ABSTRACT
A reasonable analogy of primer residue deposition might be made with talcum powder. If one imagines a light dusting of the back of the hand with talcum powder and then putting on a glove or thrusting the hand into a pocket, it is easy to visualize how transient primer residue can be. is is, of course, to say nothing of a vigorous washing of the hand with hot, soapy water. Talcum powder, like primer residue, would be expected to be more persistent when deposited on the surface of, for example, loose-weaved garments. As might be predicted, the smoother/harder a substrate is, the less adherent we would expect it to
be to primer residue. Likewise, the greater the degree of exposure to the elements, the less likely primer residue will persist. However, the familiar watchword “One test is worth 1000 excuses” applies here as well as in many other areas of forensic science.
