Quiz 18: Firearms and Ballistics

Ballistics is the study of rifles.

A firearm is a portable gun capable of firing a projectile using a confined explosive.

Over a thousand years ago, the Chinese invented gunpowder, which is a mixture of two ingredients, charcoal and sulfur.

The path of flight of a projectile is its trajectory.

Modern firearms are divided into two basic types--rifles and shotguns.

The job of the firearms examiner involves examining: A)small, round pellets for telltale markings left on them by the firearm that shot them. B)gunpowder for telltale markings left on it by the firearm that shot it. C)used bullets and their spent casings for telltale markings left on them by a specific firearm. D)shots for telltale markings left on them by the firearm that shot them.

Rifles fire bullets, while shotguns can fire: A)either small, round pellets or a single projectile, called a slug. B)either small, round pellets or shot. C)only small, round pellets. D)only a slug.

The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is equal to the opposite side (b) divided by the adjacent side (a).This information, from the law of tangents, can be used to determine: A)the type of firearm used in a crime. B)the trajectory of a bullet. C)the speed of a bullet. D)the length of a firearm's barrel.

The end of the barrel, where the projectile exits a firearm, is the: A)barrel. B)muzzle. C)breech. D)lock.

The earliest firearms were: A)matchlock weapons and had wicks to carry a flame to the gunpowder. B)breechblock weapons and had wicks to carry a flame to the gunpowder. C)lever action weapons and had wicks to carry a flame to the gunpowder. D)bolt action weapons and had wicks to carry a flame to the gunpowder.

Matchlock weapons were replaced by flintlock weapons, which used: A)wicks to ignite the gunpowder. B)sparks from a chip of flint to ignite the gunpowder. C)an elemental match flame to ignite the gunpowder. D)None of these choices.

The word, rifle, originally referred to the: A)grooves, or indentations, in the rifle's barrel. B)lands, or indentations, in the rifle's barrel. C)rifle's muzzle. D)None of these choices.

The term, bullet, is often incorrectly applied to the: A)primer, which includes primer powder, gunpowder, the bullet, and the casing material that holds them all together. B)cartridge, which includes primer powder, gunpowder, the bullet, and the casing material that holds them all together. C)anvil, which includes primer powder, gunpowder, the bullet, and the casing material that holds them all together. D)headstamp, which includes primer powder, gunpowder, the bullet, and the casing material that holds them all together.

Bullets and their cartridges are named by: A)caliber. B)length. C)caliber and length. D)neither caliber nor length.

A .45-caliber bullet has a diameter of: A)about ½ of a millimeter. B)about ½ of an inch. C)about ¾ of a millimeter. D)about ¾ of an inch.

To get a known bullet for comparison, investigators test-fire the weapon into: A)a wood block. B)a water tank or gel block. C)soil. D)All of these choices.

Firing pin marks left on spent cartridge casings can also be used to identify a firearm.Firing pin marks are impressions made: A)on the bottom of the cartridge casing when a bullet is discharged. B)on the top of the cartridge by the firing pin, as it strikes the top of the cartridge when the firearm is shot. C)in the middle of the cartridge by the firing pin, as it strikes the middle of the cartridge when the firearm is shot. D)None of these choices.

Breechblock marks are produced as the cartridge casing moves: A)forward and strikes the barrel. B)forward and strikes the breechblock. C)backward against the breechblock. D)backward against the muzzle.

Generally, entrance wounds are _____________________ than exit wounds. A)smaller B)larger C)smoother D)more jagged

Firearms databases can be searched to match crime scene pojectile evidence to: A)military weapons. B)purchased weapons. C)registered images of markings from previous crimes. D)registered serial numbers of weapons used in previous crimes.

American inventor, Samuel Colt developed and patented a pistol in 1835.It had a cylinder that could be loaded with several cartridges and fired in rapid succession.This pistol is called a ____________________________________.

Semi-automatic weapons, which fire only one shot per pull of the trigger, differ from __________________________________________weapons, which fire repeatedly as long as the trigger is pressed.

Within a gun's barrel, lands and grooves cause a bullet to spiral when exiting the barrel of the gun, much in the same way a football spirals when thrown.This ______________________________ pattern left on the bullet is unique to the firearm used to shoot the bullet.

A measure of the diameter of a bullet is referred to as the ____________________________________.

A(n) _____________________________________ is used to compare two different bullets.