JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion & Debate > JFK Assassination Plus General Discussion And Debate
What about that dent?
Tom Graves:
ME: Were any of the shells that were found in the "Sniper's Nest" on 11/22/63 dented? If so, does it present a problem for the official conclusion of the Warren Commission?
Thought for 23s
GROK: Yes, one of the three spent cartridge cases (shells) found in the "sniper's nest" on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository had a dent. The three cases recovered by Dallas police on November 22, 1963, were designated as Warren Commission Exhibits (CE) 543, 544, and 545. CE 543 had a noticeable inward dent on the mouth (the open lip where the bullet had been seated).
educationforum.ipbhost.com +1
This dent has been documented in photographs taken at the scene (and later in Commission exhibits) and was examined by the FBI and, later, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) Firearms Panel. The other two cases (CE 544 and CE 545) were undamaged in this way.
aarclibrary.org
No, this does not present a problem for the Warren Commission's official conclusion (that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from a 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle in the sniper's nest, with the three cartridge cases ejected from that rifle). The Warren Commission itself relied on FBI ballistic analysis showing that all three cases had been fired in Oswald's rifle (CE 139), based on matching firing-pin impressions, extractor marks, and bolt-face marks.
archives.gov
The dent on CE 543 prompted criticism from some researchers, who argued it was so severe that the case could not have held a live bullet beforehand (implying it could not have been one of the three shots fired during the assassination, or that the case was planted or previously damaged).
jfk.boards.net +1
However, the HSCA Firearms Panel (a team of independent firearms experts) directly addressed this in 1977–1978.
They concluded:
The dent on the mouth of CE 543 was produced during ejection from the rifle (specifically, from rapid operation of the bolt/ejector mechanism), not before firing or from manufacturing/loading.
They duplicated an identical dent in test firings with Oswald’s rifle (one of four test cases showed a comparable dent when the bolt was worked quickly).
Microscopic comparison confirmed that all three cases (including the dented CE 543) were fired in the CE 139 rifle, with no evidence of multiple chamberings or prior firings.
aarclibrary.org +1
The panel explicitly rejected the idea that the dent would have prevented the case from being fired in the rifle (or any rifle).
ronaldjlilek.medium.com
The Warren Commission (1964) did not dwell on the dent as an issue—the FBI’s initial matching of the cases to the rifle was sufficient for their conclusion of three shots from the sniper’s nest. The later HSCA analysis reinforced this by resolving the dent question through direct experimentation. While some conspiracy-oriented analyses continue to dispute the replication or point to minor chain-of-custody details (e.g., CE 543 was turned over to the FBI a few days later than the others), the official forensic examinations found the dent fully consistent with the three-shot scenario.
documents3.theblackvault.com
In short, the dent is real and well-documented, but it has been explained as post-firing ejection damage and does not contradict (or undermine) the Warren Commission’s ballistics findings or lone-gunman conclusion.
Benjamin Cole:
In general, the HSCA was skeptical and reasonable in their JFKA findings.
While the WC/FBI may have leaned on evidence, I think the HSCA mostly played it down the middle.
I accept the HSCA conclusions regarding the dent.
Tom Graves:
--- Quote from: Benjamin Cole on May 05, 2026, 03:19:57 AM ---In general, the HSCA was skeptical and reasonable in their JFKA findings.
While the WC/FBI may have leaned on evidence, I think the HSCA mostly played it down the middle.
I accept the HSCA conclusions regarding the dent.
--- End quote ---
Do you agree with its analysis of the Dictabelt sounds or "sounds"?
John Corbett:
--- Quote from: Benjamin Cole on May 05, 2026, 03:19:57 AM ---In general, the HSCA was skeptical and reasonable in their JFKA findings.
While the WC/FBI may have leaned on evidence, I think the HSCA mostly played it down the middle.
I accept the HSCA conclusions regarding the dent.
--- End quote ---
The WC/FBI leaned on evidence to reach its conclusions? What a novel idea. What did the HSCA use. A Ouija Board?
Bill Brown:
--- Quote from: Tom Graves on May 05, 2026, 03:02:54 AM ---ME: Were any of the shells that were found in the "Sniper's Nest" on 11/22/63 dented? If so, does it present a problem for the official conclusion of the Warren Commission?
Thought for 23s
GROK: Yes, one of the three spent cartridge cases (shells) found in the "sniper's nest" on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository had a dent. The three cases recovered by Dallas police on November 22, 1963, were designated as Warren Commission Exhibits (CE) 543, 544, and 545. CE 543 had a noticeable inward dent on the mouth (the open lip where the bullet had been seated).
educationforum.ipbhost.com +1
This dent has been documented in photographs taken at the scene (and later in Commission exhibits) and was examined by the FBI and, later, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) Firearms Panel. The other two cases (CE 544 and CE 545) were undamaged in this way.
aarclibrary.org
No, this does not present a problem for the Warren Commission's official conclusion (that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots from a 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle in the sniper's nest, with the three cartridge cases ejected from that rifle). The Warren Commission itself relied on FBI ballistic analysis showing that all three cases had been fired in Oswald's rifle (CE 139), based on matching firing-pin impressions, extractor marks, and bolt-face marks.
archives.gov
The dent on CE 543 prompted criticism from some researchers, who argued it was so severe that the case could not have held a live bullet beforehand (implying it could not have been one of the three shots fired during the assassination, or that the case was planted or previously damaged).
jfk.boards.net +1
However, the HSCA Firearms Panel (a team of independent firearms experts) directly addressed this in 1977–1978.
They concluded:
The dent on the mouth of CE 543 was produced during ejection from the rifle (specifically, from rapid operation of the bolt/ejector mechanism), not before firing or from manufacturing/loading.
They duplicated an identical dent in test firings with Oswald’s rifle (one of four test cases showed a comparable dent when the bolt was worked quickly).
Microscopic comparison confirmed that all three cases (including the dented CE 543) were fired in the CE 139 rifle, with no evidence of multiple chamberings or prior firings.
aarclibrary.org +1
The panel explicitly rejected the idea that the dent would have prevented the case from being fired in the rifle (or any rifle).
ronaldjlilek.medium.com
The Warren Commission (1964) did not dwell on the dent as an issue—the FBI’s initial matching of the cases to the rifle was sufficient for their conclusion of three shots from the sniper’s nest. The later HSCA analysis reinforced this by resolving the dent question through direct experimentation. While some conspiracy-oriented analyses continue to dispute the replication or point to minor chain-of-custody details (e.g., CE 543 was turned over to the FBI a few days later than the others), the official forensic examinations found the dent fully consistent with the three-shot scenario.
documents3.theblackvault.com
In short, the dent is real and well-documented, but it has been explained as post-firing ejection damage and does not contradict (or undermine) the Warren Commission’s ballistics findings or lone-gunman conclusion.
--- End quote ---
Short cycle. Shooter error.
Oswald fired off a shot and in the act of operating the bolt, did not pull the bolt back far enough (focusing only on speed instead of operating the bolt properly). This caused the spent shell casing to not eject as it should, getting caught and therefore dented before a second action of operating the bolt finally ejected the shell casing.
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