History and Personalities of Forensic Ballistics

Ballistics is the applied science concerned with the motion of projectiles - especially those projectiles that are used in ranged weaponry. In this course, we are especially concerned with the applications of this science towards the law. Specifically, as the title of the course suggests, we will be focusing on Forensic Ballistics in this course.

History

1493 - 1508

Harold Peterson, in a book, discusses the rifling of firearms by Emperor Maximillian of Germany. This is the earliest known reference to any manner of analysis when it comes to firearms. The value of rifling was not recognized until the late 19th century.

Before the 1900s (around 1835-1899)

Certain events, including simple observation, physical matching, caliber determination from an examination of the shape and size of a projectile, and experimentation, occurred that would ultimately be associated with the field of forensic ballistics.

1900 - 1930

The science gained recognition from several judicial systems around the world.

1929

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, an incident related to gangster violence, happened in Chicago. The investigations done in the aftermath of the event bolstered the reputation of firearm identification techniques.

1930 - 1970

In the United States, the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (SCDL) began operations at Northwestern University in late 1929 or early 1930.

1932

Federal Bureau of Identification Laboratory was formed. Similar laboratories were also created all over the world as the science continued to evolve during the period.

1935

The Bureau of Forensic Ballistics was established by Charles E. Waite, Maj. (later Col.) Calvin H. Goddard, Phillip O. Gravelle, and John H. Fisler in New York, New York.

1969

The Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE) was organized in Chicago, IL in February 1969.

1970 - 1999

The evolution of forensic ballistics continued along with significant growth in the number of scientists being employed in the field. New tools coming from various technological advancements of the era, including computers and the binocular comparison microscope, markedly contributed to the evolutionary changes happening in the field.

Personalities

These two are credited to have invented the first gunpowder