| When CSI's approach a crime scene and find a bullet | | | | intact, the police can determine the caliber by simply |
| with a certain caliber or gauge, just exactly what are | | | | measuring it. Severely damaged and deformed bullets |
| they talking about? In this article, caliber and gauge | | | | are weighed for the purpose of excluding some |
| will be defined to educate the reader so that the | | | | calibers but not for determining the exact caliber. For |
| next time you watch your favorite CSI TV show, | | | | instance, the weights of .22 caliber and .44 caliber |
| you will know what they are talking about. | | | | bullets differ slightly. Many times, forensic scientists |
| What is a caliber? | | | | can find out whether the bullet contains a jacket. If |
| Caliber is a term used toward firearms such as | | | | so, what kind of jacket? Making this determination |
| handguns and rifles. The caliber of a firearm refers to | | | | helps to identify the bullet type and ultimately the |
| the size of the internal diameter of its barrel. Calibers | | | | weapon type used in a crime. |
| of handguns and rifles are measured in millimeters or | | | | The shotgun pellets, or lead balls, from a shotgun can |
| inches. A .25 caliber handgun has a barrel with an | | | | be removed from the victim during surgery or |
| internal diameter of 0.25 inches or ¼ of an | | | | autopsy and from floors, walls, and other places. The |
| inch. | | | | size of the shot does not necessarily tell you the |
| What is a gauge? | | | | gauge of the shotgun but rather provides information |
| Gauge is a term used toward shotguns. The gauge | | | | about the ammunition used. The different sizes of |
| of a shotgun also reflects the size of the internal | | | | shot are numbered. The smaller the number, the |
| diameter of the barrel. However, this size is not a | | | | larger is the size of pellets inside the shotgun shell. |
| direct measurement. Rather, the gauge of a shotgun | | | | For instance, Number 7 shot is smaller than Number 4. |
| is determined by counting the number of lead balls | | | | Pellets differ in size from 0.05 inches for Number 12 |
| matching the barrel's diameter that it requires to | | | | shot to 0.33 inches for 00 shot, the biggest, which |
| weigh one pound. Therefore, it takes 20 lead balls to | | | | also goes by the name "double-O" buckshot. A |
| fill the diameter of a 20-gauge shotgun barrel and to | | | | forensic ballistics examiner measures the diameter of |
| weigh one pound. | | | | any shot found and ascertains what size shot was |
| The caliber and bullet type are crucial in ascertaining | | | | used. |
| what firearm was used in a crime. If the bullet is | | | | |