Overview, Analysis, and Interpretation

Firearms discharge residue (FDR) is composed of materials produced during the discharge of a firearm due to the explosion of the cartridge. FDR can be useful during criminal investigations to get information about several aspects of a shooting incident, such as the possible involvement of a suspect. Scanning electron microscopy with x-ray detection is the most efficient method of analyzing FDR particles, but the increasing use of heavy-metal-free primers raises the need for new analytical techniques and an improved approach to the interpretation of the analytical results.