One of the harshest penalties in the American federal system today occurs when one is found in possession of a homemade device that muffles the sound of a gunshot, also called a suppressor; this is why the United States Government has strict guidelines pertaining to obtaining a suppressor.  With gun violence being a major issue in recent years, a study was performed to detect gunshot residue with different means of suppression.  A 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun was fired into white cotton T-shirts, at eight different distances ranging from contact to 36 inches.   A control of the unsuppressed handgun was fired first, followed by the firing of a commercially sold suppressor on the same gun.  The homemade suppressor, 20 fl oz plastic soda bottle, was then attached to the muzzle of the handgun.  The shirts were tested by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for trace elements in the gunshot residue.

Detecting the presence of gunshot residue of a 9mm handgun equipped with a suppressor

245th National Meeting (2013)

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