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{ Ne . w "No test bullets recovered from the Sirhan gun are in evi- dence. This gun was never identified scientifically as having fired any of the bullets removed from any of the victims. "Other than the apparent self evident fact that gun #53725 was forcibly removed from Sirhan at the scene, it has not been eonnected by microscopic examinations or other scientific testing to the actual shooting. "In fact, my examinations disclosed that the bullet, Exhibit #47, has a rifling angle of approximately 23 minutes (approximately 14%) greater than the rifling angle of Bullet Exhibit #54 "It is therefore my opinion that Bullets #47 and #54 could not have been fired from the same gun." 1974 Lowell Bradford Testimony ° Immediately after reading the Harper affidavit into the re- cord, Ward called criminalist Lowell Bradford to testify. Bradford had served as the He:J of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Crime Laboratory but he was no longer in that capacity at the time of the hearing. Like other critics, Bradford was looking at photographs of Bullet Exhibit #47 and Bullet Exhibit #54 originally taken by Harper in 1970. Ward asked for conclusions regarding the number of cannelures in Exhibit 47, the Kennedy bullet, as compared to Exhibit 54, the Weisel bullet. Bradford replied: "Notice that the Photograph of #47 portrays an image which appears to be one knurled cannelures, whereas photo 54 has an image which appears to portray two cannelures." Ward then questioned Bradford about the possibility of bullet tampering or damage. Specifically, Ward had requested photographs be taken of the two controversial bullets, 47 and 54, photographs taken at his request in April, 1974. Ward asked Bradford if he nad examined the new 1974 Balliscan photographs and compared them for any changes that might have occured in the quality of the specific markings on the bullets, (the bullet photos of 1970 taken by Harper, and the bullet photos of 1974 taken at Ward's request). © Bradford replied, "I could find no significant changes in the types of marks ‘which would be useable in identi- fication between the two sets of photographs." Ward implied that he had raised that question to Bradford for the reason that it had been suggested in some quarters that that age could have a serious effect on the quality of the bullets and their integrity for examination. Ward felt that two-and-a-half years time had passed since the assassination and the time the bullets were first photographed by Harper in 1970. Additionally, there was an even longer period, roughly three-and-a-half years that elapsed between the Harper photographs and the Ward photo- graphs. And when asked if he had found no consequential deterioration, Bradford answered, "That is correct." - 34 -