Practical wound ballistics

Question 1

Name characteristics of a contact wound

Answer 1

• muzzle mark possible
• soot and powder particles in wound track
• burning from muzzle flame
• over bones:
  
  • stellate entrance wound
  • crater shaped injury in bone

Question 2

How is the complete wound divided according to shooting range? (4)

Answer 2

• contact wound (0cm)
• near contact wound (0-1cm)
• intermediate range (1-30/50cm)
• distant (more than 50cm)

Question 3

How can gunshot wounds be classfied?

Answer 3

• complete wound
  
  • perforating
  • penetrating
• incomplete wound
  
  • low energy shot
  • graze wound

Question 4

Name characteristics of a near-contact wound

Answer 4

• soot
• flame effect
• powder particles on skin

Question 5

What characterises the entry wound?

Answer 5

The elasticity of the skin. The bullet stretches the skin and this is why the wound will be smaller than the caliber

Question 6

Remember that …

Answer 6

• You cannot always connect an entrance wound and an exit wound with a straight line due to tumbling etc
• when different number of entry and exit wounds are present, you should consider intermediate fragments or fragmentation
• Shotgun wads (contact/near-contact/intermediate wound) will not be seen in X-ray

Question 7

Name characteristics of intermediate wounds

Answer 7

powder tatoo

Question 8

Name characteristics of a distance wound

Answer 8

There is no sooting or soiling on the skin

Question 9

What to remember during the examination

Answer 9

• use X-ray or CT to find bullet particles
• protect the hands of the victim
• take biopsies from entry and exit wounds
• never touch the bullets with metal