Introduction

Prior to the development of automated ballistic identification systems such as the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS), identifying bullets, cartridge casings, and firearms consisted of a firearms examiner manually analyzing a pair of bullets under a comparison microscope. It wasn’t until the 1990’s, when computer systems started to become more affordable, that automated systems began to appear. Now, although the technology is continuing to evolve, systems like IBIS are the most trusted way of analyzing ballistic evidence.