Mr. Eisenberg. Have you examined consecutively manufactured barrels to determine whether their microscopic characteristics are identical?
Mr. Frazier. Yes, sir; I have three different sets of, you might say, paired barrels, which have been manufactured on the same machine, one after the other, under controlled conditions to make them as nearly alike as possible, and in each case fired bullets from those barrels could not be identified with each other; in fact, they looked nothing at all alike as far as individual microscopic characteristics are concerned. Their rifling impressions of course would be identical, but the individual marks there would be entirely different.
Mr. Eisenberg. Mr. Frazier, did you determine the weight of the exhibit—that is, 399?
Mr. Frazier. Yes, sir. Exhibit 399 weighs 158.6 grains.
Mr. Eisenberg. How much weight loss does that show from the original bullet weight?
Mr. Frazier. We measured several standard bullets, and their weights varied, which is a normal situation, a portion of a grain, or two grains, from 161 grains—that is, they were all in the vicinity of 161 grains. One weighed—160.85, 161.5, 161.1 grains.
Mr. Eisenberg. In your opinion, was there any weight loss?
Mr. Frazier. There did not necessarily have to be any weight loss to the bullet. There may be a slight amount of lead missing from the base of the bullet, since it is exposed at the base, and the bullet is slightly flattened; there could be a slight weight loss from the end of the bullet, but it would not amount to more than 4 grains, because 158.6 is only a grain and a half less than the normal weight, and at least a 2 grain variation would be allowed. So it would be approximately 3 or 4 grains.
Mr. Eisenberg. Were the markings on the bullet at all defaced?
Mr. Frazier. Yes; they were, in that the bullet is distorted by having been slightly flattened or twisted.