HSCA VII, Page 373 TIPPIT MURDER Evidence examined (170) CE 143--One .38 special caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, Victory model, serial No. V510210, seized from Oswald when he was apprehended in the Texas theater. (See figs. 26A and 26B.)* The barrel is rifled with five lands and five grooves, right twist. The cylinder has a six-cartridge capacity. (172) The CE 143 revolver had been altered to accept .38 special caliber ammunition and presumably to allow easier concealment, as follows: 1. the barrel had been shortened from the muzzle end to it present length of 2 1/4 inches. 2. The muzzle end had been recrowned. 3. The cylinder had been rechambered from .38 S. & W. caliber to accommodate .38 special caliber cartridges. 4. The front sight had been reset. --------------------------------- *The panel found the revolver to be in good operating condition. It can be fired single action or double action. The trigger pull was measured at about 3 1/2 pounds single action and 10 1/4 pounds double action. 374 5. The "U.S. Property" markings located on the left side of the top strap had been partially obliterated. 6. The lanyard swivel and ring had been removed and the hole filled with metal. (173) CE 143 was test-fired four times by the panel into a horizontal water recovery tank, using two Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber cartridges with 158-grain, copper-coated (Lubalov), lead, round-nose bullets, and two Remington-Peters .38 special caliber cartridges with 158-grain, plain lead, round-nose bullets. (174) CE 518--Four cartridges found in the CE 143 revolver. Two cartridges, designated Q78 and Q79 by the FBI, are Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber cartridges with copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullets. The other two, designated Q80 and Q81 by the FBI. are Remington-Peters .38 special caliber cartridges with plain lead, round-nose bullets.* (See fig. 27.) (175) CE 587--One Western Cartridge Co..38 S. & W. caliber cartridge with a copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, roundnose bullet, acquired by the FBI and used as a standard. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. 264.) (176) CE 588--One Western Cartridge Co. unfired .38 S. & W. caliber cartridge case and one unfired .38 caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy). lead, round-nose bullet, weighing 145.1 grains and measuring 0.635 inch long, acquired by the FBI. Both were used as standards. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. 264.) (178) CE 589--Assembled and disassembled cartridges--one Remington-Peters .38 S. & W. caliber cartridge with a plain lead, roundnose bullet. measuring 1.20 inches long overall; one Remington-Peters unfired .38 S. & W. caliber cartridge case measuring 0.763 inch long and one unfired .38 S. & W. caliber plain lead, round-nose bullet measuring 0.661 inch long. The FBI used these as standards. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. 264.) (179) CE 590--Assembled and disassembled cartridges--one Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber cartridge with a copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullet measuring 1.530 inches long; one unfired Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber cartridge case measuring 1.150 inches long; and one .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullet measuring 0.730 inch long. The cartridges and components in this exhibit were used by the FBI as standards. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. 264. ) (180) CE 591--Assembled and disassembled cartridges--one Remington-Peters .38 special caliber cartridge with a plain lead, roundnose bullet measuring 1.550 inches long overall; one unfired Remington-Peters .38 special caliber cartridge case measuring 1,150 inches long; and one .38 caliber plain lead, round-nose bullet measuring 0.730 inch long. The FBI used these as standards. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. e64.) (181) CE 592--Five Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber cartridges with copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullets, found -------------------------------------- *The panel's visual and microscopic examinations revealed no markings that could be attributed to any attempt to discharge them in a firearm. 375 in Oswald's trouser pocket, designated Qse through Q86 by the FBI.* (See fig. 28) (183) CE 594--Four expended cartridge cases retrieved from the scene of the Tippit murder, designated Q74 through Q77 by the FBI. Q75 and Q76 are .38 special caliber of Western Cartridge Co. manufacture; Q74 and Q77 are .38 special caliber of Remington-Peters manufacture. (See fig. 29.) (184) CE 595.--Two cartridge cases test-fired by the FBI in the CE 143 revolver--one Winchester Repeating Arms .38 special caliber designated K3 by the FBI** and one Western Cartridge Co..38 special caliber, designated K3 by the FBI. (See fig. 30.) (185) CE 602.--One .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose ballet. and one damaged, brass-colored button with the lettering "city of Dallas." The bullet and button were removed from the body of Officer Tippit. The bullet is consistent with Western Cartridge Co. marefracture. The c]ass characteristics are five lands and five grooves, right twist. The weight is 155.4 grains. (See fig. 31.) (186) CE 603.--One .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubalov) lead, round-nose bullet removed from the body of Officer Tippit. The bullet is consistent with Western Cartridge Co. manufacture. The class characteristics are five lands and five grooves, right twist. The weight is 155.1 grains. (See fig. 32.) (187) CE 604.--One .38 special caliber lead, round-nose bullet. removed from the body of Officer Tippit. The bullet is consistent with Remington-Peters manufacture. The class characteristics are five lands and five grooves, right twist. The weight is 154.7 grains. (See fig. 33.) (188) CE 605.--One .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullet removed from the body of Officer Tippit. The bullet is consistent with Western Cartridge Co. manufacture. The class characteristics are five lands and five grooves, right twist. The weight is 152.8 grains. (See fig. 34.) (189) CE 606.--Two bullets test-fired by the FBI in the CE 143 revolver, as follows: One .38 special caliber lead, round-nose bullet consistent with Winchester Repeating Arms manufacture; and one .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullet consistent with Western Cartridge Co. manufacture. (See hearings before the Warren Commission, vol. 17, p. 271.) (191) Panel Tippit T 1 T 4.--and T-2: .38 special caliber cartridges of Remington Cartridge Co. manufacture, with lead bullets (see figs. 35A, 35B, and 35E); T-3 and T-4:.38 special caliber cartridges of Western Cartridge Co. manufacture with copper-coated (Lubaloy), lead, round-nose bullets (see figs. 35C, 35D, and 35E). (192) All cartridges were test fired by the panel into a horizontal water-recovery tank. Findings and Conclusions What are the dimensional diferences of a .38 S. & W. caliber car- tridge and a .38 special caliber cartridge? Can a .38 special caliber ------------------------------------------ *The panel's visual and microscopic examination revealed no markings which could be attributed to any attempt to discharge them in a firearm. **The panel found a split in the side of the Winchester Repeating Arms cariridge case. (See fig. 30.) 376 cartridge be inserted in a weapon chambered for a .38 S. & W. caliber cartridge? Would this cause the side of the cartridge case to split, as happened with the CE 595 cartridge case test fired by the FBI ,in Oswald's revolver? (193) A .38 S. & W. caliber cartridge and the .38 special caliber cartridge differ in the diameter of the neck, head and rim, and in length. The standard dimensions are:(81) [In inches] .38 s &w Average .38 special Average Diameter neck O.375 O.386 O.380 O.372-O.378 O.375 Diameter head .379-.386 .381 .372-.379 .376 Diameter rim .424-.441 .433 .424-.444 .434 Length .725-.794 .760 1.120-1.168 1.144 (194) The .38 S&W caliber cartridge is approximately 0.005 inch larger in neck and head diameters, 0.001 inch smaller in rim diameter, and 0.384 inch shorter in case length. (82) (195) Overall length of the .38 S&W caliber cartridge is approximately 1.20 inches. Overall length of the .38 special caliber cartridge is approximately 1.55 inches. (83) (196) A revolver designed and manufactured to accept a .38 S&W caliber cartridge cannot fire a .38 special caliber cartridge without modification. One common method of modification is rechambering the cylinder. (197) The panel noted that one of the FBI test-fired cartridge cases was split. on the side. The panel attributed this split to one or more the following factors: (1) The oversized chamber on the CE 143 revolver; (2) a weak cartridge case sidewall; or (3) excessive chamber pressures. During the panel's test firing of the CE 143 revolver, one test cartridge case split, in a similar manner, which it attributed to the same possible causes. Were the four cartridge cases (CE 594) recovered from. the scene o.f the Tippit murder fired in the CE 143 revolver recovered from Oswald when apprehended? (198) The panel microscopically compared the four CE 594 cartridge cases with the two CE 606 cartridge cases testified by the FBI and the four cartridge cases test fired by the panel in the CE 143 revolver. The panel found correspondence among the individual identifying characteristics produced by the firing pin and breech face. The panel concluded the four CE 494 cartridge cases were fired in revolver. (See figs. 36 A, B, C, and D and 36E.) Were the four bullets recovered from officer Tippit's body CE 602 through CE 605) fired from the CE 143 revolver recovered when Oswald was apprehended? (199) The panel conducted microscopical examinations and comparisons of the four bullets recovered from Tippit's body (CE 602 through CE 605). the two bullets test fired by the FBI (CE 606). and the four 377 bullets (Tippit T-I through T-I) test. fired by the panel in the CE 143 revolver. (200) The panel found correspondence among the class characteristics on all the fired bullets. Nevertheless, no significant. correspondence was found among the individual identifying characteristics of CE 602 through CE 605 and the test-fired bullets. Conversely, no gross differences were found. The finding was inconclusive because of the extensive damage to the bullets recovered from Tippit's body. The panel attributed this to the effects of impact, penetration and wiping. Portions of the bearing surfaces of the CE 602 through CE 605 bullets also showed indications of gas erosion, which is caused by the hot gases produced by the burning of the propellant powder. The panel attributed this to the firing of either undersized bullets through the CE 143 barrel or the barrel of the revolver having become oversized due to wear and deterioration. (201) The panel's two test-fired lead bullets could be identified with each other, as could its two test-fired copper-coated (Lubaloy) lead bullets. The lead and the copper-coated bullets could not, however, be identified with one another. The panel attributed these differences to variatious in the composition of bullet surface materials. (202) Due to the inconsistent markings on the recovered bullets and on all the test-fired bullets, the panel concluded that the CE 602 through CE 605 bullets could not be conclusively identified or eliminated as having been fired from the CE 143 revolver. (See figs. 34, 35A, 35B, 35C, and 35D.) Of the four expended cartridge cases found at the scene of the Tippit murder, two were of Western Cartridge (70. manufacture, two of Remington-Peters. The autopsy of Tippit, however, revealed three bullets of Western Cartridge Co. Manufacture and one of Remington-Peters. Can the panel formulate an opinion on each particular cartridge case? [missing] ble to determine which bullet came from each pa [missing] [RHS] (203) The two expended .38 special caliber cartridge cases (CE 574-Q75 and Q76) of Western Cartridge Co. manufacture and three of the recovered .38 special caliber copper-coated (Lubaloy) lead bullets (CE 602, CE 603, and CE 605) are components of Western Cartridge Co. ammunition. The two expended Remington-Peters cartridge cases (CE 594--Q74 and Q77) and the recovered .38 special caliber lead bullet (CE 604) are components of Remington-Peters Co. ammunition. (204) The panel concluded that they were all components of factory loaded ammunition. Visual and microscopical examination of the recovered cartridge cases revealed no evidence of reloading. It is logically assumed that cases and bullets of the same manufacture could have originated from the recovered cartridge cases and bullets, but the panel can render no opinion beyond this. There is no known scientific procedure that can conclusively relate a fired bullet, to an expended cartridge case. (205) The panel offers two possible explanations for the discrepancy: 1. One Western cartridge case was not recovered or is missing, and one Remington-Peters lead bullet missed Officer Tippit and also was not recovered. One Western cartridge case was not recovered or is missing, and one fired Reinington-Peters cartridge case was in the revolver prior to the Tippit shooting. 378 (206) Inasmuch as the panel's examinations were related to physical evidence only, a hypothesis to account for the discrepancy regarding the recovered cartridge cases and bullets is speculation. (See figs. 31, 32, 33, and 34.)