The first step in the Comparison Process is to test fire the firearm into a water tank in the lab. The second step involves using a comparison microscope to compare the test bullet to the bullet recovered from the victim or crime scene.

What is forensic ballistics? Forensic ballistics involves the examination of evidence from firearms that may have been used in a crime. When a bullet is fired from a gun, the gun leaves microscopic marks on the bullet and cartridge case. These marks are like ballistic fingerprints.

Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.

Bullet - The projectile that is expelled from a rifled firearm (as opposed to slug). Cartridge - A complete unfired round of ammunition consisting of a cartridge case, projectile (bullet), primer and smokeless powder.

Ballistics experts test guns and spent bullets in criminal cases to prove guilt or innocence of crime suspects. They make microscopic comparisons between gun barrel flaws and the bullets found at a crime scene. They analyze bullet shots, angles and gun powder to determine their source.

A single piece of ammunition for a rifle or handgun is called a cartridge. It has a single projectile called a bullet. The word cartridge also applies to a single piece of ammunition for a shotgun, but a more specific term is shotshell. A shotshell has either one projectile called a slug or many small pellets or shot.

A comparison microscope is used for the examination of fired bullets, bullet fragments and cartridge/shotshell cases.