirely found in 9 mm calibre
What are the main components of a sub-machine gun?
- Rear sight
- Ejection port
- Front sight
- Barrel
- Integrated suppressor
- Muzzle
- Safety selector
- Trigger
- Trigger guard
- Magazine
- Pistol grip
- Receiver
What are the features of assault rifles?
- Intermediate calibre firearm
- Selective fire option: single shot, burst fire
and automatic. - Accurate (sometimes).
- High power.
- Magazine fed: 20 - 40 rounds
- Usually gas-operated
-
Topic 132
-
Topic 2 - Barrels, Rifling & Twist22
-
Topic 3 - Forensic Analysis of Ammunition22
-
Topic 4 - External Ballistics34
-
Topic 5 - Shooting Scene Investigation30
-
Topic 6 - UK Firearms Legislation47
-
Topic 7 - Internal Ballistics29
-
Topic 8 - Muzzle Attachments34
-
Topic 9 - Primers and Propellants40
-
Topic 10 - Gunshot Residue Analysis51
-
Topic 11 - Wound Ballistics & Tissue Simulants56
