USE OF ACIDIFIED HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE TO REMOVE EXCESS GUN BLUE FROM GUNBLUE-TREATED CARTRIDGE CASES AND TO DEVELOP LATENT PRINTS ON UNTREATED CARTRIDGE CASES
Aa. Cantu et al., USE OF ACIDIFIED HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE TO REMOVE EXCESS GUN BLUE FROM GUNBLUE-TREATED CARTRIDGE CASES AND TO DEVELOP LATENT PRINTS ON UNTREATED CARTRIDGE CASES, Journal of forensic sciences, 43(2), 1998, pp. 294-298
A formula used by firearms and toolmark examiners to clean lead residu
e from bullets was also found to remove excess gun blue coating from m
etal cartridge cases. It consists of a mixture of acetic acid and hydr
ogen peroxide and works by oxidizing the coating back into solution. T
his explanation allows one to determine the optimum proportion of the
mixture. Acidified hydrogen peroxide formulas were also found to ''cle
an'' (oxidize or etch) metal cartridge cases in areas where there was
no sebaceous latent print material (or other substances that resist ox
idation). The subsequent treatment of these ''cleaned'' cartridge case
s with gun blue to enhance the latent print contrast was also consider
ed.