Inside the Crime Lab: Firearms Toolmark Unit
The Firearms and Toolmark Unit at the Denver Police Crime Lab conducts many different types of examinations:
They do mechanical function checks on firearms to see if they’re working properly; gunpowder pattern testing to determine the distance a firearm was from a victim; microscopic comparison of fired bullets and cartridge cases to determine if they were fired by a specific firearm; microscopic comparison of tools--like screwdrivers, wire cutters, or punches--to toolmarks or physical matches left at a crime scene; and restoration of obscured serial numbers on firearms and other objects using specialized acids.