The Ballistics of Reloaded Ammunition
Date
3-6-2026
Faculty Mentor
Sadik Arin, Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation
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Submission Type
Conference Proceeding
Location
8:45-8:55am | Merrill Hall
Description
Ballistics investigations play a vital role in the investigation of violence-related crimes by allowing for identification and comparison of bullets and cartridges from potential source weapons. Included in this analysis is the growing challenge of reloaded ammunition, which is simply recycled cartridge casings, altering or obscuring important markings reliable for firearm identification. This study examines how reloaded cartridges can affect the forensic traceability and evidentiary value of ammunition.
Using narrative literature review informed by case studies, this research formulates information from various forensic science studies, technical reports, and practitioner-focused literature related to cartridge case usage and ballistic comparison methods. This information helps to highlight how varying reloading practices and materials, such as resizing, replacing primers, and varying propellant compositions, can complicate forensic interpretation of chemical and physical markings, including firing pin impressions, breech face markings, and extractor and ejector markings.
Findings from the reviewed literature suggest that reloaded ammunition introduces serious analytical challenges to the analysis of ammunition, leading to delayed investigations and reduced examination confidence, particularly in cases involving rounds fired multiple times or from mixed ammunition sources. However, new techniques such as advanced microscopy and software-assisted comparisons could help future practitioners in mitigating these limitations. This presentation overall highlights key gaps in the current research of reloaded ammunition as well as discussing the implications on forensic practice and protocol, ideally shaping future experimental studies to improve forensic reliability of ballistic evidence involving reloaded ammunition.
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The original presentation of the paper The Ballistics of Reloaded Ammunition was given at the Student Research Symposium on 6 March; this video is from the Student Research Symposium Awards Ceremony held 16 March 2026 at Merrill Hall Auditorium.
This paper won Best in Category (Undergraduate) for Best Paper/Presentation
Keywords
student research, criminal justice
Rights
This content is the property of Jacksonville State University and is intended for non-commercial use. Video and images may be copied for personal use, research, teaching or any "fair use" as defined by copyright law. Users are asked to acknowledge Jacksonville State University. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@jsu.edu.
Disciplines
Forensic Science and Technology
Recommended Citation
Trivette, Samantha, "The Ballistics of Reloaded Ammunition" (2026). JSU Student Symposium 2026. 8.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2026/8