CFC CFC Firearms, Ballistics & Tool Mark Examination

Question 1

What does the term 'rifling' refer to in the context of firearm evidence?

Accepted Answer

Spiral grooves cut inside a barrel that impart spin to a bullet

Answer

The act of searching a crime scene

Answer

The mechanism that ejects spent cartridges

Answer

The process of test-firing a recovered weapon

Question 2

In ballistics examination, 'lands and grooves' on a recovered bullet are used to:

Accepted Answer

Link the bullet to a specific firearm barrel

Answer

Determine bullet composition

Answer

Identify the shooter's fingerprints

Answer

Measure muzzle velocity

Question 3

Which technique do firearm examiners use to compare striations on two bullets under simultaneous magnification?

Accepted Answer

Comparison microscopy

Answer

Gas chromatography

Answer

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) only

Answer

X-ray fluorescence

Question 4

Gunshot residue (GSR) analysis is used to detect the presence of which elements commonly found in primer residue?

Accepted Answer

Lead, barium, and antimony

Answer

Iron, zinc, and copper only

Answer

Mercury, cadmium, and tin

Answer

Sodium, potassium, and chlorine

Question 5

A fired cartridge case found at a crime scene can be linked to a specific firearm through marks left by the:

Accepted Answer

Firing pin, breechface, and ejector

Answer

Barrel rifling only

Answer

Trigger mechanism

Answer

Magazine follower only

Question 6

What is the term for the unique microscopic surface characteristics on a tool that are transferred to the material it contacts, used in tool mark analysis?

Accepted Answer

Individual characteristics

Answer

Latent features

Answer

Class characteristics only

Answer

Tooling artifacts