Whether trainee firearms examiners should have knowledge of firearms before they are hired and trained is a complex question with no easy answer. There are pros and cons to both sides of the issue.

Arguments in favor of requiring prior knowledge of firearms:

• It could save time and money during training. Trainees who already have a basic understanding of firearms would be able to pick up the material more quickly and easily, which would save time and money on training costs.
• It could improve the quality of examinations. Trainees with prior knowledge of firearms would be better equipped to understand the nuances of firearms examination, which could lead to more accurate and reliable results.
• It could help to ensure the credibility of the profession. Firearms examiners are often called upon to testify in court, and it is important that they are able to speak knowledgeably about firearms. Having a prior understanding of firearms would help to make examiners more credible witnesses.

Arguments against requiring prior knowledge of firearms:

• It could limit the pool of potential candidates. Not everyone who is interested in becoming a firearms examiner has prior knowledge of firearms. Requiring such knowledge could exclude qualified candidates from the pool.
• It could create a bias in favor of certain types of firearms. Firearms examiners who have prior knowledge of a particular type of firearm may be more likely to subconsciously favor that type of firearm when conducting examinations.
• It may not be necessary. Some people believe that it is not necessary for firearms examiners to have prior knowledge of firearms in order to do their jobs effectively. They argue that what is most important is that examiners have strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to require prior knowledge of firearms for trainee firearms examiners is a complex one that should be made on a case-by-case basis. There is no right or wrong answer, and the best approach may vary depending on the specific needs of the agency or organization.

As for whether firearms examination should have statistical results similar to DNA, there is some debate on this issue as well. Some people believe that statistical results would make firearms examination more objective and reliable, while others believe that it is not possible to accurately quantify the certainty of a firearms examination.

Arguments in favor of using statistical results in firearms examination:

• It would make firearms examination more objective. Statistical results would provide a quantitative measure of the certainty of a firearms examination, which would make it less subjective and more reliable.
• It would make firearms examination more credible. Statistical results would make it easier for juries and judges to understand the weight of evidence in a firearms case.
• It would help to improve the quality of examinations. By providing a measure of certainty, statistical results could help to identify areas where improvements can be made to firearms examination procedures.

Arguments against using statistical results in firearms examination:

• It is not possible to accurately quantify the certainty of a firearms examination. The quality of a firearms examination depends on a number of factors, including the quality of the evidence, the experience of the examiner, and the specific type of firearm being examined. It is not possible to accurately quantify all of these factors, which would make it difficult to produce reliable statistical results.
• It could lead to false positives or negatives. Statistical results could give a false sense of certainty, which could lead to false positives or negatives.
• It could make firearms examination more time-consuming and expensive. Developing and implementing statistical methods for firearms examination would be a time-consuming and expensive process.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use statistical results in firearms examination is a complex one that should be made on a case-by-case basis. There is no right or wrong answer, and the best approach may vary depending on the specific needs of the agency or organization.

It is important to note that firearms examination is a complex and nuanced field, and there is no single answer to the questions of whether trainee examiners should have prior knowledge of firearms or whether statistical results should be used. The best approach may vary depending on the specific needs of the agency or organization.