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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
Carey M. Alvarez Bacha, Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Laboratory
Zachary Carr, Johnson County Sheriff's Office Criminalistics Laboratory
Jim Carroll, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crime Laboratory
Theodore Chavez, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jason Crafton, Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory
Stefanie Happ, El Paso County Sheriff's Office
Stacey Hartman, Indiana State Police
Ryan Lilien, Cadre
Stephanie Madon, Iowa State University (Human Factors Task Group member)
Rebecca Mullen, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (Quality Task Group member)
Nicholas Petraco, City University of New York
Kevin Rippman, Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives
James (Steve) Scott, Federal Bureau of Investigation - TEDAC Laboratory
Maneka Sinha, University of Maryland, School of Law (Legal Task Group member)
Johannes Soons, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Michael Stocker, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Ted Vorburger, National Institute of Standards and Technology/Stratevia
Eric Warren, SEP Forensic Consultants
Alan Zheng, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Standards
SDO Published Standards
- ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 068, Safe Handling of Firearms and Ammunition, First Edition, 2020.
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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.
- 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.
- Standard for Barrel and Overall Length Measurements for Firearms.
- Standard for 3D Measurement Systems and Measurement Quality Control for Firearm and Toolmark Analysis.
- Standard for Topography Comparison Software for Firearm and Toolmark Analysis.
- Implementation of 3D Technologies in Forensic Laboratories for Firearm and Toolmark Analysis.
- Standard Method for the Examination and Documentation of Ammunition and Ammunition Components.
- 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
- 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.
- Standard for Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program.
- 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.
- Standard Test Method for Muzzle-to-Garment Distance Determination.
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