BULLET HOLE IDENTIFICATION
The identification of bullet holes and of marks produced by projectiles may be very important in the investigation of criminal cases involving the use of firearms. Such bullet-holes are usually characterized by the presence of metals (mainly lead and copper), originat in margins of these from the bullet's outer surfacehole alone can oftens, in the holes. The morphology of the lead to erroneous results.
| Safety | Compactness | Shelf Life |
|---|---|---|
| The BTK is safe for the operator, as there is no direct contact with the chemicals used in the test. | The compactness, portability and selfsufficiency of the kit assures convenient transport and can be employed anywhere under a wide range of conditions. | The reagents in the kit form are stable for a long period of time (guaranteed for three years). |
| All of the test reagents are contained within glass ampoules in specially designed protective plastic tubes. | Weight – 1030 gr. (41.2 oz.),Width - 266 mm (10.4") Length - 336 mm (13.1") Height – 85 mm (3.33") | Proven Experience: BTK – has been successfully used by the various police departments worldwide. |
| The test is performed by applying a few drops of reagents on Benchkote paper (plastic-backed filterpaper). | ||
Advantages
- Identification: the BTK is capable of identifying bullet-holes caused by many types of bullets, namely lead, full metal jacket (FMJ), total metal jacket (TMJ) bullets, etc.
- Direction: if the colored imaging of the hole is circular or elliptical, it is often possible to assess the direction from which the bullet was fired.
- Caliber: The diameter of the projectile can be estimated from the diameter of the lead and the copper reactions color rings. The procedure does not preclude further laboratory analysis for shooting distance estimation, if required. It should be noted, however, that if a sample for primer discharge residue (PDR) particles from the hole margins is to be analyzed – such a sample should be collected prior to the use of the BTK, and it won’t interfere with the BTK results.
- Economcal: Each package contains 10 sets of kits, enabling one to examine scores ofsuspected holes.
Unequivocal Results
- There are no other known substances that react in the same colors.
- Test results, in case of positive identification, are characterized by the appearance of colored rings clearly visible on the white background of the test paper.
- The color produced reflects the shape of the hole while the area further away remains uncolored. It is therefore unnecessary to sample blanks.
- It is possible to identify bullet holes on many types of targets and the identification is not biased by personal judgment. Simple Use, Rapid Results
- The test takes 3-4 minutes from the time of sampling until final results are obtained, enabling quick screening of large numbers of suspected bullet-holes
- Several bullet-holes can be examined by one set of test tubes.
- The kit has been designed for simplicity of operation, and can be used at the scene of crime by any technician or non-scientific police officer with some basic training.
- The BTK kit is operated very simply and includes a delivery device in each tube for efficient use.
Objective
The identification of bullet-holes on varioussurfaces. Lead and copper are the main components of bullet cores and jackets. A chemical method can be applied for the detection of metals deposited by the bullet at the margin of the suspected bullet-hole
BTK (Bullet-hole Testing Kit) – a portable laboratory for the rapid identification of bullet holes.
The BTK, with its sensitive, simple, rapid, precise and reliable operation, revolutionizes the field task of scene of crime units in the identification of bullet holes.
BTK enables simple, rapid and reliable identification of suspected bullet holes in the field.
Contents of Kit- Instructions for use
- Forty crushable ampoules (10 sets of 4) protected by plastic mini tubes, filled with liquid reagents for the identification of bullet-holes
- Test papers
- Plastic bags for packing the positive test papers
- Ruler for photography and a permanent pen
- Technician report forms
4 plastic tubes - The solvents and reagents for lead and copper are sealed in small disposable plastic tubes.
A bullet hole in plywood
The test paper is wetted with the solvent for lead.
The test paper is then firmly pressed against the
The reagent for lead is applied to the test paper hole for about a minitues
A magenta colored ring at the hole's margins is indicative to bullet-holes.
Another test paper is now being wet with the solvent for copper. The test paper is then firmly pressed against the hole for about a minute. Then the reagent for copper is applied.