metallurgical bullet matching
I have watched the movie - The "Shooter" several times and can not understand how they " metallurgically" matched the slug that killed the ambassador to Swaggart's rifle? The slug in question was smashed and they could not do a match on the retrieved slug via rifleing, grooves, or striations. The movie stated "it was a metallurgical match" but did not say what it matched to or how? Swaggart stated that the slug was shot from his rifle a week ago into a can of stew. So if the "bad guys" retrieved that slug and shot it through a different rifle - how could they do any matching? Thanks - this has been really irritating me. Was the "explanation" in the movie just a crock? If not how is this possible?
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Crock. I may be able to show that the bullet is not UNLIKE the metallic composition of a Sierra Match King bullet, and you have Sierra Match Kings in your possession, but show that THIS bullet was fired from THIS rifle needs comparision of rifling striations. There are minor differences in the alloying of metals from one maker to another. 0 -
Total Myth!
There was a study that took 25 years and was funded by you & me that tried every which way to tie one bullet to a lot of bullets, and then to a specific smelter or location; and they couldn't do it by metallic content, carbon-14, lasers, gas chromatographics, Nothin'!
I have the link in my old hard drive, if I ever get it runing enough to retrieve it.0 -
Remember Shooter is a movie and they can do anything in a movie. 0 -
Terri Tyler,
It's Hollywood,...it's not real.
In real forensics what is matched is the twist, grooves, lands and anomalies found with each barrel. Meaning if there is a micro-gouge found in the barrel, it will transfer a mark to the bullet. Under a microscope that can be seen and matched.
The metallurgy you mention could be obtained by taking a small sample of residual copper from the barrel and from the spent bullet. Each manufacturer of bullets has some kind of chemical formula for jackets, and that can be matched. However, each manufacturer also produces millions of bullets and just because you shot brand x, and brand x killed someone, only narrows the odds down to millions.
As far as the smashed jacket. You're right it's pretty hard to trace. I watched an episode once of "Law and Order"....in it the detective pulled a 30-06 slug from a big round of firewood the suspect had been shooting into. Anyone who's ever shot a piece of wood like that may know most rounds go right through it and a high powered rifle slug barely stays connected together let alone intact enough to trace back to a rifle.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Terri Tyler
I have watched the movie - The "Shooter" several times and can not understand how they " metallurgically" matched the slug that killed the ambassador to Swaggart's rifle? The slug in question was smashed and they could not do a match on the retrieved slug via rifleing, grooves, or striations. The movie stated "it was a metallurgical match" but did not say what it matched to or how? Swaggart stated that the slug was shot from his rifle a week ago into a can of stew. So if the "bad guys" retrieved that slug and shot it through a different rifle - how could they do any matching? Thanks - this has been really irritating me. Was the "explanation" in the movie just a crock? If not how is this possible?
Like pretty much everything in that movie, the scene in question was a crock of S-h-i. . .
Any other questions? [;)]0
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