From: sasdwf@unx.sas.com (Dan Fowler)
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.jfk
Subject: neutron activation analysis
Date: 15 Apr 92 19:36:28 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

From sasdwf Wed Apr 15 13:16:07 1992
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Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 13:16:07 -0500
From: sasdwf (Dan Fowler)
Message-Id: <9204151816.AA16302@slaughter.unx.sas.com>
To: sasdwf@slaughter.unx.sas.com
Subject: Re: Head Shot - Lead or Copper Jacketed Bullet?
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.jfk
Distribution:  usa 
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Cc: 
Status: R

In article <1992Apr15.180716.9507@unx.sas.com> you write:
>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.