The Importance of Careful Interpretation of Shell Casing Ejection Patterns
Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to gain information about shell casing ejection patterns. The research project showed that shell casing ejection patterns are dependent on a number of variables: type of firearm, stance, hand and weapon position (grip), and movement.
Background
A review of the literature indicated some disparity in the opinions of crime scene investigators concerning the position of casings related to shooting incidents. Ogle notes that the "location of fired cartridge cases may be valuable in a reconstruction attempt of the shooting incident. The location(s) of the shooter(s) may be determined by the analysis of the locations of the fired cases" [1]. Gardner writes that firearms examiners conduct, on occasion, ejection studies with the purpose of determining the distance and direction that a casing will eject when the weapon is held in any given orientation. He continues by noting that ejection studies have limited value, because casings will roll when...