Manufacturer Determination

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The objective in observing and recording all of the physical features of fired bullets is to compare them side-by-side and base-to-base against known standards of as many examples of ammunition as possible. Many forensic firearms laboratories maintain a collection of known standards, referred to as the standard ammunition file (SAF). The goal of comparison is to determine the manufacturer or marketer of the evidence or questioned bullet.

Standard Ammunition File Sources

The more comprehensive the standard ammunition file (SAF), the more effective it is. Larger laboratories may budget tens of thousands of dollars annually for their SAF. In other laboratories, the SAF grows through the long-term cooperative effort and input from all examiners.

Materials for the SAF may be obtained from

individual boxes of ammunition purchased for use in casework,
seized ammunition in original boxes,
evidence ammunition being disposed of by evidence custodians of the courts,
training and operational ammunition obtained from enforcement agencies.

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