Experimental design for acquiring relevant data to address the issue of comparing consecutively manufactured tools and firearms

Abstract 

The comparison of consecutively manufactured tools and firearms has provided much, but not all, of the basis for the profession of firearm and toolmark examination. The authors accept the fundamental soundness of this approach but appeal to the experimental community to close two minor gaps in the experimental procedure. We suggest that “blinding” and attention to appropriateness of other experimental conditions that would consolidate the foundations of our profession. We do not suggest that previous work is unsound.

Keywords: Blind studies, Consecutively manufactured tools, Experimental design, Toolmark examination