27-01-2014, 05:28 PM
From the Warren Commission testimony of FBI Special agent Robert Frazier:
"Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. We fired additional targets at 100 yards on the range at Quantico, Va., firing groups of three shots. And I have the four targets we fired here.Mr. EISENBERG - Mr. Chairman, I would like these admitted as 551, 552, 553, and 554.Mr. EISENBERG - Who fired these shots, Mr. Frazier?Mr. FRAZIER - I fired them.Mr. EISENBERG - Can you characterize the dispersion on each of the four targets?Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. On Commission Exhibit 551 the three shots landed approximately 5 inches high and within a 3 1/2-inch circle, almost on a line horizontally across the target. This target and the other targets were fired on March 16, 1964 at Quantico, Va. These three shots were fired in 5.9 seconds. The second target fired is Commission Exhibit 552, consisting of three shots fired in 6.2 seconds, which landed in approximately a 4 1/2 to 5-inch circle located 4 inches high and 3 or 4 inches to the right of the aiming point. Commission Exhibit No. 553 is the third target fired, consisting of three shots which landed in a 3-inch circle located about 2 1/2 inches high and 2 inches to the right of the aiming point. These three shots were fired in 5.6 seconds. And Commission Exhibit No. 554, consisting of three shots fired in 6.5 seconds, which landed approximately 5 inches high and 5 inches to the right of the aiming point, all within a 3 1/2-inch circle.Mr. McCLOY - The first one is not exactly 5 inches to the right, is it?Mr. FRAZIER - No, sir. The center of the circle in which they all landed would be about 5 inches high and 5 inches to the right.Mr. EISENBERG - Mr. Frazier, could you tell us why, in your opinion, all the shots, virtually all the shots, are grouped high and to the right of the aiming point?Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. When we attempted to sight in this rifle at Quantico, we found that the elevation adjustment in the telescopic sight was not sufficient to bring the point of impact to the aiming point. In attempting to adjust and sight-in the rifle, every time we changed the adjusting screws to move the crosshairs in the telescopic sight in one direction-it also affected the movement of the impact or the point of impact in the other direction. That is, if we moved the crosshairs in the telescope to the left it would also affect the elevation setting of the telescope. And when we had sighted-in the rifle approximately, we fired several shots and found that the shots were not all landing in the same place, but were gradually moving away from the point of impact. This was apparently due to the construction of the telescope, which apparently did not stabilize itself--that is, the spring mounting in the crosshair ring did not stabilize until we had fired five or six shots."
For a firearms expert, Mr. Frazier has an odd way of describing things. For example, the shots were "gradually moving away from the point of impact." Unless there was some sort of magic at play here, I think I would have said they were moving away from the point of "aim", not impact.
Speaking of magic, I do not think I have ever heard of a rifle scope that required a few shots being fired to allow it to "stabilize" itself. This would be akin to changing the TV channels with a remote control and then having to bang on the side of the TV until the channel changer responded. What would happen if you hit the TV one too many times? Would it go past the desired channel? If what Frazier says is true (and I think it is nonsense), each time the rifle scope is jarred, it will take several shots to "re-stabilize" it. Once again, we have the FBI relying heavily upon the ignorance not only of the WC but also of the American public.
However, the tendency of successive shots to "walk away" from the point of aim is a common problem with rifles and it has absolutely nothing to do with the rifle scope. In fact, I experienced this myself, and the cure was quite simple.
As rifle stocks are made from wood, they are prone to absorbing moisture. If you live in a humid climate, such as the temperate rainforest I live in or the city of New Orleans, where LHO resided, this wood can be exposed to tremendous extremes of moisture. In my case, I would go from long hunts on foot in the rain to a nice warm house heated with firewood. I would wipe my rifle down, clean it and then hang it on the wall next to a wood fired heater.
Suffice it to say, it only took a few cycles of this wet/dry before the wooden forestock of my rifle warped on me. It first became apparent when I could not hit what I was shooting at. I took the rifle to the range and found, at 100 metres, it was hitting, on the first shot, slightly high and to the right of the bullseye. Each successive shot hit higher and more to the right, until I was easily six inches from the bullseye.
The barrrels of most rifles "float" in their forestock, meaning that they are attached to the stock only at the chamber. This can be demonstrated by wrapping a piece of paper half round the barrel and sliding it between the barrel and the forestock. There should be no contact and the paper should pass easily between barrel and forestock. If it does not, you have a problem that needs to be corrected.
In the case of this rifle, I found, at the front end of the forestock, the forestock had warped and was pressing tightly against the lower left side of the barrel. Believe it or not, this small amount of pressure was enough to slightly bend the barrel upwards and to the right, making progressive shots hit higher and further to the right of the bullseye. When I fired the first shot, the barrel heated up, expanding the metal, and the increased pressure caused the barrel to bend more. Each successive shot would bend the barrel even more as the temperature of the barrel increased.
The solution, of course, was simple. I removed the stock and sanded that part of the forestock that was contacting the barrel until I had re-established the necessary clearance, applied sealant to prevent it absorbing more moisture and re-assembled the rifle.
"Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. We fired additional targets at 100 yards on the range at Quantico, Va., firing groups of three shots. And I have the four targets we fired here.Mr. EISENBERG - Mr. Chairman, I would like these admitted as 551, 552, 553, and 554.Mr. EISENBERG - Who fired these shots, Mr. Frazier?Mr. FRAZIER - I fired them.Mr. EISENBERG - Can you characterize the dispersion on each of the four targets?Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. On Commission Exhibit 551 the three shots landed approximately 5 inches high and within a 3 1/2-inch circle, almost on a line horizontally across the target. This target and the other targets were fired on March 16, 1964 at Quantico, Va. These three shots were fired in 5.9 seconds. The second target fired is Commission Exhibit 552, consisting of three shots fired in 6.2 seconds, which landed in approximately a 4 1/2 to 5-inch circle located 4 inches high and 3 or 4 inches to the right of the aiming point. Commission Exhibit No. 553 is the third target fired, consisting of three shots which landed in a 3-inch circle located about 2 1/2 inches high and 2 inches to the right of the aiming point. These three shots were fired in 5.6 seconds. And Commission Exhibit No. 554, consisting of three shots fired in 6.5 seconds, which landed approximately 5 inches high and 5 inches to the right of the aiming point, all within a 3 1/2-inch circle.Mr. McCLOY - The first one is not exactly 5 inches to the right, is it?Mr. FRAZIER - No, sir. The center of the circle in which they all landed would be about 5 inches high and 5 inches to the right.Mr. EISENBERG - Mr. Frazier, could you tell us why, in your opinion, all the shots, virtually all the shots, are grouped high and to the right of the aiming point?Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir. When we attempted to sight in this rifle at Quantico, we found that the elevation adjustment in the telescopic sight was not sufficient to bring the point of impact to the aiming point. In attempting to adjust and sight-in the rifle, every time we changed the adjusting screws to move the crosshairs in the telescopic sight in one direction-it also affected the movement of the impact or the point of impact in the other direction. That is, if we moved the crosshairs in the telescope to the left it would also affect the elevation setting of the telescope. And when we had sighted-in the rifle approximately, we fired several shots and found that the shots were not all landing in the same place, but were gradually moving away from the point of impact. This was apparently due to the construction of the telescope, which apparently did not stabilize itself--that is, the spring mounting in the crosshair ring did not stabilize until we had fired five or six shots."
For a firearms expert, Mr. Frazier has an odd way of describing things. For example, the shots were "gradually moving away from the point of impact." Unless there was some sort of magic at play here, I think I would have said they were moving away from the point of "aim", not impact.
Speaking of magic, I do not think I have ever heard of a rifle scope that required a few shots being fired to allow it to "stabilize" itself. This would be akin to changing the TV channels with a remote control and then having to bang on the side of the TV until the channel changer responded. What would happen if you hit the TV one too many times? Would it go past the desired channel? If what Frazier says is true (and I think it is nonsense), each time the rifle scope is jarred, it will take several shots to "re-stabilize" it. Once again, we have the FBI relying heavily upon the ignorance not only of the WC but also of the American public.
However, the tendency of successive shots to "walk away" from the point of aim is a common problem with rifles and it has absolutely nothing to do with the rifle scope. In fact, I experienced this myself, and the cure was quite simple.
As rifle stocks are made from wood, they are prone to absorbing moisture. If you live in a humid climate, such as the temperate rainforest I live in or the city of New Orleans, where LHO resided, this wood can be exposed to tremendous extremes of moisture. In my case, I would go from long hunts on foot in the rain to a nice warm house heated with firewood. I would wipe my rifle down, clean it and then hang it on the wall next to a wood fired heater.
Suffice it to say, it only took a few cycles of this wet/dry before the wooden forestock of my rifle warped on me. It first became apparent when I could not hit what I was shooting at. I took the rifle to the range and found, at 100 metres, it was hitting, on the first shot, slightly high and to the right of the bullseye. Each successive shot hit higher and more to the right, until I was easily six inches from the bullseye.
The barrrels of most rifles "float" in their forestock, meaning that they are attached to the stock only at the chamber. This can be demonstrated by wrapping a piece of paper half round the barrel and sliding it between the barrel and the forestock. There should be no contact and the paper should pass easily between barrel and forestock. If it does not, you have a problem that needs to be corrected.
In the case of this rifle, I found, at the front end of the forestock, the forestock had warped and was pressing tightly against the lower left side of the barrel. Believe it or not, this small amount of pressure was enough to slightly bend the barrel upwards and to the right, making progressive shots hit higher and further to the right of the bullseye. When I fired the first shot, the barrel heated up, expanding the metal, and the increased pressure caused the barrel to bend more. Each successive shot would bend the barrel even more as the temperature of the barrel increased.
The solution, of course, was simple. I removed the stock and sanded that part of the forestock that was contacting the barrel until I had re-established the necessary clearance, applied sealant to prevent it absorbing more moisture and re-assembled the rifle.
Mr. HILL. The right rear portion of his head was missing. It was lying in the rear seat of the car. His brain was exposed. There was blood and bits of brain all over the entire rear portion of the car. Mrs. Kennedy was completely covered with blood. There was so much blood you could not tell if there had been any other wound or not, except for the one large gaping wound in the right rear portion of the head.
Warren Commission testimony of Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, 1964
Warren Commission testimony of Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, 1964