Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue (International Forensic Science and Investigation)

Compiling information from the available literature and supplementing gaps with private communications and personal observations and research, this resource summarizes the history of firearms and ammunition as it relates to the development of modern weapons. It details chemical aspects of forensic firearms casework with particular emphasis on the detection of gunshot residues (GSR) on a suspect’s skin and clothing surfaces. Drawing on the extensive experience of the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory (NIFSL) which processed a large firearms caseload during the region’s recent violent past, this book records the statistics gathered and the scientific methods developed to meet the demands of law enforcement and courts of law.