Mr. EISENBERG. Have you tested Commission Exhibit 139 with the type of
ammunition you have been looking at to determine the muzzle velocity of
that type of ammunition in this weapon?
Mr. FRAZIER. Yes, sir. The tests were run to determine the muzzle
velocity of this rifle, using this ammunition, at the Naval Research
Laboratory in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 1963, using two
different lots of ammunition--Lot No. 6,000 and Lot No. 6,003.
I might point out that there were four lots of ammunition manufactured
by the Western Cartridge Co., only two of which are available.
Mr. EISENBERG. Can you give the results?
Mr. FRAZIER. Possibly I can give the results shot by shot, so the
record will show each one, and then give an average for them.
Mr. EISENBERG. Fine.
Mr. FRAZIER. The first shot, Lot 6,000, the velocity was 2199.7 feet
per second.
Shot No. 2, Lot 6,000, velocity 2,180.3 feet per second.
The third shot, velocity--same lot--velocity 2,178.9 feet per second.
The third shot, velocity--and this is Lot No. 6,003--velocity was
2,184.8 feet per second.
The fourth shot, Lot No. 6,003, was 2,137.6 feet per second.
Fifth shot, Lot No. 6,000, 2,162.7 feet per second.
The sixth shot, Lot 6,003, 2,134.8 feet per second.
An average of all shots of 2,165 feet per second.
Mr. EISENBERG. How would you characterize the differences between
the muzzle velocities of the various rounds in terms of whether that
difference was a large or small difference?
Mr. FRAZIER. This is a difference well within the manufacturer's
accepted standards of velocity variations. They permit in their
standard ammunition manual, which is a guide to the entire industry in
the United States, a 40-foot-per-second, plus or minus, variation shot
to shot in the same ammunition.
Mr. EISENBERG. Have you calculated the muzzle energy of this 6.5
millimeter ammunition in this weapon?
Mr. FRAZIER. It was furnished by letter to the Commission. Yes,
sir--the muzzle energy was calculated on the basis of the average
velocity of 2,165 feet per second as 1,676 foot-pounds.
Mr. EISENBERG. This is a calculation rather than a measurement?
Mr. FRAZIER. Necessarily a calculation, because it is merely a term
used to compare one bullet against another rather than for any
practical purposes because--because of the bullet's extremely light
weight.
The bullet's velocity and weight, and gravity enter into the
determination of its energy in foot-pounds.
Mr. EISENBERG. Is the 6.5 millimeter Mannlicher-Carcano with which we
are dealing an accurate type of ammunition as opposed to other types
of military ammunition--as compared, I should say, with other types of
military ammunition?
Mr. FRAZIER. I would say it is also accurate. As other types of
ammunition the 6.5 millimeter cartridge or bullet is a very accurate
bullet, and ammunition of this type as manufactured in the United
States would give fairly reasonable accuracy. Other military cartridges
may or may not give accurate results.
But the cartridge inherently is an accurate cartridge.
Mr. EISENBERG. Is this type of cartridge readily available for purchase?
Mr. FRAZIER. Yes; it is. Information we have indicates that 2 million
rounds of this ammunition was reimported into this country and placed
on sale.
Mr. EISENBERG. Commission Exhibit No. 141, the cartridge found in
the chamber--I should say, was found in the chamber. Do you draw any
inference from the fact that the cartridge was found in the chamber?
In your experience, does one automatically reload whether or not one
intends to fire, or is there a special significance in the fact that
the cartridge had been chambered?
Mr. FRAZIER. I would say no, there would be no inference which I could
draw based on human behavior as to why someone would or would not
reload a cartridge. Normally, if you were--in my experience--shooting
at some object, and it was no longer necessary to shoot, you would not
reload.
You may or may not reload. It would be a normal thing to automatically
reload. But not necessarily in every instance.
Mr. McCLOY. Do you have any information of your own knowledge as to
whether this cartridge was in the chamber or not at the time the rifle
was found?
Mr. FRAZIER. Only as furnished to me--it was submitted as having been
removed from the rifle by the Dallas Police Department.
Mr. McCLOY. As having been removed from the chamber?
Mr. FRAZIER. From the chamber of the rifle.
Mr. McCLOY. But you did not remove it yourself?
Mr. FRAZIER. No, sir.
Mr. EISENBERG. Did you make a test to determine the pattern of the
cartridge-case ejection of Commission Exhibit 139?
Mr. FRAZIER. Yes, sir; I made two studies in connection with the
ejection pattern--one to determine distance and one to determine the
angle at which the cartridge cases leave the ejection port.
Mr. EISENBERG. And did you summarize your examination by diagrams?
Mr. FRAZIER. Yes; I did.
Mr. EISENBERG. Could you show us those diagrams?