Mr. Cunningham. Many times that type of ammunition, surplus ammunition, is sold in any amount. They will give a single price, single cartridge price—or they will take off some if you buy them by the thousand or the hundred. That is a lot different than commercially made ammunition for sale in this country.
Mr. Eisenberg. Mr. Chairman, I would like to examine this witness now on the paraffin test, if there are no further questions on the areas we have been covering up to now.
Representative Ford. Any questions, Mr. Boggs?
Representative Boggs. I don't think so.
Representative Ford. Mr. Rhyne?
Mr. Rhyne. Yes; you said that you were positive that these cartridge cases that were found near where Officer Tippit was killed, and which are over in front of Representative Boggs now, were fired in this gun.
Mr. Cunningham. As I stated the first time, in my opinion those cartridge cases were fired in that particular weapon to the exclusion of all other weapons.
Mr. Rhyne. And with respect to the bullets that were found in the body of Officer Tippit, you testified that you could not be positive that they were fired by this weapon, Exhibit 143.
Mr. Cunningham. I could not identify those bullets as having been fired from that gun. However, the rifling characteristics on the bullets are the same as produced by that weapon. Also, I could not identify consecutive tests obtained from that revolver, using .38 Special ammunition, and I could not identify, even though there are microscopic marks on three of these bullets for comparison purposes—I could not identify them with each other.
Mr. Rhyne. Now, based on your many, many years of experience, is this usual or unusual, that you are unable to identify bullets from such a gun under these circumstances?