Ballistics Flashcards
Learning Objectives
What is meant by ballistics?
The science of mechanics that studies the motion and behaviour of a projectile and its’ effects on a target
What are the applications of understanding ballistics in everyday life?
- Surgery
- Diagnosis
- Forensic sciences
- Case reconstruction
- Ammunition technology
- Effectivity
- International Law
- Wounding potential
Why is the study about ballistics significant?
To treat the wounded patient, we need to know about the weapon
What are the 4 rules of war surgery? (ICRC)
- Clean wounds
- Debridement
- Delayed Primary Closure
- Adequate fracture stabilisation, no internal fixation.
List some injuring agents
- Bullets
- Mines
- Bombs
How did bullets develop in the 19th century?
- Before 1815: Lead spheres, powder horns, flint stone
- 1815 - 1850: Primer cap and long bullets
List the advantages and disadvantages of these bullet development changes
- Advantages: better precision, longer range
- Disadvantage: too much penetration (powder kegs)
- This led to the Development of explosive bullets
What was the first declaration during international law?
St Petersburg Declaration 1868: The Contracting Parties undertook not to use “any projectile of a weight below 400 grammes, which is either explosive or charged with fulminating or inflammable substances.”
How did bullet development change during the 19th century?
- 1850 -1880: Metal cartridge, breechloader
- 1880 - 1900: Smokeless powder instead of black powder
List the consequences of smokeless powder
- Advantage: No smoke, no remains, more energy
- Disadvantage: Too big acceleration in the barrel
- Led to the Development of metal jacketed bullets
Describe The Hague convention
“The Contracting Parties agree to abstain from the use of bullets which expand or flatten easily in the human body, such as bullets with a hard envelope which does
not entirely cover the core or is pierced with incisions.”
Describe The Hague regulations of 1907
It is especially forbidden to employ arms, projectiles, or materials, calculated to cause unnecessary suffering.
List the bullets used today
- Military bullets: FMJ, Hard core, Tracer
- Hunting bullets: SJ, Sj-HP
How do bullets fly?
VD
What is the formula for finding out the available kinetic energy and the energy expanded?
- Available kinetic energy: Ek = MV^2 / 2
- Energy expanded: Eexp = M (V1^2 - V2^2) / 2
- VD
What is the methodology of sound ballistics research?
- Experiments: Using tissue stimulants
- Comparison: With real cases (war rounds, homicide cases, Shooting accidents)
For gunshot wounds, what are the biomechanics/pathophysiology?
- Laceration: low and high velocity missile
- Shock wave: high velocity missile
- Cavitation: high velocity missile
What types of small arms are used today?
- Dissemination today: 90 - 120 million assault rifles (ca. 70 - 100 million of them are Kalashnikov), totally about 500 million weapons
How are these small arms often used?
Often used very irresponsibly
What is the current situation of international law?
- Declaration of St. Petersburg (1868): Ban of explosive bullets
- Hague Convention of 1899: Ban of semi-jacketed bullets
- In both cases, ban of bullets which produce enormous
wounds immediately after the impact on the body
What are the surgical consequences if cavitation occurs?
- Debridement
- Wounds left open
- Delayed primary closure
- No internal fixation of fractures
Describe the different types of injuries resulting from blasts
- Barotrauma
- Penetrating injury (prim or sec missiles)
- Blunt injury
- Burns, Toxic fumes, Psychotrauma
Conclusion
For optimum treatment of the patient we need to know about the weapon
