Which statement about expended ammunition is true?

• A. It must be fired within 24-72 hours
• B. It must be fired within 24-72 hours and include a minimum of 6 rounds
• C. It must be placed in a scent box
• D. It must be kept in original container

Answer: (B)

Expended ammunition handling centers on making a usable, reliable sample while keeping the material fresh enough to be meaningful. The statement that it must be fired within 24-72 hours and include a minimum of six rounds is the best choice because it connects both timely processing and a sufficient sample size. Firing within a short window helps preserve gunshot residue and other trace materials, which can degrade quickly, while having at least six rounds ensures there’s enough material to work with for scent or training purposes and to maintain consistency across samples. Relying only on a timing requirement without ensuring a minimum amount could leave too little material to be useful, and other options like placing the remains in a scent box or keeping them in the original container aren’t standard handling steps for this context and could contaminate or obscure residues.