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Can fingerprints be taken from a fired shell casing? Yes, like nearly any smooth surface, a fired cartridge case can retain prints.

As the bullet is propelled through the barrel, the grooves exert a rotational force on the metal surface that's so strong it leaves marks. Under a microscope, these striae are all distinctive and different – and they will correspond to the grooves inside the barrel of the gun that fired the bullet.

When the authorities are trying to solve a crime involving a firearm, they can sometimes trace a bullet that was fired back to a specific gun. They can determine that that was the exact gun used in the event.

In the same way, a gun imprints the bullet that is being fired. These imprints may be microscopic, and they are almost always impossible to identify for someone without the proper training. After all, the bullet might have mushroomed or fragmented on impact.

“We certainly can identify . 22-caliber bullets,” said Jay Mason, Supervisor of the Firearms and Toolmark Unit of the Northern Virginia Forensic Laboratory. That puts this one to rest.

A found bullet in decent shape can often be tied to a make and perhaps model of gun, since different manufacturers use different twists and numbers of lands and grooves. The only way a bullet can be traced to your particular gun is if the police are able to fire a test bullet from your gun, and then compare the two.

Fragmentation rounds and shotgun style rounds such as Glasser's cannot be traced back to a specific firearm. What do you mean by “traced"?

Sometimes, even bullet casings have serial numbers on them, and this has been a useful tool for tracking down criminals. There are many pros and cons to requiring serial numbers on ammunition, and both sides are worth exploring. Currently, there are no strict laws in America requiring ammunition to have serial numbers.

The M856 tracer cartridge (63.7-grain bullet) is used in the M16A2/3/4, M4-series, and M249 weapons (among other 5.56mm NATO weapons). This round is designed to trace out to 875 yards and has an orange tip color, and is trajectory matched to the M855 (62-grain, green tip) ball cartridge.