Firearms and Toolmarks

Question 1

How much was criminal use of firearms increased from 2009-2019?

Answer 1

81%

Question 2

how many homicides involving firearms in 2020?

Answer 2

277

Question 3

what percentage of homicides involve a firearm?

Answer 3

37.2

Question 4

T/F: drug crime always involves weapons

Answer 4

false cause not always

Question 5

what are commonly used illegal drugs in canada?

Answer 5

• MDMA
• acid (LSD)
• meth
• coke
• speed
• heroine

Question 6

how many poppyseeds/grains of sand worth of fentanyl is lethal?

Answer 6

7 seeds or 32 grains of sand

Question 7

T/F: there is another more lethal type of fentanyl. if true what is its name

Answer 7

true carfentanyl

Question 8

what drug reverses effect of opioid overdose?

Answer 8

naloxone

Question 9

what should you include in a drug scene examination?

Answer 9

• photographs
• fingerprinting of evidence
• drug seizures (done by drug unit member)

Question 10

T/F: drugs are stored at forensic units

Answer 10

false

Question 11

what are the types of firearms?

Answer 11

hand guns and long guns

Question 12

what are the types of hand guns?

Answer 12

revolver and pistol

Question 13

what is a pistol?

Answer 13

• handgun with a single barrel and chamber
• fires a chambered round
• extracts and ejects empty casing
• loads a new round with each trigger pull

Question 14

what is a pistol?

Answer 14

• handgun with a cylinder that has multiple chambers
• when trigger is pulled, cylinder rotates around a central pin to align the next chamber with the firing pin
• one bullet per trigger pull

Question 15

T/F: a single action handgun cocks then drops the hammer with the pull of a trigger.

Answer 15

false

Question 16

how does a single action gun work?

Answer 16

hammer must be cocked manually then trigger pulled to fire the gun each time

Question 17

define a double action handgun.

Answer 17

fired with one pull of the trigger which drops the hammer

Question 18

what ammo is used for rifles and shotguns?

Answer 18

bullets and shells

Question 19

what is the difference between ammo types in long guns?

Answer 19

shell: has a bunch of ball shaped projectiles called shot

Question 20

T/F: shotguns have grooves and lands

Answer 20

false

Question 21

what are the raised and lowered portions in rifling called?

Answer 21

lands and grooves

Question 22

is a 10 gauge shotgun small barreled?

Answer 22

no

Question 23

what is a repeating shotgun?

Answer 23

mechanical instrument to eject spent shot shell, load a new round and cock the hammer after round is fired

Question 24

what three subtypes of repeating shotgun are there?

Answer 24

• pump
• bolt
• lever action

Question 25

what are semi-automatic shotguns?

Answer 25

uses the force of gas during firing to eject the spent cartridge to load a new round and cock the hammer

Question 26

define a break open action shotgun,

Answer 26

must be loaded each time its fired, trigger needs to be pulled each time

Question 27

what is a repeating rifle?

Answer 27

has a mechanical instrument to eject spent cartridge, load a new round and cock the hammer after round is done

Question 28

what are types of repeating rifles?

Answer 28

- pump - bolt - lever action - semi-automatic

Question 29

what is live ammunition referred to as?

Answer 29

cartridge not yet fired

Question 30

what is included in ammunition cartridge cases?

Answer 30

primer, gunpowder, and a bullet

Question 31

what might be recovered after a shot has been fired?

Answer 31

fired bullet and cartridge case

Question 32

what primer is most common?

Answer 32

centre fire

Question 33

what is on the base of a cartridge case?

Answer 33

manufacturers name and tradmark

Question 34

how are cartridges measured?

Answer 34

metric (ie 9mm) or imperial (0.22 or 0.357)

Question 35

how can you identify a firearm?

Answer 35

- serial number - manufacturer - type of firearm - loaded/unloaded/chambered - descriptive characteristics (accidental characteristics) - semi-automatic vs. fully automatic

Question 36

how do you link firearms to scenes?

Answer 36

- striations in fired bullet - gunpowder residue pattern - trajectory, ricochet, bullet holes - fingerprints (rare) - firing pin impressions - ejector and extractor marks - bullet damage to tissue - dna

Question 37

how long is GSR on hands?

Answer 37

within 8 hours of the incident

Question 38

what is IBIS?

Answer 38

integrated ballistics identification system

Question 39

what is the purpose of IBIS?

Answer 39

tool that enables comparisons and linkages that may exist amonst firearms cases submitted for examination

Question 40

what is CIBIN?

Answer 40

canadian integrated ballistics identification network

Question 41

what is the purpose of cibin?

Answer 41

assist police in linking crime scenes or crime scene items to firearms

Question 42

who maintains CIBIN?

Answer 42

RCMP

Question 43

what does penetrate mean ;)

Answer 43

to enter an object and stay in it

Question 44

what does perforate mean?

Answer 44

to pass all the way through an object

Question 45

what should be done in a shooting scene examination?

Answer 45

- document: notes, photos, sketch, etc. - search - suspects (swab hands, clothes, vehicles etc.) - examine victim - submit to CFS

Question 46

T/F: you should treat all guns as unloaded

Answer 46

false

Question 47

how should a gun exhibit be entered?

Answer 47

proving it is safe and the action open

Question 48

how should you pick up a gun?

Answer 48

hold by trigger guard or barrel to not have any fingerprint alterations

Question 49

where should you swab on a gun?

Answer 49

textured area of the grip and or the slide

Question 50

T/F: during the manufacturing process most tools have unique microscopic characteristics

Answer 50

true

Question 51

on a cut wire how can you tell a specific tool?

Answer 51

the class characteristics will mark the surfaces

Question 52

what are the conclusions in examinations?

Answer 52

1. identification 2. inconclusive 3. elimination 4. unsuitable

Question 53

how do you document toolmarks?

Answer 53

- notes - photos - casts of marks

Question 54

what is the most common impression cast material?

Answer 54

mikrosil