A Forensic Firearms Examiner's Lament

Abstract

Keeping abreast of the constant changes in firearms and firearms-related products is of critical importance if forensic pathologists conducting autopsies are to recognize, document, and collect important physical evidence that may otherwise be overlooked. The foremost source of reliable information in this regard is the experienced firearms examiner in the crime laboratory. Periodic contact with one or more of these individuals in the form of invited presentations at discussion sessions at the medical examiner's office, regional or national meetings of forensic pathologists, or direct participation in autopsies involving unusual firearms injuries or unusual evidence recovered from decedents all stand to improve the quality of autopsies and ultimately the full elucidation of the facts that surround the death under investigation.