Standards Forensic Weapon and Ammunition Examination, relevant questions per examination discipline
Comparative bullet and cartridge case examination
- Have the ammunition components (bullets/cartridge cases) been fired from the firearm(s) presented?
- Do the fired ammunition components come from one or from multiple firearm(s)?
- What is the type and brand of the firearm(s) used?
- Can a relationship with another shooting incident in the Netherlands be demonstrated?
- Can a relationship between the firearm, or the bullets or the cartridge cases, etc. and a shooting incident in a certain country/countries be demonstrated?
This list is not exhaustive. Other questions are also possible.
Identification of ammunition
- Regarding the projectile in the body of the victim (which caliber and type) given the provided x-rays and/or CT scans?
- What is the calibre and brand of the unknown bullet?
- Do one or more metal fragments originate from a single bullet and, if so, what type of bullet is it?
This list is not exhaustive. Other questions are also possible.
Weapon-technical examination
- Does the firearm function properly / as intended?
- Can the alleged failures that have occurred be explained?
- Can the weapon discharge by falling, throwing, bumping or hitting?
- Can the home-made weapon be used to fire cartridges?
- What caused the weapon to blow/tear the barrel?
The first three questions have to be considered in relation to the possible accidental discharge of a shot or the possible misfire.
This list is not exhaustive. Other questions are also possible.
Forensic ballistics examinations
- What is the firing distance considering the impact of the shotgun pellets?
- Can a shot with the firearm/weapon cause a lethal injury? (possibly after being pierced by or ricochet from another object)
- What wounds could be inflicted if this ammunition is fired?
- Which assumptions can be drawn from the original ballistics trajectory on the basis of the damage(s) of a shot?
This list is not exhaustive. Other questions are also possible.