In other cases, only general characteristics such as the likely type or brand of the firearm may be determined, but these features are still useful. Such markings are created when a bullet or case contacts the barrel rifling, breech face, chamber, ejector, or other parts of a firearm, and they may be sufficiently unique to qualify as "individual characteristics" that allow matching of a recovered bullet or fragment to the specific weapon that fired it. In addition to determination of bullet caliber (diameter) and type, telltale markings may be present on recovered projectiles or casings, allowing matching of the projectile or case to a firearm.
The general type of weapon may sometimes be determined by the characteristics of a wound, and by the recovery of the projectile causing a wound, with appropriate criminalistic analysis. Similarly, knowledge of muzzle shapes, size and configuration of a weapon, approximate weight of trigger pull, amount of recoil, and a host of other factors may serve to refute or substantiate a putative explanation for how the injury was sustained. For example, knowledge about the safety features of a weapon that would have allowed or prohibited its operation in a given set of circumstances may be of great importance in determining the plausibility of a given death scene scenario. Although the forensic pathologist need not be an expert on all types of firearms, he or she must be familiar with the basic operation of different weapons in order to interpret the injuries resulting from them. There are many unique features of firearms that may be of critical importance in a forensic investigation.
As injuries due to firearms are common in most areas of the United States, skill in the interpretation of these injuries is vitally important for the practitioner of forensic pathology. A firearm may be generally defined as an assembly of a barrel and action from which a projectile is propelled through the deflagration (rapid burning) of a propellant (gunpowder).
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