The Most Important Error the FBI told the Warren Commission about the Rifle

[Bob Prudhomme]

I've no doubt that you could plot a "ballistic curve" that matches with Frazier's reported results. In fact, using my dusty calculus skills, I got an approximate solution for a muzzle velocity of 2700 FPS. Which, of course, is far too high to be a Carcano, but not out of the range for other weapons. It is also not a unique solution, as I had to choose a value for "drag" and I picked one that was a common one from a drop down menu. Mathematically, each possible value of drag would have a weight and muzzle velocity that would fit Frazier's curve.

Interesting fact: Frazier was the FBI ballistic expert for the MLK assassination. In that investigation, he matched the death bullet to the type of weapon recovered at the scene, but not to that actual rifle. It didn't matter in the end cause Percy Foreman pled his client to 99, or was it life?

More Interesting Frazier facts: Frazier testified as a defense witness in the trial of Louisiana v. Clay Shaw. In that testimony he said first that "Oswald's" rifle had a muzzle velocity of 1965 f/sec +- 50 f/sec. Later in the testimony, after having a chance to consult with "his" US Attorney, he corrected it back to the 2165 f/sec he told the Warren Commission. The reason this is important is that any significantly slower-firing "magic bullet" would mathematically not have possessed the kinetic energy to do all the damage attributed to it.

Bob, wanna try your ballistic calculator again with a muzzle velocity of 1965 fps, or even 1915 fps? If you can get a ballistic curve match on any velocity in that range then Frazier's tests might have been correct but he was required to perjure the muzzle velocity to get the magic bullet.

Here are the results of a Carcano bullet travelling 1915 fps and zeroed at 4 yards. Zeroing at 4 yards will have the bullet impacting roughly 4 inches high of the point of aim at 15 yards.

[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1915[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-1.5[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1319[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]15[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1877[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]4.06[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.16[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.03[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1267[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.47[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]30[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1843[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]9.39[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.54[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.05[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1222[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.59[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]45[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1809[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]14.51[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.14[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.08[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1177[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.78[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]60[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1776[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]19.38[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.99[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.1[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1135[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.06[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]75[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1744[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]23.99[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.09[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.13[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1094[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.41[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]90[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1712[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]28.35[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]4.45[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.15[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1054[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.84[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]105[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1680[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]32.44[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]6.07[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.18[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1015[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]2.36[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]120[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1649[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]36.26[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]7.97[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.21[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]978[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]2.96[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]135[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1618[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]39.79[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]10.16[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.23[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]942[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.65[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Note that, at this reduced velocity, the bullet is still 30 inches high of the point of aim at 100 yards.

Here is an extreme reduction in velocity to 700 fps, which is a completely ridiculous velocity for a rifle bullet; especially one weighing 162 grains. A Carcano bullet travelling this slow leaving the muzzle would not be very stable and would also be dropping so quickly as to make it almost impossible to hit a target.

[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD="align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]700[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-1.5[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]176[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]15[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]697[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.98[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.94[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.07[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]175[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.45[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]30[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]694[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]7.87[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.48[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.13[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]173[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.53[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]45[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]691[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]10.11[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]7.66[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.2[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]172[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.65[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]60[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]688[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]10.71[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]13.48[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.26[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]170[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.82[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]75[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]685[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]9.66[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]20.96[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.33[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]169[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.04[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]90[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]682[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]6.94[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]30.1[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.39[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]167[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]105[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]679[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]2.54[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]40.92[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.46[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]166[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.62[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]120[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]676[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-3.54[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]53.43[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.53[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]164[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]1.98[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]135[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]673[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-11.33[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]67.64[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.59[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]163[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]2.4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]150[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]670[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-20.83[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]83.56[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.66[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]161[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]2.86[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]165[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]667[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-32.05[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]101.21[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.73[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]160[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]180[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]665[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]-45.02[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]120.6[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]0.79[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]159[/TD]
[TD="width: 50, align: right"]3.92[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

This velocity does, though, allow a bullet impacting a target 4 inches high of the point of aim at 15 yards to be impacting a target 4-5 inches high of the point of aim at 100 yards.

Once again, this is in direct conflict with Frazier's reported muzzle velocities of 2165 and 1965 fps.