Shells And Bullets

Shells On The Sixth Floor

When authorities searched the sixth floor of the three spent 6.5-millimeter cartridge cases were found, along with one unfired cartridge. There was also a clip found in the rifle, but even though the clip held six cartridges, only the four were found. Even more odd, no other ammunition was ever found for the rifle, at the depository, at Oswald's rooming house, or at the Paine's residence, where Oswald's wife Marina was staying.

No fingerprints were found on any of the shells or on the rifle clip. The only print found on the rifle, was on a part covered when the rifle was in one piece, and was found after Oswald's death, leading some people to believe the print was made from Oswald's hand after his death. Two of the shells were found next to the window wall of the sniper's nest, with the third about five feet away. Two of the shells showed marks "identified as having been produced by the chamber of Oswald's rifle." (Thompson, Josiah. "Six Seconds In Dallas, pg. 143). The third case was different from the first two in many ways. For some reason, it was kept by the Dallas Police until the FBI demanded it on Nov. 28. What was odd about this shell, is that it had a sharp dent in its lip, which would not have allowed it to have been fired in that condition. What is unknown, is when the dent occured, or if this was the shell found some distance from the other two. What is also strange, is that it is virtually impossible for the shell to have become dented during the ejection process, and does not have gentler contours that would be expected if someone stepped on it. The Warren Commission was never able to closely match the dent, whether by throwing it against a wall, stepping on it, etc... The dented shell also had "three sets of marks on the base" that were not found on the others, or on numerous test cartridges from Oswald's rifle. There was an impression along the side in the other two shells, and the live round, but not on the dented shell. Two other cartridge cases from test rounds fired from the Oswald rifle also had the mark in the same spot.






At left is a picture of the four cartridges found on the sixth floor of the Depository. Three of the four have chamber markings characteristic of Oswald's rifle, but the fourth lacks the mark, and also has a dented lip.

The 'Magic Bullet'

Much has been made about the so-called 'magic bullet', and deservedly so. According to the Warren Commission, the President was struck in the high back, the bullet exited his throat, struck Governor Connally in the right side of the back, exited his chest, entered and exited his right wrist, and imbedded itself in his left thigh. The bullet was found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital approximately an hour after the president was declared dead. The weight of an unfired bullet of this type is 160-161 grains, with the weight of the stretcher bullet at 158.6.

A number of fragments were left scattered through Connally's body. Two small fragments were removed from his wrist, and x-rays showed additional fragments remaining in the wrist, and a small fragment in the thigh. In addition, there was supposedly a small fragment removed from the thigh wound that apparently has been lost, and a chest x-ray showed a small fragment remaining. Under questioning by the Commission, Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Finck, of the Army's wound ballistics was asked if the 'magic bullet' could have caused all the wounds attributed to it. He replied, "No, for the reason that there are too many fragments described in the wrist." (Thompson. "Six Seconds In Dallas, pg. 148). Two doctors testified the same.






At left is a picture of three bullets, two fired into long tubes filled with the cotton, and the one in the middle, the 'magic bullet'.

Another Bullet?






The picture at left is one of a series published in the Nov. 23, 1963 edition of the Fort Worth Telegram, "The spot where one of the bullets was recovered." If true, this would be one more than accounted for by the Warren Commission.

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