Firearm Examination: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review

This report reviews the scientific foundations of firearm examination, a forensic technique used to compare the marks on bullets and cartridge cases under a comparison microscope with those from a suspected firearm used in a crime.

Report

The draft Firearm Examination: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review (NISTIR 8353) report will be available on this page once it is released, followed by a 60-day public comment period. To receive updates and be notified when the public comment window opens, please subscribe to the Forensic Science Gov Delivery email list.

Presentations* 

• AAFS 2025 Firearm Examination Foundation Study. Theodore V. Vorburger & Steven P. Lund, Baltimore, MD.
• AAFS 2024 A New Black Box Study – Part II: Bullets (NIST/Noblis). Austin Hicklin, Nicole Richetelli, Melissa Taylor, & Robert Thompson. Denver, CO.
• AFTE 2023, Update on Proficiency Studies, Theory of Identification, Validation and Statistical Analysis. Gregory S. Klees, Steven P. Lund, Theodore V. Vorburger, John M. Butler, Robert Thompson, Heather Waltke &  Wayne E. Arendse. Austin, TX.
• AAFS 2023 Results from a Review of the Scientific Foundations of Firearm Examination. Theodore V. Vorburger, Wayne E. Arendse, John M. Butler, Gregory S. Klees, Steven P. Lund, Robert Thompson, Heather Waltke, Shannan Williams, & James Yen. Orlando, FL.  
• NIJ-FTCOE 2022  A Review of the Scientific Foundations of Firearm Examination and Related Research. Theodore V. Vorburger, Wayne E. Arendse, John M. Butler, Gregory S. Klees, Steven P. Lund, Robert Thompson, Heather Waltke, Shannan Williams, & James Yen. Washington, D.C.
• AAFS 2021 Review of the Scientific Foundations for Firearm Examination. Theodore V. Vorburger, Steven P. Lund Heather Waltke, Robert Thompson, James Yen, Shannan Williams, John M. Butler, Jason Weixelbaum, Gregory S. Klees, & Wayne E. Arendse. (Virtual).  
• ASCLD 2021 Error Rates and Firearm Examination. Theodore V. Vorburger, Steven P. Lund, Heather Waltke, Robert Thompson, James Yen, Shannan Williams,John M. Butler, Jason Weixelbaum, Johannes A. Soons, Xiaoyu Alan Zheng, Jun-Feng Song, Nien-Fan Zhang, Gregory S. Klees, & Wayne E. Arendse. ASCLD Lightning Talk (Virtual).

• 2020 Review of Scientific Foundations for Firearms Examination. Theodore V. Vorburger, John M. Butler, Steven P. Lund, James Yen, Robert Thompson, Shannan Williams, Heather Waltke, Gregory S. Klees, & Wayne E. Arendse. Bundeskriminalamt, Wiesbaden, Germany.

  *not an exhaustive list of presentations 

More Information

Foundation Studies Program: Scientific Foundation Reviews page

NIST Research Focus Area: Firearms and Toolmarks Research page

Standards: OSAC Firearm and Toolmark Subcommittee page | ASB Firearms and Toolmarks Consensus Body Documents