AAS

Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Ag

Silver, a metallic element sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

Ammunition

The loaded “round” commonly consisting of a primed case, propellant (powder), and bullet

As

Arsenic, a semi-metallic element sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

Bi

Bismuth, a metallic element sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

Billet

A cylinder of lead, usually weighing about 70 lbs, that is used as the stock for an extrusion press to make wire for the production of lead bullets

Blast furnace

A large vertical furnace used to reduce lead ores to molten lead in which hot coke reduces the sinter roast through the formation of CO₂; the necessary heat is produced by the reaction of the coke with air forced into the furnace from below

Bullet

The lead-based projectile in small-arms ammunition

Bullet caliber

The diameter of the bullet, which may be expressed either as a fraction of an inch, e.g., .22 caliber means 0.22 inch diameter, or in millimeters

CABL

Compositional Analysis of Bullet Lead

Cartridge

A term used to refer either to the completely assembled ammunition or to the brass case that holds the primer and powder and is pressed onto the bullet

CCI

CCI, bullet manufacturer

Cd

Cadmium, a metallic element sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

CIVL

Compositionally Indistinguishable Volume of Lead

Compositional group

A set of bullets determined to be compositionally similar via use of the FBI’s “chaining” technique

COV

Coefficient of Variation

CS

Crime Scene (bullet)

Cu

Copper, a metallic element used in jacketing high velocity ammunition and sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

Extruder

The machine that forces lead from a billet through an orifice or die to form a wire (much like squeezing toothpaste from a tube)

FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation

FED

Federal, bullet manufacturer

Hog

A one ton casting of lead

ICP-MS

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

ICP-OES

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy

Ingot

A 65–125 lb casting of lead; more generally, a casting that has solidified after having been poured from a vessel in the form of molten metal

Jacket

A metal external shell, often copper, surrounding the lead core of a bullet, frequently used for high velocity ammunition

LA

Laser Ablation

MC-ICP-MS

Multi-Collector-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

Melt

A quantity of molten lead

Mold

The container into which molten metal is poured to allow it to solidify

NAA

Neutron Activation Analysis

Pb

Lead, a metallic element used to form bullets

PCA

Principal Components Analysis

Pig

A 65–125 lb. casting of lead

Pot

A vessel within which lead is melted

Pour

The action of transferring a molten metal from a vessel into an ingot mold, in which it will solidify

Primary lead smelter

A facility that transforms lead-bearing ore, normally a sulfide, into nearly pure lead by the steps of sintering, reduction, and refining

PS

Probable Suspect (bullet)

Reduction

The chemical process of converting the lead ore into molten lead

Refining

The process of removing unwanted contaminants by various treatments carried out on a bath of molten lead

REM

Remington, bullet manufacturer

RF

Radio-Frequency

RSD

Relative Standard Deviation

Sb

Antimony, an element used to harden lead for bullets.

SD

Standard Deviation

Secondary lead smelter

An organization that remelts scrap lead from various sources and carries out refining and alloying operations to produce lead ingots, pigs, billets, etc. of specified composition for further processing and/or product formation

Slug

A cylinder of lead that has been cut for an extruded wire and that approximates the size (length and diameter) of the finished bullet

Sn

Tin, a metallic element also used for hardening lead, but it is more expensive and less effective than antimony. Also a metal sometimes present as an impurity in bullet lead

SRM

Standard Reference Material

SSMS

Spark Source Mass Spectrometry

Suspect bullet

Unused cartridges in the possession of a suspect

Swage

An operation that involves rotary forging, employing rotating dies that periodically open and close, used to reduce the diameter of rods, wires, or tubes. (Often used in the firearms industry to mean pressing of a slug into a bullet.)

TIMS

Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

WDXRF

Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence

WIN

Winchester, bullet manufacturer

Wire

A long piece of lead of the correct diameter used to produce a desired caliber bullet, formed by extrusion

K_a

critical value

t_a

critical value

σ

within-bullet standard deviation