Forensic Ballistics
Forensic Ballistics Quiz Crafted by –
Ruchika Dwivedi
Scientific Officer,
Sherlock Institute of Forensic Science India Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
Introduction to Forensic Ballistics
The term ballistics refers to the science of study of the action, motion and behaviour of a projectile during its flight in any given medium. The flight path of a bullet includes:
- Travel down the barrel (Internal Ballistics),
- Path through the air (External Ballistics), and
- Path through a target (Terminal Ballistics)
Forensic Ballistics is a branch of forensic science that deals with the examination of the firearm and related evidence encountered at the scene of the crime in a shooting incident, their linkage to the firearm, and the Identification of the shooter.
A ballistic expert needs to answer the following questions:
- Type of The Firearms used
- Identification of the Firearm
- Individual Characteristics of Firearm
- Range of Firing
- Direction of Firing
- Identification of the Shooter
- Medico-legal aspects: - Suicide/Homicide/Accident.
Let's look at the questions and their answers
Ques 1. Groove depth in a refiled firearm varies between?
a) 1mm to 2mm
b) 3mm to 4 mm
c) 0.1mm to 0.2 mm
d) 0.0035mm to 0.005
Answer – d) 0.0035mm to 0.005
Ques 2. Which of the following is/are not a rifled firearm?
a) 9mm pistol
b) Signal pistol
c) Shotgun
d) b and c both
Answer – d) b and c both
Ques 3. A firearm whose barrel has shorter diameter near the muzzle end is said to?
a) Having a choke
b) Having a leed
c) Having a breech
d) None of the above
Answer – a) Having a choke
Ques 4. Single base smokeless powder contains?
a) Nitro-glycerine
b) Ammonium nitrate
c) Nitrocellulose
d) Both a and b
Answer – c) Nitrocellulose
Ques 5. Rifling in firearm can be carried out using?
a) Button process
b) Broach cutter technique
c) Micro-grooving process
d) All of the above
Answer – d) All of the above
Ques 6. Anti-clock wise refiling is present in?
a) Smith and Wesson revolver
b) Weblay revolver
c) Colt revolver
d) Both a and c
Answer – c) Colt Revolver
Ques 7. Tendency of projectile to strike backword for filling up the vacuum is termed as?
a) Drift
b) Base drag
c) Jaw
d) Yaw
Answer – b) Base drag
Ques 8. Chronograph is an instrument which measures the following in forensic ballistics:
a) Temperature inside the barrel of gun
b) Velocity of the projectile
c) Trajectory of the projectile
d) Angle of fire of a gun
Answer- b) Velocity of the projectile
Ques 9. The formula for calculating the correct rate of twist for firearm was given by:
a) Gaspard Kollner
b) George Greenhill
c) Greener
d) Minie
Answer- b) George Greenhill
Ques 10. When an automatic pistol fires a shot:
a) Empty shell is rarely found at the crime scene
b) Empty shell remains in the chamber
c) Empty shell will invariably be found at the crime scene
d) Empty shell gets destroyed during the firing process of the firearm
Answer – c) Empty shell will invariably be found at the crime scene