RE: Ejecting shell-casings

[Deacon KC]

Yup, casings are hot when fired, also many are taught when you are reloading to NEVER catch them, let them fall, and reload. You can pick them up later.

 

[Oscar Zulu]

Possibly a frame job? Taking the casings from the known weapon after the fact to the crime scene to "smooth the flow of justice." Just a guess.
OZ

 

[Buford57]

Another factor to consider in the question of why someone would leave casings at the scene of a shooting is that, even though some serious advances were being made in the scientific study of ballistics and forensics at that time, they weren't widely known. Few criminals would be concerned about leaving empty casings at the scene compared to leaving one or more corpses, bullets and all. If police and attorneys weren't certain of the probative value of empties, why would you expect a criminal to be aware and take precautions.

I knew burglars 25-30 years ago who didn't start wearing gloves until after they had been sent up once on the basis of fingerprint evidence. And they had grown up watching Dragnet.

A final thought, and it speaks more to the question of coldbloodedness, is that certain infamous killers over the years have been known to leave "calling cards" recognizable within the community and intended to "send a message". A pile of .38 cases or a stone under the victims head - just a matter of taste.

 

[dbarale]

If I read this correctly, five .38 S&W casings were recovered. That sounds like a topbreak revolver to me (lemon squeezer).
Is it possible that the victim after being shot (the .38S&W is not a good man stopper), struggled with the shooter and, trying to get a hold of the gun, unlatched the break release and dumped the empties?
It would be very unlikey with a swing out cylinder but I just tried my little topbreak and it's really not that far fetched...

 

[2152hq]

Reading both of these threads has been interesting I admit but a bit confusing. Maybe it's just me

There's 38S&W's,,38Specials, 38 casings,etc. If the cases recovered were 38S&W, how were they linked to a 38Special revolver. With so many different possibilitys including the 38 Colt New Police cartridge, 38 Colt Long & Short (both very much still popular in that era) nothing can be determined without more information. The possibility of a semiauto as odd as it may seem as the Browning Model 1903 or Webley 1909 in 9mmBrowning Long is a possibility. The cartridge is '38 cal', nearly identicle in specs to the 38 S&W revolver cart. with a semi rim just a few .000" lesser in dia. (In fact I shoot that cartridge in my British top break 38S&W cal revolvers.) With a magazine capacity of 7rds, it would go a long way to explain the pile of spent cartridges at the scene. They do have a 'plunger'

I think the exact cartridge, headstamp, bullet material are going to have to be known before much more accuate guessing can be done..

 

[NobodyElse]

Thanks again for your reponses and references, particularly the Goodard reference which has led me to some material on the Sacco & Vanzetti case which could be useful. It is clear that there were better tests available at the time which could have produced certainty in connecting the found cartridges with the alleged murder weapon.

Thanks for letting me take up your time with this, your assistance is greatly appreciated.