BF Question

[Justin]

I have a question regarding ballistic fingerprinting.
Ok, for just a moment, let's set aside all of the stuff that invalidates BF, let's pretend that it's impossible to alter a gun's BF using tools or by firing a bunch of ammo through it.

Given the tolerances for tools/parts in modern manufacturing, how likely is it the ballistic fingerprint of one pistol will be virtually identical to the pistol made right after it?

In other words, how does the BF system or even the operator distinguish between the BF from pistol #1234567 and pistol #1234568?

The system would then pop up a range of possible matches, and then law enforcement types would have to go out and track down the 4473's, and then the owner of each individual pistol.

And then what? You have cops knocking on some innocent gunowner's door asking if they can take a look at his gun because it's a possible match to a gun used in a crime?

 

[biere]

I think it depends on how the guns are assembled, this is all theory and I have no clue if this is how it works or not.

The barrels will be close since they are numbered and tracked so you have that one part that could produce a problem.

The firing pin, extractor, and other small parts are not numbered to the serial number of the gun.

So if someone is assembling your two examples, the barrels I would expect to be similar until wear and useage by the owners change things.

But the firing pins that are used will not be installed in the same way, firing pin number one may go in your first example. Firing pin 499 may go in the 2nd one, it would be random and I am sure I would have all the guns that by random chance were similar to guns used by criminals.

I would also wonder if firing pins and stuff is outsourced? If it is, then you have batches coming in with a chance for more variety if there are different makers of a part.

This is a swag because I am bored and would expect this to introduce the variation. If there is less variation than this, I wonder how far they have to go in zoom power to get to the differences.

I think you are going to get into how specific ammo and reloaded brass would wear parts as well, I can just see a person worried about something using that wolf steel case to change things, but the steel wears parts differently or something and really makes his gun stand out more.

I'll stop, my head hurts from this.