Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS)

SIGNIFICANCE: The two primary functions of the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) are data acquisition and signature analysis. By consolidating and sharing ballistics information collected throughout the United States in a single database, the system makes important contributions to federal, state, and local law enforcement by providing data and expertise that few agencies could afford on their own. The data and services it provides help forensic investigators identify the specific weapons and ammunition used in the commission of crimes.

DATE: Adopted by the US government in 1993

IDENTIFICATION: Automated computer system operated under a branch of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that compares firearms evidence collected at crime scenes with the ever-growing body of ballistics information stored within its own database.

The Integrated Identification System, or IBIS, operates under the Firearms Program Division of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that helps coordinate and link independent criminal investigations across widespread jurisdictions. The IBIS technology was originally developed by a Canadian corporation, which sold it to the US government in 1993.

IBIS is based on the principle that bullets fired from any specific weapon carry “signatures” that are unique to that weapon, much as human fingers leave unique prints. Computer matches of bullets fired from known weapons and those recovered from crime scenes make it possible to identify the specific weapons used in the commission of crimes by matching both class and individual characteristics. Firearms recovered from crime scenes or taken from suspects are test fired and digital images of the bullets are created that can be compared with bullets collected from crime scenes. The signature data analysis station scans the digitally captured images of bullets and shell casings, and each image is assigned its own distinctive mathematical signature. Ballistics technicians then search the IBIS database for possible matches.

IBIS data analysis technicians focus their efforts on retrieving missing pieces of firearms by analyzing and comparing side-by-side digitized images. Examinations of bullet and shell casing often yield the digitized bullet profile signatures and individual characteristics that are unique to the weapons that fired them. Successful “hits” are defined as linkages in at least two investigations. When they are found, firearms examiners manually compare the bullet or cartridge case evidence using comparison microscopes for final determinations.

The information provided by IBIS to federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies has made a significant contribution in deterring violent crimes. The value of IBIS continues to increase as its database and partnerships with law-enforcement agencies across the United States grow.

Bibliography

"Automated Firearms Ballistics Technology." Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 22 Sept. 2016, www.atf.gov/firearms/automated-firearms-ballistics-technology. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

DiMaio, Vincent J. M. Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 1998.

Heard, Brian J. Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics: Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

Warlow, Tom. Firearms, the Law, and Forensic Ballistics. 2d ed. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 2005.