Mr. CUNNINGHAM. An unfired cartridge in the sixth chamber of the
cylinder. Now, in a normal way, you would hit the cylinder release,
push in your hand like this, and tip it up. The unfired cartridge will
fall right out into your hand, due to the fact that the chambers of
the cylinder are naturally larger than the cartridge you are loading
in there--for ease of putting them in. When you fire a cartridge
in a revolver, the case expands as wide as the cylinder. In other
words, when the firing pin hits the primer, there is an explosion in
the primer, the powder is ignited in the cartridge, and the terrific
pressure will expand the cartridge case to tightly fit the chamber.
Mr. EISENBERG. I would like the record to show that when Mr. Cunningham
tipped the revolver, the unfired bullet tipped out, but the five
expended shells remained in.
The CHAIRMAN. Very well.
Mr. EISENBERG. Now, Mr. Cunningham, would you show how you would eject
the five expended shells?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes. These are very difficult, by the way, to extract,
due to the fact that the chamber has been rechambered. And as you can
see, you get on your cartridge cases a little ballooning with these
smaller diameter cases in the .38 Special.
Mr. EISENBERG. I would like the record to show that Mr. Cunningham
extracted the five expended cartridge cases merely by one push of the
ejector rod.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. You won't be able to see it again, but when you eject a
cartridge case--later on for the powder pattern test, I will show that
you can have residues of unburned powder. That is what would happen
if you ejected these cartridge cases in your hand. You would pick up
unburned powder, residues, and partially burned powder.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cunningham had ejected five cartridge cases from the
revolver into his hand, and his right hand is now filled with small
black particles, whose composition I am unable to determine.
Representative FORD. That would happen any time that you did it?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes, sir; every time you eject them, these particles
will come out from the cylinder into your hand--unburned powder,
partially burned powder, and gunpowder residues.
Representative FORD. Had you fired this morning these particular
bullets?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes, sir; at 8:15.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cunningham, these cartridge cases which you ejected
were .38 Special cartridge cases?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. They were.
Mr. EISENBERG. What time did you fire those bullets, those .38 Special
bullets in this revolver?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. At approximately 8:15 this morning.
Mr. EISENBERG. Let the record show that it is now 9:45. Now, Mr.
Cunningham, could this revolver be loaded on the run, or while walking?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. It could.
Mr. EISENBERG. Have you personally loaded a revolver like this while
walking?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes. And running.
Mr. EISENBERG. Does this revolver have a serial number on it?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. It does.
Mr. EISENBERG. Could you read that number to us, please?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. V-510210.
Mr. EISENBERG. Is this serial number unique to this particular type of
weapon?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes. Smith and Wesson does not duplicate numbers. You
may have a similar number, but not with the prefix "V."
Mr. EISENBERG. So this is the only such weapon with this serial number
that is in existence?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. That is correct. As far as I know. I have never found
one in my experience, and Smith and Wesson does not duplicate serial
numbers in a particular series of weapons.
Mr. EISENBERG. Smith and Wesson claims not to duplicate?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. That is correct.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cunningham, how fast could one get off shots from
this weapon, shooting rapid fire, and without sighting?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. In a combat stance, that is crouched, with a gun at
belt level, and your wrist locked, you would have no trouble at all
getting off five shots in from 3 to 4 seconds.
Mr. EISENBERG. With what degree of accuracy at close range?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Excellent. All FBI agents, for instance, practice at 7
yards, which is 21 feet, and we are hitting in the "kill zone" without
any problem.
Mr. EISENBERG. How much training would one have to have with this
weapon to get four hits in four or five shots at close range into a
human body?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. None whatsoever--if you can pull the trigger and point
directly at a person, at 8 feet you would not likely miss--with one
exception. If you did not lock your wrist, there is a possibility
you could shoot too low, or you could pull to the side. Anyone with
a little bit of knowledge and with--and really grabbing hold of the
weapon, would have little difficulty at all at that distance.
Mr. EISENBERG. When you say "lock your wrist," do you mean just
pointing the wrist so that it is in a straight line with your lower
forearm?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes. In other words, to tighten it, and not be in a
relaxed position. By merely tightening the wrist, you would have no
trouble at all hitting a person, approximately the same distance as Mr.
Eisenberg and myself.
The CHAIRMAN. I suppose a person who had the normal small-arms training
that he gets in the Marine Corps would have the ability to do what you
have just spoken of?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Definitely, sir. As a matter of fact, with any training
at all with a revolver, I would say that he would hit 90 percent of the
time.
Representative FORD. Is there a recoil action at all from this kind of
weapon?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes, sir; you get recoil. But if you have had any
training with a weapon of this sort, the recoil is not even noticed.
The first time you ever fired this weapon the recoil or the noise,
might bother you. But if you have ever fired a handgun, you don't even
think about recoil. You automatically adjust.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cunningham, you mentioned distance between you and
me earlier, a few sentences ago. Could you estimate that distance?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Approximately 8 feet.
Mr. EISENBERG. If there are no further questions on the revolver, I
propose to move on to identification of bullets and cartridge cases
associated with the Tippit murder.
The CHAIRMAN. I have none.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Cunningham, I hand you Commission Exhibits Nos. 145
and 518, which, for the record, consist of bullets, unfired bullets
which were found in the revolver and the pocket of Lee Harvey Oswald
following his arrest on November 22. I ask you whether you are familiar
with the bullets in these exhibits.
You are now looking at which exhibit, Mr. Cunningham?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Commission Exhibit 518.