Which items are typically examined in ballistics?

• A. Financial documents with purchase receipts.
• B. Firearms, bullets, cartridge cases, and related tools.
• C. Bullets alone with no firearm.
• D. Spent cartridge casings only.

Answer: (B)

Ballistics centers on the evidence left by firearms and ammunition. Investigators examine firearms, bullets, cartridge cases, and related tools because these items carry distinctive markings and physical characteristics that help determine what happened. The firearm itself can be identified by its model and serial features, while bullets and cartridge cases acquire unique marks from the gun’s rifling, firing pin, and ejector. Those marks enable experts to compare and possibly link a weapon to a specific projectile or case, or reconstruct aspects of the shooting. Related tools and components provide additional context for interpretation. Non-ballistic items like financial documents aren’t relevant to this analysis, and examining bullets without a firearm or relying on spent casings alone typically doesn’t provide the full link to a particular weapon.