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Police know caliber of sniper's bullets, but gun remains a mystery
AP | 10/23/02 | JEANNINE AVERSA

Posted on 10/22/2002 11:37:40 PM PDT by kattracks

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Microscopic clues on bullets and fragments have allowed investigators to link shootings carried out by a deadly sniper terrorizing the Washington area, but authorities are still trying to pinpoint the gun used.

Ballistics evidence in 10 of the cases revealed that a .223 caliber bullet was fired from the same rifle, said Joseph Green, spokesman for the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Bullets were too damaged to be helpful in two cases, and results are still pending from an attack Tuesday morning.

If the latest attack is confirmed, the sniper will have killed 10 people and critically wounded three others in Maryland, Virginia and Washington since Oct. 2.

In Tuesday's attack, a bus driver was shot in the chest and killed in Aspen Hill, Md., 15 miles from downtown Washington. A police task force was investigating as if the shooting was related to the serial sniper.

Green said any ballistics evidence recovered from the victim or at the crime scene would be analyzed by firearms experts at ATF's lab in Rockville, Md.

Narrowing down the exact make and model of the gun used is tricky. "Upwards of 100 different rifles" use that ammunition, said ATF spokesman Jim Crandall. All kinds of rifles use a .223 caliber bullet, including guns used in sporting activities, military weapons and some "assault type of weapons," Crandall said.

Every firearm has individual characteristics that are as unique to it as fingerprints are to human beings, ATF says.

However, an ATF database that helps firearm examiners match ballistics evidence contains only images of casings or bullets from crime scenes or from test firings of weapons used in crimes. It doesn't include images of every gun sold in the United States, so a gun that hasn't been used in a previous crime isn't included in the computer database.

Firearms examiners analyze microscopic scratches and dents -- on the bullets, their fragments or cartridge casings -- to try to determine whether they were fired from the same weapon.

Grooves inside the barrel of a gun help a bullet travel with precision. When a bullet is fired, these grooves and other unique characteristics are imprinted on the bullet. When a bullet or bullet fragment is recovered from a crime, it is examined to see if a pattern of grooves and "lands" -- the distance between the grooves ---- can help determine the type of firearm that was used. Examiners also weigh the bullet or bullet fragments to try to identify the caliber and type of firearm.

Bullet casings also can have distinctive markings created by the gun's firing pin, ejector and breech mechanism ---- the place where the bullet sits in the barrel of the gun. Sometimes a fragment can be too small, making any markings all but impossible to divine.

Other factors make work difficult for firearms examiners.

"Factors related to uniqueness that can complicate the identification process include the presence of `subclass characteristics,' or markings, common to groups of firearms or ammunition, that can be mistaken by machine or examiner for markings individual to a firearm," ATF said in a May 13 report.

It is possible for a person, using a file or some other object, to try and alter a firearm so that the bullets and cartridge casings fired from it would have a different appearance, ATF said. While that wouldn't be difficult or time-consuming, such instances of this occurring in actual casework are exceedingly rare, the ATF report said.

"Because of the microscopic character of the changes, it is not possible to alter one firearm in order to make the imprint look like another," the ATF report said. "Rather, the idea of altering a firearm would be to prevent a definitive identification by creating additional markings for examiners or automated equipment to read."

In some cases, the buildup of dirt and debris can have "minor impact on the markings made on ammunitions, though this does not necessarily lessen the markings and can in fact magnify them," the report said.

------

On the Net:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms: http://www.atf.treas.gov/

Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: banglist

1 posted on 10/22/2002 11:37:41 PM PDT by kattracks
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To: kattracks; *bang_list
Some relatively obvious inaccuracies in this...
2 posted on 10/23/2002 1:29:25 AM PDT by SteveH
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To: kattracks
Chemical impurities in the lead and copper might be enough to trace the bullets to a particular manufacturer or even a particular lot. Gold is apparently traceable that way.
3 posted on 10/23/2002 2:36:56 AM PDT by SicTransitGloriaMundi
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To: kattracks
Might not be a rifle at all. It could quite possibly be a bolt action or single shot pistol chambered for .223.

Using a pistol would certainly facilitate the sniper's disappearing quickly after each shooting, and these weapons would account for the lack of brass found at the crime scenes. Moreover, they are plenty accurate enough at the ranges the sniper has fired from, particularly if the sniper is using a scope or laser sight.

4 posted on 10/23/2002 5:03:03 AM PDT by LouD
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To: kattracks
I do not beleive that any brass has been found. That leads me to beleive it is a bolt action vs. auto. The chances that he could have retrieved evey piece of brass is remote.
5 posted on 10/23/2002 5:18:59 AM PDT by retiredtexan
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To: retiredtexan; LouD
He's only had one piece of brass to pick up at each site, which seems very doable. Also, he may be taking a lot of the shots from inside a van, so the brass would fall inside the van. And why couldn't one just tape a little plastic bag over the ejection port to catch brass? I'm sure such a jerry-rigged solution would hold up for a single shot, which is all this guy takes.
6 posted on 10/23/2002 7:03:41 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: LouD
Good point Lou. There was a shooter who called in to "The Buzz" radio show yesterday (Bey and Malzberg out of NYC WABC) who named the two standard pistols that take that round. He said that it very well could be either of those pistols fitted with a scope that is doing the damage.

It makes sense since a field-stripped pistol is easy to hide.

7 posted on 10/23/2002 7:06:50 AM PDT by Pharmboy
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To: retiredtexan
Brass has been found at several sites, but there is a lot of speculation that it is being planted by the shooter.
8 posted on 10/23/2002 7:14:39 AM PDT by m1911
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To: kattracks
"It is possible for a person, using a file or some other object, to try and alter a firearm so that the bullets and cartridge casings fired from it would have a different appearance, ATF said. While that wouldn't be difficult or time-consuming, such instances of this occurring in actual casework are exceedingly rare, the ATF report said. "

Wait until you implement a national registry on the premise of ballistic snapshotting guns. Then there will be a REASON for criminals to modify their guns in the fast or easy way, (assuming they had purchased a new gun in their own name.)

9 posted on 10/23/2002 7:28:03 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed
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To: Beelzebubba
Wait until you implement a national registry on the premise of ballistic snapshotting guns. Then there will be a REASON for criminals to modify their guns in the fast or easy way, (assuming they had purchased a new gun in their own name.)

My thoughts exactly. Criminals already do everything they can in order to avoid having guns traced to them, and this would just be one more thing (again assuming that they will be stupid enough to use a gun that they had purchased from a law-abiding FFL - which is doubtful).

I would even go further. Every gun owner with whom I have discussed this issue has stated to me in no uncertain terms that if any or all of their guns are subjected to a ballistic snapshot ("BS"), they will immediately thereafter obtain new barrels, firing pins, extractors, ejectors and anything else that will alter the BS of a gun. Alternatively, they all plan to use the guns plenty, and clean them plenty, immediately after the BS is done. Dremel tools were mentioned a lot. What is the reason for these statements? Well, plain orneriness (is that a word?), as well as the very practical concern that if one of their guns is stolen and then used in a crime, the first person that the cops will approach is them. Not wanting that kind of unpleasant and unjustified attention, they'll do whatever they can to avoid it. I will do the same, and for both reasons (I am the kind that buys some guns simply because some blowhard gov't type doesn't want me to). I think that everyone of us should, in the event that a national BS registry is created, encourage every gun owner we know to "polish their liberty teeth," just to F#$% with the system.

Something else to consider: the process of BSing a gun could actually make it MORE difficult to catch a criminal. Someone intent on committing a crime could purchase and install a new barrel on the crime weapon, use the new barrel in the crime, and after the crime throw the new barrel into the ocean or a deep lake and reinstall the old barrel (this is particularly easy in semi-auto pistols, and merely a bit difficult in guns with non-drop-in barrels). The police in that case will be looking for a particular BS signature, and if they pick up the perp and his gun, will release him if the BS is the only evidence. Alternatively, the perp's attorney will really make hash of the prosecution's case if the BS doesn't match ("Members of the jury, this is a simple case of mistaken identity - the police picked up someone with the same general description and the same make and model of gun, but my client couldn't have fired the shots in question, as the BS proves). Not only that, but scarce police resources that could otherwise be devoted to solving crimes will be devoted to creating and updating a less than useless database.

Then there is the problem of the 250 million+ guns that are already out there, many of which the gov't doesn't know exist (think war trophies, pre-Form 4473 guns, illegal imports) - to say the least, the database will be woefully incomplete (esp. if the dolts only BS new guns).

All in all, a horrible idea.

10 posted on 10/23/2002 8:00:49 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
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To: LouD
I was thinking Remmington x500, maybe. Single shop bolt action. I think they came out in the mid 60's. I think it may be a collector item by now.
11 posted on 10/23/2002 8:05:36 AM PDT by oyez
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To: oyez
Thompson Contender with a 16 1/4 or 21 inch barrel and a scope could be the shooters choice...

Contender
12 posted on 10/23/2002 8:24:36 AM PDT by freddy
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To: retiredtexan
Good point, but:
He could have used a "brass-catcher" - these are readily available for the rifles commonly chambered in .223, which is much more often found in semi-autos.

As for tracing the bullets: there are hundreds of bullet manufacturers in this country, and the shooter could well have made the bullets himself, which would render them completely untraceable.

If he wanted to really confuse folks, he could change barrels.
13 posted on 10/23/2002 8:28:14 AM PDT by Redbob
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To: kattracks
Once again for the hearing and otherwise existentially challenged- THIS IS MIDEASTERN TERRORISM- the recent news about children at risk and especially BODY BAGS are totally consistent with this theory. Further body bags is a term the regimes in the ME love to use as a reminder of our Vietnam experience. This is a term of WAR, not psychosis. As to the $ issue, a diversion, althougth we all know that they may be running low on cash and need adequate funding ( ask the UN about that when it comes to Palestinian terror).

By the way, the media are giving this all the exposure of an Al Queda Cell at work. My bet is that these are some buddies of the earlier bombers of the TTT. After all, was there not alot of target practise arond Lakawanaand was not George Tennet very nervous lately.

Think for yourselves as the Government and local enforcement have no current interest in fessing up to it directly.

14 posted on 10/23/2002 8:33:14 AM PDT by Helms
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To: Beelzebubba
Yep, that'll be the first skill 10 year olds will learn when they join the drug gangs. Soon, seasoned 11 and 12 year olds will be impressing 10 year olds with their superior knowledge: "You moron, don't you know you can't use a new gun 'til you filed it? Here, I'll show you how."
15 posted on 10/23/2002 8:45:07 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: kattracks
Every firearm has individual characteristics that are as unique to it as fingerprints are to human beings, ATF says.

For a short period of time, perhaps, as long as nothing has been changed, maybe. You can change the upper of an AR-15, with all unregistered parts and different barrel, in 30 seconds. Then you re-zero the weapon's sights.

If they can match the fired bullets to a particular gun, they can also determine the twist rate of the barrel used. This will help to possibly eliminate some of the cartridges as they traditionally don't feature that twist rate to fire a certain weight bullet well. But they haven't stated the twist rate, type and weight of bullet used to my knowledge.

16 posted on 10/23/2002 9:27:40 AM PDT by DmBarch
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To: Ancesthntr
Agreed and the fact that the ballistic fingerprinting system produces so many false positives, it is even more reason for an individual to have an altered fingerprint than is contained is in the system.

The most likely outcome of such a ballistic fingerprinting system is the conviction of innocent gun owners whose official fingerprint is a false positive.

17 posted on 10/23/2002 12:21:11 PM PDT by oldcomputerguy
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