Capabilities of reloading equipment identification by traces on reloaded cases

Introduction. In connection with legalization of autonomous cartridges loading to the rifl ed fi rearm, the matter of forensic examination of reloaded cases is growing more urgent. Aims and tasks. To examine the regularities of trace formation made by the reloading equipment on reloaded cases in order to identify the method of making cartridges, whose parts they have originally been, and to establish the fact of reloading by means of the same production mechanisms. Experimental part. Examination of the traces formed in the course of a shot and reloading was carried out with hunter’s .300 win mag caliber cartridge cases ejected from .300 win mag caliber Sauer 202 carbine. The following reloading equipment was used: manual threaded (single-stage and turret) presses produced by Neck, threaded molding matrices produced by Redding. Discussion of results. Reloading equipment is considered as a production mechanism depositing traces on the surface of the reloaded cases. In the case of identifi cation (selecting a group of objects from a multitude, determining their group belonging) the structural features of their cutting surfaces, their traces being imprinted on the processed parts, are studied. As a whole, they are suitable for identifying the instrument that formed them. Defects in trace-forming objects (matrices, shellhorder, etc.) can also be seen in the traces on the cases as subclass features. These features can be taken into account in the comparative study of cases to establish the fact of reloading using the same production mechanisms.