Headstamp
Definition
The manufacturer identification and calibre marking stamped into the base of a cartridge case during manufacture. Includes manufacturer codes, year, NATO cross stamps, and calibre designations.
- Location
- Base of cartridge case
- Applied
- During manufacture
- Content
- Manufacturer code, year, calibre designation
- May include
- NATO cross stamp
Common questions
Can a headstamp alone identify the firearm that fired a case?+
No, a headstamp only identifies the ammunition manufacturer and calibre, not the firearm; matching a case to a specific gun requires comparing microscopic marks such as firing pin and breech face impressions left during firing.
Why might headstamp information mislead an investigation if used alone?+
Ammunition is commonly reloaded, sold second-hand, or stockpiled for years, so a headstamp only shows where and roughly when the case was manufactured, not who purchased it, when it was fired, or in what firearm.
Related terms
- AFTE Theory of Identification
- The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners' standard (1992, revised 2011) for reporting tool-mark comparison conclusions as Identification, Inconclusive, or Elimination...
- Breech Face
- The forward surface of the bolt, slide, or breech block that seals the chamber and contacts the cartridge case head during firing....
- Ejector Mark
- A striated or impressed feature left on the cartridge case rim or base by the ejector pin at the moment of case...
- Extractor Mark
- Striations or impressed features on the extractor groove of the cartridge case, produced by the spring-loaded extractor claw during the extraction stroke....
- Firing-Pin Impression
- The indentation left in the primer cup by the firing-pin tip at the moment of discharge. Its shape (circular, oval, rectangular), size,...
- IBIS BrassTRAX-3D HD
- Forensic Technology's automated ballistic correlation system for cartridge cases. Captures topographic maps of the breech-face, firing-pin, and ejector areas and ranks case-to-case...
- Magazine-Lip Marks
- Parallel striated marks on the cartridge case below the extractor groove, produced by the magazine lips as the cartridge is stripped from...
- NABIS
- National Ballistics Intelligence Service; the UK police intelligence service that maintains a national headstamp and firearm reference collection and coordinates ballistic intelligence...
- NIBIN
- National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. ATF-operated distributed network of IBIS acquisition sites and correlation servers across the United States, active since 1999...