The Irving Sports Shop and a Second Rifle
While a work tag was found at the Irving Sports Shop indicating scope mounting on a rifle for “Oswald” in early November, the Commission found that the rifle found on the sixth floor had already had its scope mounting holes bored prior to shipment to Oswald in March 1963. The Commission concluded the tag’s authenticity was doubtful and that Oswald owned only one rifle.
Reliability of the Ammunition
The Commission determined the ammunition was American-made by Western Cartridge Company, which still manufactures such ammunition. Experts fired the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle more than 100 times with the same type of ammunition without any misfires, demonstrating the ammunition’s reliability.
Oswald’s Palmprint on the Rifle
The Commission confirmed the FBI’s statement that the palmprint lifted from the rifle by Dallas police was Oswald’s. The FBI informed the Commission that no agent made any statements to the press regarding the existence or nonexistence of this print.
Latent Fingerprints on the Rifle
The Commission found that the poor quality of the rifle’s metal and wooden parts would have absorbed moisture from skin, making clear prints unlikely. There was no evidence Oswald wore gloves or wiped the rifle. Incomplete latent fingerprints were found but could not be identified.
The Paraffin Test Results
The Commission found that the paraffin tests were conducted by Dallas Police and the Criminal Investigation Laboratory. The FBI stated that Special Agent Shanklin never made any public statement claiming the test was positive and proved Oswald fired a rifle, and the Commission found no evidence he made such a statement.
Marina Oswald’s Knowledge of the Weapons
The Commission found no evidence that Marina Oswald ever told authorities she did not know her husband owned a rifle or pistol. On the afternoon of November 22, she told police he owned a rifle kept at the Paine garage in Irving. Before the Commission, she identified the Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5 as the “fateful rifle of Lee Oswald.”
Authenticity of the Oswald Rifle Picture
The Commission found that Life magazine, Newsweek, and the New York Times had retouched the photo of Oswald with the rifle, inadvertently altering configuration details. Photographic experts identified the rifle in the original print as a Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5, the same type found on the sixth floor. FBI experts testified the picture was taken with Oswald’s camera.
The Rifle Picture as a Composite
The Commission found the picture was not a composite. Marina testified she took the photo with Oswald’s Imperial Reflex camera and identified the man as her husband. Photographic experts concurred the image was not a composite.
Oswald’s Descent to the Lunchroom
Time tests demonstrated that Oswald could have placed the rifle behind a box and descended to the second-floor lunchroom before Patrolman Baker and Roy Truly arrived. Oswald was not holding a soft drink bottle or standing by the machine when confronted; he was entering the lunchroom as Baker glimpsed him through the door’s glass panel.
Presence of Others in the Lunchroom
Both Patrolman Baker and Roy Truly stated that Oswald was the only person in the lunchroom when they entered. No other witness to this incident was found by the Commission.
Police Sealing Off the Depository
Police may have begun taking positions at building exits as early as 12:33 p.m., but full blocking was unlikely until at least 12:37 p.m. Oswald was seen near an exit at about 12:33 p.m. and likely had at least seven minutes to exit the building undetected.
Oswald’s Movements Between 12:33 and 1:15 P.M.
The Commission addressed the thesis that Oswald could not have reached 10th Street and Patton Avenue in time to encounter Tippit by 1:16 p.m. Reenactments confirmed Oswald could reach his roominghouse at 1026 North Beckley Avenue by approximately 1 p.m. or earlier, then walk the nine-tenths of a mile to the encounter location.
The Police Radio Suspect Description
The Commission found that no suspect description was broadcast over Dallas police radio before 12:45 p.m. on November 22, and Oswald was not named before his arrest. The initial description broadcast was similar to Oswald but lacked specific details like hair and eye color, most likely originating from witness Howard Brennan.
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