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Side-by-side comparison of a bullet at a crime scene and one taken from suspect's gun. GClark

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The crime scene markers shows how many bullets or shells were found at the scene or nearby. Kayla H.

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Bullet shells marked. -I.Tinsley

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Bullets Casing At Crime Scene Stock Photo - Image of marker, scene: 135544912

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Photo about Bullets casing at crime scene next to markers and blood. Image of marker, scene, case - 135544912

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4 page PDF file on how to properly remove and collect a bullet

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4 page PDF file on how to properly remove and collect a bullet

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Discusses how to remove bullets from a body or is the bullet is stuck in wood or plaster. L.Black

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There are ways to package up a bullet or its shell from the proper handling to choosing the right package.

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Mike Byrd
Miami-Dade Police Department
Crime Scene Investigations

Choosing the Proper Packaging Medium

In methods of evidence collection the proper handling, packaging and transporting of the individual items of evidence is extremely important for the evidence preservation. Choosing the wrong packaging medium can cause the risk of valuable evidence destruction. One of the main goals of the crime scene investigator or evidence recovery technician remains identification and the recovery of any evidence that will assist in that identification process. In recovering firearms, aside from the ballistics examination and analysis, there is the probability for recovery of fingerprints that will lead to the person who had the last contact with that firearm.

The first duty of the investigator recovering a firearm or weapon is personal safety and the safety of anyone who will come into the custody of the item of evidence. The investigator then has the duty to preserve the potential evidence the item may reveal.

Many times the actions of the few can dictate the policy making effecting the many. One such policy making incident recently occurred. Having the access and ease of a local lab facility allows us to collect the evidence at the scene, transport it to our office for proper packaging and submission of the item through direct contact with the disciplines that will do the particular individual analysis.

The incident involved a firearm submitted with the weapon not being rendered safe. You can imagine the uproar that an incident of this magnitude would generate. Like the employee, the departments or agencies top priority always remains safety and safety related issues. Often times an incident such as this will dictate a spin off of policy making without the aspects of all goals and objects being given careful scrutiny and consideration.

The results of the policy making initiated were that all weapons be submitted with a flex-cuff attached to the top strap of a revolver, or through the slide and ejection port of a semi- automatic to assure the weapon is rendered safe. This was a good policy. The second policy required that all weapons collected be superglued at the scene prior to collection. This was another good policy. The third required policy to be effected directed the weapon to be placed and submitted in clear plastic, to allow the technician taking custody of the weapon to view the weapon assuring its safety.

This final portion of the policy making change was questionable. I foresee no effect on the evidence if the weapon is being submitted or routed to the discipline for ballistic type analysis. If the weapon is being submitted for the purpose of fingerprint recognition or collection analysis this presents a dilemma. I can already hear the teeth grinding from you savvy veteran investigators.

Experience and knowledge tells us that any item with the potential of latent fingerprint evidence, even if the prints have been fixed with superglue in the field, should not be placed and packaged in plastic. The friction from the item rubbing around inside the plastic packaging material will create an ability of scratching, removing and damaging any latent prints. Clear minds and creative thinking have to prevail.

This is where knowledge, experience, and innovative thinking comes into the decision making process. Each party involved has to be able to accomplish the full goal and objective through thought out revisions in policy making. Further reading will give an example of teamwork at its best conclusion.

The weapon is rendered safe and fumed in a chamber with superglue at the scene. A sturdy box is used as the collection and packaging medium. Several slits are put into the bottom of the box. This allows flex-cuffs to be inserted through the slits in the box to create safety straps around the firearm to secure it in place during transport. The top flaps on the box are removed and replaced with a sheet of clear plastic. Several small holes can be placed in the plastic to allow further ventilation into the box, if it is needed. The purpose of the clear top in the box is to create a viewing port that allows the receiving technician to verify the safely submission of the weapon. Everyone has now achieved each and every goal without compromise.

Submission of weapons not able to render safe

Often times the investigator will be called upon to collect a gun that is rusted, jammed, or in a corrosive condition and cannot be rendered in a safe condition. We use a specially constructed gun box in this situation. The gun box is constructed with steel walls designed for protection during transportation from the scene and through the various disciplines of the lab.

The bottom of the gun box is designed with a pegboard and removable pegs for securing the weapon in place. If you use something like this please be sure not to insert a peg inside the trigger guard. The box is designed to avoid any opportunity of an accidental discharge during transport.

Learn to use the knowledge and experience to work within policy and change that will benefit everyone. We are human. Over the course of a career mistakes will be made. The idea is to minimize and limit the mistakes that will be made. Be safe.....

About the Author

Mike Byrd (1955-2005) joined the Miami-Dade County Police Department in 1983 and started with the Crime Scene Investigations Bureau in 1987. He took an exceptionally active part in the science of forensic crime scene investigations, including development of new techniques, publishing methodology of crime scene procedures, and teaching. Mike developed new techniques for gathering and cataloging crime scene evidence including the lifting of fingerprints, vehicle tire impressions, and footwear impressions.

Mike's methods and analysis withstood the scrutiny of the criminal justice process. He published more than thirty crime scene articles on crime scene evidence collection and for the International Association for Identification and was awarded The Good of the Association Award in 2002 for his innovative identification methodology and techniques. He taught crime scene investigation procedures and techniques at police departments around the country and took great pride at instructing smaller Florida police departments in the latest techniques in evidence gathering.

Mike performed the tough detailed oriented forensic work at many major crime scenes and disasters over two-decades. He gathered, processed, and identified the DNA evidence used to convict the Tamiami Strangler for a string of heinous murders in 1994. His thoughtful gathering of evidence at the Valujet crash allowed families to reach closure for the deaths of loved ones.

Mike Byrd died after a more than two year battle with multiple myeloma cancer. Annually, the Police Officer Assistance Trust awards the Mike Byrd Crime Scene Investigation Scholarship in his honor.

Articles by Mike Byrd

Article submitted by the author
Article posted March 2, 2000

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The first duty of the investigator recovering a firearm or weapon is personal safety and the safety of anyone who will come into the custody of the item of evidence. The investigator then has the duty to preserve the potential evidence the item may reveal.

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Bullet being collected at a crime scene . -I.Tinsley

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iStock Scene Of Crime Scientific Police Picking Up Bullet Cap In Evidence Bag Rule Of Ballistic Measurement Conceptual Image Horizontal Composition Stock Photo - Download Image Now

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scene of crime, Scientific police picking up bullet cap in evidence...

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Download this Scene Of Crime Scientific Police Picking Up Bullet Cap In Evidence Bag Rule Of Ballistic Measurement Conceptual Image Horizontal Composition photo now. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features Analyzing photos available for quick and easy download.

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Wrap in soft tissue paper and seal in a labeled paper envelope or box. Package each bullet
separately. DO NOT MARK the bullet or allow it to be marked. Mark the sealed container with a
description of the bullet and all other pertinent data. L.Black

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This interactive bullet database is free and contains 173 caliber ballistics, history, stats, and their trajectories charted out in full detail. Speed and Energy are figured out using an average of all the known cartridges. This means that the speed and energy will vary from cartridge manufacturer to manufacturer. L.Black

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Bullet Ballistics & Charts

This interactive bullet database is free and containst 173 caliber ballistics, history, stats, and their trajectories charted out in full detail. Speed and Energy are figured out using an average of all the known cartridges. This means that the speed and energy will vary from cartridge manufacturer to manufacturer.

This system is a great way to compare cartridge systems so you can better make an informed purchase. After spending some time with this database you will most likely find the bullet that best meets your needs. When this happens dont leave! Instead search for the bullet on the top left using the search box or browse by rifle, or pistol using the links from the main menu.

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This interactive bullet database is free and containst 173 caliber ballistics, history, stats, and their trajectories charted out in full detail. Speed and Energy are figured out using an average of all the known cartridges. This means that the speed and energy will vary from cartridge manufacturer to manufacturer.

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This link shows the ballistics dealing with weapons. Also, it explains recovery from bullets at a crime scene. Kayla H

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Any bullets are collected by investigators and analyzed by forensic ballistics experts.  They are collected in plastic bags. -I.Tinsley

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It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. Perhaps you've seen them on or Mythbusters. Batman even tried his hand at it in The Dark Knight. Forensic ballistics experts can be found throughout popular culture, on television, in books, and in movies. With the popularity of so many crime shows and films, it's easy to see why someone would be interested in such a fascinating career as a ballistics expert.

What Forensic Ballistic Experts Do

Forensic ballistics analysis is a specialty within forensic science. Like most forensic investigators, forensic ballistics experts perform the bulk of their investigative work in a laboratory. The evidence they analyze, however, is collected in the field.

Ballistics experts may examine a crime scene themselves, or they may simply analyze evidence submitted to them by other crime scene investigators, detectives, or police officers.

Forensics ballistics experts specialize in looking at anything that has to do with firearms, from the identification of a specific round or weapon to determining the trajectory of a bullet. Ballistics experts can identify the caliber of a firearm's round and, with the help of national databases, can learn where the bullet was manufactured and possibly even the gun that fired it.

Additionally, forensic ballistics experts may be involved in crime scene mapping. With computer-aided design programs, photogrammetry and laser measuring tools, ballistics experts can determine the location from which a firearm's round was fired or the direction it traveled, making the search for physical evidence easier. These crime scene maps can be used to create diagrams for police reports or courtroom presentations.

Ballistics experts may be called to lift fingerprints from spent shell casings or help collect DNA samples from expended rounds.

The job of a forensic ballistics expert often includes:

Collecting evidence

Performing gunshot residue analysis

Photographing crime scenes

Analyzing firearms evidence

Identifying the caliber of bullets

Identifying the type of firearm used

Firing test rounds

Writing reports

Providing courtroom testimony

Ballistics experts can expect to work standard business hours, but they may be called to a crime scene at any hour. Often, the scenes they investigate are grisly, due to the nature of the crimes they respond to.

Most forensic ballistic experts work for large police or sheriffs offices or a state or federal crime lab. With experience, though, ballistics experts can earn lucrative salaries working as consultants or contractors in the private sector. Many experts work for attorneys or private investigative firms.

Education and Skill Requirements

Like other forensic science technicians, forensic ballistics experts must typically have a bachelor's degree or relevant comparable experience in the natural sciences. Specifically, a strong understanding of physics is necessary.

In addition to a college education, ballistics experts must undergo extensive training and maintain a strong working knowledge of all areas related to ballistics, such as types of firearms, types of bullets, muzzle velocities and gunshot residue, to name just a few.

The Job Outlook

All areas within forensic science investigations are expected to see higher than average growth over the next several years. It is due largely in part to continued advances in technology and an increased public interest in, and demand for, better analysis of evidence.

The Average Salary

Annual salary potential for ballistics experts can range between around $30,00 to more than $80,00, with an average salary near $55,000 per year.

Getting Started on a Career

It's important to remember that forensic ballistics experts, like bloodstain pattern analysts and other forensic specialists, often start out as general forensic science technicians and work their way into a specialty.

Entry-level positions as a ballistics expert, then, will be few and far between. Instead, those interested in a ballistics expert career will want to consider entering the workforce as a forensic technician and gain the required training and experience on the job.

How to Determine if a Career as a Forensic Ballistics Expert is Right for You

If you are interested in a criminology career and have a fond appreciation for firearms or physics, a career as a forensic ballistics expert may be a great choice for you. The work of a ballistics expert provides the perfect blend of fieldwork, science, and problem-solving for even the most curious and inquisitive mind. The job is not for the faint of heart, but if you have a strong stomach and enjoy puzzles, working as a forensic ballistics effort may be the perfect criminal justice career

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What Does It Take to Be a Forensic Ballistics Expert?

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It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. Perhaps you've seen them on or Mythbusters. Batman even tried his hand at it in The Dark Knight. Forensic ballistics experts can be found throughout popular culture, on television, in books, and in movies.

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The NIBIN is a national database of digital images of spent bullets and cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons. Kayla H

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What Is NIBIN and How Is It Used?

When a gun is made, the manufacturing equipment etches microscopic markings - somewhat like fingerprints - onto the gun's metal parts. These markings, called tool marks, are transferred to a bullet or cartridge case when the gun is fired.

When law enforcement investigates crimes in which firearms are used, ballistic imaging of such bullets and cartridge cases can be important in solving crime.

NIBIN is a national database of digital images of spent bullets and cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) manages the system and provides the equipment to crime labs around the country.

A firearms examiner uses ballistic imaging to convert the spent rounds into two- or three-dimensional digital images that are uploaded into NIBIN. NIBIN can be searched for possible matches - that is, other rounds that have similar tool marks and thus may have been fired from the same gun. After a possible match, or "hit" is identified, the crime lab secures the actual spent round(s) and compares them under a microscope to confirm the hit. Then, the lab sends information on the hit (a hit report) to investigators.

A NIBIN hit report has many potential tactical and strategic uses for law enforcement. Law enforcement investigators can use it to link crimes, which can help to identify suspects. They can also use it to understand patterns of gun crime, such as gun sharing and trafficking.

Research on NIBIN

In response to an open solicitation for research on the social-science ramifications of forensic-based technologies, NIJ funded an evaluation of the operation of NIBIN.

To learn how crime investigators use NIBIN, the researchers gathered data on hits from all 150 NIBIN sites and more detailed data on hits at 19 sites around the country. The researchers also conducted a national survey of crime labs and carried out in-depth interviews with crime lab personnel and investigators at 10 NIBIN sites.

The researchers' findings indicate that NIBIN has much untapped potential to solve crimes. Although some sites made excellent use of NIBIN and found it to be an extremely useful tool in helping to solve gun-related crime, the researchers noted that, at the time of the study, many sites were not taking full advantage of NIBIN.

The researchers determined that there was large variation between NIBIN sites - a matter of hundreds of days - in the amount of time it took to process ballistic evidence and identify hits. Long delays mean that once a hit report is sent from the crime lab to law enforcement, it might be too late to aid a particular investigation. The researchers also found that sites in areas with the most gun crime entered the most evidence into NIBIN and generated the most hits, but other sites used NIBIN very little. Regardless, hits often did not contain data, such as the location the cartridge was found, that might aid investigators. Finally, the researchers found that many investigators and prosecutors who used NIBIN hits did not provide feedback to the crime lab on how useful the hits were to their investigations - a missed opportunity to improve the system.

The researchers made numerous recommendations for improving NIBIN's utility for crime-solving. These include ways to reduce delays in evidence processing, adding data elements to the system, and creating opportunities for training and professional development to improve the tactical and strategic value of the system.

Finally, in their executive summary, the researchers note that they briefed ATF officials on their findings at the conclusion of the study, at which time ATF outlined steps it was undertaking to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of NIBIN. The researchers added that, although "impressed" with recent progress made on the NIBIN program, "We question the sustainability of these changes, however, given the severe fiscal constraints facing ATF."

About This Article

The research described in this article was funded by NIJ award 2010-DN-BX-0001, awarded to Sam Houston State University. This article is based on the grantee report "Opening the Black Box of NIBIN: A Descriptive Process and Outcome Evaluation of the Use of NIBIN and Its Effects on Criminal Investigations, Final Report" (pdf, 116 pages).

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Law Enforcement Use of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)

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What Is NIBIN and How Is It Used? When a gun is made, the manufacturing equipment etches microscopic markings - somewhat like fingerprints - onto the gun's metal parts. These markings, called tool marks, are transferred to a bullet or cartridge case when the gun is fired.

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Ballistics test prove Illinois man innocent in murder case. 

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Ballistics test prove Illinois man innocent in murder case. 

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An Illinois judge acquitted a man of murder Wednesday, more than two decades after jurors convicted him by relying on ballistics that proved to be wrong. L.Black

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This famous case is about a gun matching bullets. An innocent aspiring model is killed. Kayla H

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BOSTON — Ballistics tests have made a preliminary match between the bullets that killed an aspiring model here and a gun found in the home of Philip Markoff, the 23-year-old medical student who is charged with her murder, a law enforcement official said Friday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigators were still awaiting final test results. The aspiring model, Julissa Brisman, who offered her services as a masseuse on Craigslist, was killed on April 14 in a hotel here.

Philip Markoff's lawyer, John Salsberg, spoke to reporters on Friday. Credit... Steven Senne/Associated Press

Mr. Markoff's family visited him in jail Friday for the first time. His parents, Richard Markoff and Susan Haynes, met with him for nearly two hours at the Nashua Street Jail, where officials said he was on suicide watch.

Soon after Mr. Markoff's parents left, his brother, Jon, and his sister-in-law, Deanna, entered for a two-hour visit. The family did not comment.

John Salsberg, Mr. Markoff's lawyer, told reporters that Mr. Markoff's parents "remain very concerned about him, but they really ask all of you respect their privacy."

Mr. Salsberg said the family came Friday because he believed it was the first day they were allowed to visit. Officials said Mr. Markoff was being monitored around the clock and held apart from the general population.

Philip Markoff's parents, Richard Markoff, rear, and Susan Haynes at jail on Friday. Credit... Steven Senne/Associated Press

Ms. Brisman's mother, Carmen Guzman, released a statement Friday saying her family was "devastated" by Ms. Brisman's death. Ms. Brisman, who Ms. Guzman said wanted to be a counselor, would have turned 26 on Friday.

"The feeling of losing my daughter in this way, and the pain she must have felt will haunt me for the rest of my life. She won't live to see her dreams," Ms. Guzman said in the statement. "We are a close family, and Julissa called us every day. We won't be getting those calls anymore."

Ms. Guzman said she was glad someone had been arrested in connection with the crime.

Mr. Markoff on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. He is also charged with robbing at gunpoint here another masseuse he met on Craigslist.

On Thursday, a law enforcement official in Rhode Island said that a fingerprint found at the hotel where an exotic dancer was held at gunpoint last week matched that of Mr. Markoff. The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the match ensured that Mr. Markoff would be charged in the Rhode Island attack. That victim, who had also advertised services on Craigslist, told the police that she had been held at gunpoint by a man who demanded money but fled when her husband returned to their room at the Holiday Inn Express in Warwick.

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Gun Matches Bullets in Craigslist Murder Case (Published 2009)

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BOSTON - Ballistics tests have made a preliminary match between the bullets that killed an aspiring model here and a gun found in the home of Philip Markoff, the 23-year-old medical student who is charged with her murder, a law enforcement official said Friday.