From: sasdwf@slaughter.unx.sas.com (Dan Fowler)
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.jfk
Subject: Re: Head Shot - Lead or Copper Jacketed Bullet?
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:07:16 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
X-Bytes: 3884

In article <schuck.703059944@sfu.ca> Bruce_Schuck@sfu.ca writes:
>Was JFK shot in the head by a lead bullet , or
>by a copper jacketed bullet (the kind supposedly fired
>by Oswald) ?
>
>Evidence for a lead bullet:
>
>Fragmentation was massive, with the bullet leaving a
>large exit wound (  2 3/4 inches according to Dallas,
>5 1/8 inches in diameter according to Bethesda)
>Massive fragmentation is common to lead bullets,
>uncommon in copper jacketed.
>
>No copper fragments were found in JFK's head or
>on skull pieces. Copper was found on JFK's jacket,
>indicating the back wound was caused by a copper
>bullet (or instrument if it was done after Parkland)
>
>On the X-Rays, a circular ring is visible.
>When a lead bullet hits a hard object such as a skull,
>it is common for a ring of lead to be shaved off the
>lead bullet as it passes through. This ring shows
>up on the X-Rays of JFK's head. (Thanks to Joel for
>reminding me of this)
>
>Evidence for a copper jacketed bullet: none.
>
>Copper jacketed bullet do not fragment like lead bullets.
>
>Copper is much harder than lead, and such a ring is
>unlikely and uncommon if a copper jacketed bullet
>is used.
>
>No copper was found in the wound.
>
>
>I know Mitchell will claim fragmentation is possible
>for copper jacketed bullets.
>
>Therefore I will pass on the test published in the WR.
>
>10 gelatin filled skulls were fired upon using Copper
>Jacketed bullets. One out of the ten caused similar wounds
>as the wound the WC puts in JFK's head.
>"The whole skull...was struck 2.9 cm to the right and
>almost horizontal to the occipital protuberance"
>[this is where Humes put the entrance wound, which is
>4 inches lower than the wound that shows up in Ida Dox's
>drawings of JFK's head, and exactly where the Parkland
>staff put a fist size hole]
>"The bullet blew out the right side of the reconstructed
>skull..."
>
>What a test! A bullet hits in the wrong location,
>on a dried up skull(not as elastic as a live one)
>without the benefit of a scalp (which helps to hold
>a skull together) and 1 in 10 bullets cause the same
>wound!
>
>JFK was probably hit by a lead bullet that frgmented
>after it hit causing massive destruction of the right side
>of the brain and blowing out the back of JFK's skull.
>
>There is zero evidence of him being hit by a copper
>jacketed bullet (which are the ones supposedly used
>by Lee Harvey Oswald)
>
> 

Kurtz (CRIME OF THE CENTURY, p. 105) points out that only a few of
the many fragments were subjected to neutron activiation analysis.
"Neutron activation analysis was performed on Bullet 399, a bullet 
fragment removed from Governor Connally's wrist, one of the bullet
fragments found in the front seat of the limousine, and two fragments
removed from President Kennedy's head during the autopsy...Of those
fragments tested, only the silver and antimony were tested.  No copper
was measured, even though it composed a much higher proportion of the
total weight of the bullets than either silver or antimony.  Despite these
limitations, the results of the neutron activation analysis do provide
very strong evidence of more than one assassin.
   The results for both silver and antimony demonstrate that Bullet 399
did not match the fragment removed from Governor Connally's wrist.  This
means that Bullet 399 couild not have caused the Connally wrist wound.
The Kennedy head fragments did not match the limousine fragment and therefore
could not have been caused by it.  The Kennedy head fragments did not  even
closely resemble the Connally wrist fragment or Bullet 399, nor did the
limousine fragments(sic).44 "  

44.  FBI Results of Neutron Activation Analysis, 06May 1964, FBI Papers.




-- 
Dan Fowler          |   "Beep-beep"
Austin QA,          |    attributed to:
SAS Institute       |
sasdwf@unx.sas.com  |    David Bowie, Pennywise the Clown, and the Roadrunner.