What is the role of a water tank in determining whether a bullet recoved from the scene matches a test fired from a particular weapon?

Answer 1

A water tank serves as a medium to safely capture and preserve bullets fired from a weapon during ballistics testing. When a bullet is fired into the water, it slows down and becomes embedded, allowing forensic experts to analyze its characteristics without deformation. By comparing the recovered bullet from a crime scene to those fired into the tank from the suspect's weapon, investigators can examine striations and markings to determine if they match, thus linking the bullet to the specific firearm. This process is crucial for establishing connections in criminal investigations.