Mr. Cunningham. It is not unusual in this particular case. I have had other cases with these rechambered .38 S&W revolvers, that are rechambered to a .38 Special; it is not unusual to not be able to identify them. And especially when the barrel has been cut off 2¾ inches, it even cuts down the possibility a little bit more.
Mr. Rhyne. I was under the impression that you people down at the FBI could identify almost any bullet as coming from almost any gun. That is not strictly true, then?
Mr. Cunningham. Thank you, but it is not.
Representative Boggs. How much has this barrel been cut off?
Mr. Cunningham. About 2¾ inches. You measure the length of the barrel from—you see the cylinder——
Representative Boggs. Yes.
Mr. Cunningham. And the portion coming out from the frame, that is a portion of the barrel. And the barrel is measured from there to the muzzle. And the barrel now is 2¼ inches long. The original barrel was 5 inches long—or at least it is similar to the model that would have a 5-inch barrel.
Representative Boggs. What is the advantage of reducing the length of the barrel?
Mr. Cunningham. Two things—sales appeal and concealment.
Representative Boggs. Does it affect the firing quality of the weapon?