Local bar journal summarizes a study from The Forensic Examiner,
October 2003. A group of people were shown a firearm for five
seconds, then distracted with math problems for two minutes, then
shown a "lineup" of six guns including the one shown earlier.
37% could correctly pick out a 9 mm handgun, 63% could pick out
a .45 (apparently auto), 71% the right assault rifle, and 43% the
right revolver.
Obviously, these were optimum conditions... no fright or
stress, a good look, a lineup (pick the closest one, knowing that
it's one of them), and done only two minutes later. At that, the odds
are around 50-50. As the author notes, this does suggest that
eyewitness weapon identification is a bit problematic!
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