GSR stands for what, and how is it described?

• A. It is a type of dust unrelated to firearms.
• B. It stands for Gunshot Residue and is the powder left on the shooter’s hands after handling ammunition.
• C. It is a testing method for analyzing soil at a crime scene.
• D. It is the gun powder leftover from shooting a gun.

Answer: (D)

Gunshot Residue stands for Gunshot Residue, the powder and primer residues left behind when a firearm is discharged. This residue is what you’d describe as the gun powder leftover from shooting a gun—the material produced by the ignition of the propellant and primer that can transfer to the shooter’s hands, clothing, or surrounding surfaces. In practice, this residue is what investigators look for to indicate a person may have recently fired or handled a firearm. While it’s true that some descriptions highlight residue on hands after handling ammunition, the essential idea is that GSR comes from the discharge itself and can serve as a trace at a crime scene, albeit only as part of a bigger evidentiary picture since transfer and environmental factors can affect its presence.