Smoke

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Gun smoke when shot from a pistol

As Schmauch (from the Middle High German smouch- smoke ) a thick, smoldering smoke, which develops when burning without a flame burning, smoldering substances (such as tobacco, gunpowder) is called. Gun smoke is the name given to residues from the muzzle flash of a firearm . It is essentially formed by the products of combustion of the primer charge and the propellant charge of the ammunition cartridge . These residues, especially in forensics , are also known as smoke traces .

forensic science

In forensics, gunshot analyzes are used to identify criminals, as gunshot marks can be detected on the clothes and hands of the shooter over long periods of time. They are verifiable z. B. by scanning adhesive tapes in an analytical scanning electron microscope (tape lift method) or chemographically ( polyvinyl alcohol removal method, tartaric acid rhodizonate method, Griess test).

As of May 2006, the smoke trail analysis is no longer used by the FBI . An investigation has shown that a large number of people who had demonstrably not fired a weapon were contaminated with smoke traces on clothing and body parts. Traces of smoke were z. B. transmitted through contact with police officers when taking fingerprints.

In the United States, this investigation has resulted in many forensic procedures being re-examined. In the course of these investigations it was found that the material analysis of a projectile no longer provides information about its production period. Up until then, this analysis was considered reliable evidence that a comparative bullet from the house of a suspect was manufactured on the same date.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. Duden spelling, accessed on May 22, 2017
  2. Robin Mejia: Why we cannot rely on firearm forensics ( Memento from April 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), New Scientist from November 23, 2005, accessed on April 18, 2013 (English).
  3. ^ Initiative against the death penalty . initiative- gegen-die-todesstrafe.de. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2011.