Serial 1681-02

[This section of Serial 1681 covers page 1-6 of the FBI Report of January 12, 1979.]

Report of the
LABORATORY
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535

December 22, 1978

To: Commissioner
Guyana Police Department
Georgetown, Guyana, South America

Attention: Mr. C. A. Roberts
Assistant Police Commissioner
Criminal Investigations Division

Re: Unknown Subjects;
Congressman Leo J. Ryan
(Deceased) – Victim;
Congressional Assassination Statute;
Foreign Police Cooperation

Examination requested by: Addressee

FBI file no: 89-4286

Lab. No.: 81219043 S NM

Examination requested: Firearms

Specimens recovered from Detective Inspector [name deleted] on December 2, 1978:

Q1                   Four pieces of shot from Patricia Park [Parks] (J57 HQ)

Q2-Q4             Two bullets and a lead fragment from Leo Ryan (J58 HQ)

Q5-Q7             Bullet, leather jacket and lead core from Bob Brown (J 59 HQ)

Q8                   Bullet from Don Harris (J56 HQ)

Q9-Q10          Two bullets from Monica Bagby (J60 HQ)

Q11-Q17        Five .380 Auto catridge cases and two .308 Winchester caliber cartridge cases from Kaituma airstrip (J54 HQ)

[Page 2]

K1                   .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Model 36, Serial Number 60J953 with five cartridges, recovered from Michael Carter (J 55 HQ)

K2                   .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Model 36, Serial Number 5J4831, with five cartridges, recovered from Michael Crooks [Prokes] (J62 HQ)

K3                   .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Model 36, Serial Number J298732, with one cartridge, recovered from Larry Layton (J61 HQ)

Items received on December 5, 1978, from Detective Assistant Superintendent [name deleted]:

K4                   .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Model 10, revolver, Serial Number C 911747

K5                   .357 Magnum Ruger, Security Six, revolver, Serial Number 150-12987

K6                   .22 caliber Harrington and Richardson, Model 922, revolver, Serial Number K8657

K7                   .22 caliber Liberty Arms Corporation, Model Liberty 21, revolver, Serial Number 48805

K8                   .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Model 36, Serial Number 273666

K9                   .22 caliber Ruger automatic pistol, Serial Number 13-11054

K10                 .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver, Serial Number S820402

K11                 .380 Auto Walther, PPK/S, automatic pistol, Serial Number 1381885

K12                 .25 Auto Colt automatic pistol, Serial Number 218752

K13                 .22 caliber High Standard, Duramatic model, automatic pistol, Serial Number 512543

K14                 .308 Winchester caliber Remington, Model 742, carbine, Serial Number 46316.

[Page 3]

K15                 .308 Winchester caliber Remington, Model 700, rifle, Serial Number 6742465

K16                 .30-06 Springfield caliber Remington, Model 742, rifle, Serial Number 15824

K17                 .30-06 Springfield caliber Browning rifle, Serial Number 75866M9

K18                 .308 Winchester caliber Remington, Model 788, rifle, Serial Number 6110319, with telescope

K19                 .30-06 Springfield caliber Remington, Model 742, rifle, Serial Number A7402065

K20                 .308 Winchester caliber Winchester, Model 88, rifle, Serial Number 82976, with telescope

K21                 .243 Winchester caliber Ruger, Model 77, rifle[,] Serial Number 72-24208 with telescope

K22                 .30 caliber US Carbine, M1, Serial Number 3084280

K23                 .22 caliber Ruger, Model 10-22, rifle, Serial Number 116-53921

K24                 .22 caliber Western Field, Model 88A-ECH, rifle, no serial number

K25                 .22 caliber Armalite, AR-7 Explorer, rifle, Serial Number 73270

K26                 .30-20 Winchester caliber Winchester, Model 94 Canadian Centennial, rifle, Serial Number 36519

K27                 .30-20 Winchester caliber Sears, Model 54, rifle, Serial Number 34912

K28                 12-gauge Remington, Model 870, shotgun, Serial Number T 019755M

K29                 12-gauge Universal Arms, Auto-Wing model, shotgun, Serial Number D3447

[Page 4]

K30                 12-gauge Savage, Model 6670H, shotgun, no serial number

K31                 12-gauge J.C. Higgins, Model 60, shotgun, no serial number

K32                 12-gauge Remington, Model 870, shotgun, Serial Number S946514M

K33                 12-gauge Remington, Model 11, shotgun, Serial Number 773398

K34                 12-gauge Western Field, Model XNH-565D, shotgun, no serial number

K35                 16-gauge Stevens, Model 94H, shotgun, Serial Number A171004

Items received on December 11, from Detective Assistant Superintendent [name deleted] from Kaituma airstrip:

Q18-Q20        Two bullet jackets and a lead bullet core

Q21-Q22        Two .30-06 Springfield caliber cartridge cases

Q23-Q27        Five .22 caliber cartridge cases

Q28-Q29        Two wads

Results of examination:

This report supplements and confirms the preliminary report furnished your office on December 12, 1978.

Specimen Q1 consists of four pieces of lead shot which have been determined to be size “F”. This size of the shot is not commercially loaded into shotguns in either the United States or Great Britain. However, size “F” shot is available in many countries for hand or reloading purposes.

[Page 5]

Specimen Q2 is a .38 Special or a .358 Magnum bullet jacket which has been fired from a barrel trifled with six grooves, right twist, such as the K5 revolver. However, the barrel of the specimen K5 was found to contain a large quantity of foreign material and corrosion which effected the microscopic markings used in identification. Therefore, it was not possible to determine if Q2 had been fired from K5. None of the other recovered weapons could have fired Q2.

Specimen Q3 was identified as having been fired from the K15 rifle.

Specimens Q4, Q6 and Q20 are lead cores from jacketed bullets which do not contain any marks of value for identification purposes. Therefore, the origin of Q4, Q6 and Q20 could not be determined.

Specimens Q5 and Q18 are .30 caliber bullet jackets which were fired from a barrel(s) rifled with four grooves, right twist such as the barrels in the K17 and K20 rifles. However, due to a lack of sufficient matching microscopic marks between Q5, Q18 and test bullets fired from K17 and K20, it was not possible to determine if Q5 or Q18 had been fired from K17 or K20.

Specimen Q7 is a .380 Auto caliber jacketed bullet which was fired from a barrel rifled with six grooves, right twist. Although the barrel of the K11 pistol contains six grooves, right twist, nothing was done to indicate that Q7 had been fired from K11.

Specimens Q8 and Q19 are .30 caliber bullet jackets which were fired from a barrel(s) rifled with six grooves, right twist such as the barrels and the K14 and K15 rifles. However, there are not sufficient microscopic marks of value for identification purposes of either Q8 or Q19. Therefore, it was not possible to determine if they had been fired from K14 or K15.

The Q9 and Q10 bullets were identified as having been fired from the K3 revolver.

[Page 6]

The Q11 through Q15 cartridge cases were identified as having been fired in the same firearm; however, they were not fired in specimen K11.

Specimen Q16 was not fired in any of the recovered .308 Winchester caliber firearms.

Specimen Q17 was identified as having been fired in the K15 rifle.

Specimen Q21 does not contain sufficient microscopic marks of value for identification purposes. Therefore, it was not possible to determine if Q21 had been fired in K19 or K17. Specimen Q21 was not fired in K16.

Specimen Q22 does not contain sufficient microscopic marks of value for identification purposes. Therefore it was not possible to determine if Q22 was fired in K17. Specimen Q22 was not fired in K16 or K19.

The Q23 through Q27 cartridge cases were identified as having been fired by the K23 rifle.

Specimens Q28 and Q29 are consistent with 16-gauge shot shell wads but could not be identified further.