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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. III - Page 475« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Cortlandt Cunningham)

Mr. Cunningham.
I am sorry.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Did you examine the four bullets which have just been marked into evidence to determine whether those four bullets had been fired in the revolver, No. 143?
Mr. Cunningham.
I did.
Mr. Eisenberg.
And can you give us your results, your conclusions?
Mr. Cunningham.
Yes, sir.
First of all, Commission Exhibit 602, which is our Q-13 bullet, I found to be a .38 Special, copper-coated lead bullet of Western-Winchester manufacture which had been fired from a barrel having five lands and grooves, right twist. I also found the other three bullets--
Mr. Eisenberg.
603
Mr. Cunningham.
603, 604, and 605, Commission. Exhibits, which are C-253,
C-252, and C-251, respectively. I found that 251 and C-253--
Mr. Eisenberg.
Could you give us the Commission numbers?
Mr. Cunningham.
Commission Exhibits 605, 603, they, too, were .38 Special copper-coated lead bullets of Winchester-Western manufacture, which had been fired from a barrel having five lands and grooves, right twist.
The grooves in the barrel ran in a right-hand direction, a right twist.
Mr. Eisenberg.
That accounts for three bullets.

Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Yes.
And Commission Exhibit 604, which is C-252, is a .38 Special Remington-Peters lead bullet, which has been fired from a barrel having five lands and grooves, right twist.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Winchester-Western, you say--
Mr. Cunningham.
No, sir; that is Remington--
Mr. Eisenberg.
Let's go over that. We have 603
Mr. Cunningham.
602, 603, and 605 are your copper-coated lead bullets of Winchester-Western manufacture.
Mr. Eisenberg.
And 604?
Mr. Cunningham.
And 604 is a Remington-Peters lead bullet.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Now, were you able to determine whether those bullets have been fired in this weapon?
Mr. Cunningham.
No; I was not.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Can you explain why?
Mr. Cunningham.
Yes, sir.
First of all, Commission Exhibit No. 602 was too mutilated. There were not sufficient microscopic marks remaining on the surface of this bullet, due to the mutilation, to determine whether or not it had been fired from this weapon.
However, Commission Exhibits 603, 604, and 605 do bear microscopic marks for comparison purposes, but it was not possible from an examination and comparison of these bullets to determine whether or not they had been fired--these bullets themselves--had been fired from one weapon, or whether or not they had been fired from Oswald's revolver.
Further, it was not possible, using .38 Special ammunition, to determine whether or not consecutive test bullets obtained from this revolver had been fired in this weapon.
Mr. Eisenberg.
Do you have an opinion as to why it was impossible to make either type of determination?
Mr. Cunningham.
Yes, sir; this weapon, using .38 Special bullets, was not producing marks consistent with each other. Each time it was fired, the bullet would seem to pass down the barrel in a different way, which could be due to the slightly undersized bullets in the oversized .38 S&W barrel. It would cause an erratic passage down the barrel, and thereby, cause inconsistent individual characteristic marks to be impressed or scratched into the surface of the bullets.
Representative Ford.
When you say this weapon, will you identify what you mean by "this weapon"?
Mr. Cunningham.
This particular revolver, Commission Exhibit 143.
Mr. Eisenberg.
So this brings us back to your earlier testimony, that the
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