Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee

The Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the examination of firearm and toolmark evidence. This includes the comparison of microscopic toolmarks on bullets, cartridge cases, and other ammunition components and may also include firearm function testing, serial number restoration, muzzle-to-object distance determination, tools, and toolmarks.

Officers | Members | Standards | Other Work Products 

Officers

Erica Lawton, Subcommittee Chair, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences; University of South Alabama

Todd Weller, Subcommittee Vice Chair, Weller Forensics, LLC

Melissa Oberg, Subcommittee Executive Secretary, Indiana State Police

Members

Standards

SDO Published Standards

• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 060, Guidelines for Barrel and Overall Length Measurements of Firearms, First Edition, 2021.

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  ANSI/ASB Standard 061, Firearms and Toolmarks 3D Measurement Systems and Measurement Quality Control, First Edition, 2021.

  • Published standard on the OSAC Registry (added march 1, 2022).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 062, Standard for Topography Comparison Software for Toolmark Analysis, First Edition, 2021.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 063, Implementation of 3D Technologies in Forensic Firearm and Toolmark Comparison Laboratories, First Edition, 2021.

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  ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 068, Safe Handling of Firearms and Ammunition, First Edition, 2020.

  • Published standard on the OSAC Registry (added april 6, 2021).

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  ANSI/ASB Standard 093, Standard Test Method for the Examination and Testing of Firearms, First Edition, 2020. 

  • Published standard on the OSAC Registry (added November 2, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 096, Standard Method for the Examination and Documentation of Ammunition and Ammunition Components, First Edition, 2022.
• ANSI/ASB Standard 105, Minimum Education Requirements for Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Trainees, First Edition, 2021.

Standards at an SDO

• Standard Method for the Examination and Documentation of Non-Firearm Tools and Toolmarks.
• Range of Source Conclusions and Criteria in Toolmark Examinations.
• Best Practice Recommendation for Measuring Trigger Pull of a Firearm and Estimating its Uncertainty.
• Standard for Verification of Source Conclusions in Toolmark Examinations.

Standards Under Development

• OSAC 2021-N-0012, Standard for Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program.
• Supporting Documentation of Source Conclusions in Toolmark Examinations.
• Guidelines for Reporting of Source Conclusions in Toolmark Examinations. 
• Standard for 3D Virtual Comparison Microscopy for Firearm and Toolmark Analysis.
• Best Practice Recommendation for Creating Known Distance Witness Panel and Estimating the Associated Measurement of Uncertainty. 
• Standard Test Method for the Examination and Restoration of Obliterated Serial Numbers.
• Standard Test Method for the Examination and Comparison of Toolmarks for Source Attribution.
• Best Practice Recommendation for Muzzle to Target Measurements and Measuring Uncertainty.

Other Work Products

Process Maps

• Firearms Process Map, January 19, 2021. 

Research & Development Needs

• See the research and development needs identified by the Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee.

Reference Documents

Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.

• OSAC Firearms and Toolmarks Subcommittee's Response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's (PCAST) Request for Additional References - Submitted December 14, 2016.
• OSAC Firearms & Toolmarks Subcommittee's Response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology's (PCAST) Request for Information – Submitted December 23, 2015.

Webinars, Presentations & Training Videos

• OSAC Firearms & Toolmarks Update, Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE) Meeting, August 2021. 
• NIST OSAC Firearms & Toolmarks Overview & Update, AFTE 49th Annual Training Seminar, June 2018.

Discipline-Specific Bibliographies and Bibliographic References 

These documents may contain information to help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, and other readers better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as currently practiced. The identification of these documents does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only standards that are posted on the OSAC Registry and Technical Guidance documents, are endorsed by OSAC. The referenced documents may be subject to copyright. Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.

• SWGGUN Guidelines for Barrel and Overall Length Measurements for Firearms
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Criteria for Identification
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Developing a Training Manual
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Documentation of the Examination of Tools and Toolmarks
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Documentation of the Examination of Ammo and Ammo Components
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Elimination Factors Related to FA-TM Examinations
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Forensic Examination Guidelines for Silencers
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Gunshot Residue Distance Determinations
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Projectile Path Reconstruction-Essential Elements 
• SWGGUN Guidelines for the Documentation of Firearm Examinations 
• SWGGUN Guidelines for the Standardization of Comparison Documentation
• SWGGUN Guidelines for Trigger Pull Analysis
• SWGGUN Minimum Qualifications for Experienced Firearm and Toolmark Examiners
• SWGGUN Minimum Qualifications for Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Trainees
• SWGGUN Code of Ethics
• SWGGUN Foundational Report
• SWGGUN Quality Assurance Guidelines
• SWGGUN Response to RDT&E
• SWGGUN Systemic Report
• SWGGUN Transition from ASCLD-LAB Legacy to ISO-IEC 17025​​​​​​