wound ballistics L3

deals with the attributes and properties of shots and pellets.

shots ballistics

When the diameter of a barrel of a shotgun is the same throughout the bore, it is called

true cylinder / choke

If a barrel will put 70 percent of its shot charge in a 30-inch (76-centimeter) circle at 40 yards (37 meters), it is called

full choke

shotgun pellets made from lead especially hardened by the addition of a slight amt. of antimony.

Chilled Shot

It is the study of the effects of projectile on a target specially to human body and the condition that affect them.

wound ballistics

It is an open wound produced by the penetration of bullet slug within the tissues of the body.

Gunshot Wound (GSW)

are relatively larger in tissues that are less expansible, such as bone, muscle bundles, and encapsulated organs.

Permanent wound

gun muzzle pressed against, or within an 1 inch or 2 inches, of the body.

Contact

6 inches to 2 ft.

Close discharge

over 2 ft. or 3 ft.

Distance Discharge

indicates contact wound and are often observed in suicide cases. The whole charge (projectile, wads, if any, smoke, unburnt or semi-burnt powder particles and hot gases) enter into the target. No burning, blackening and tattooing are observed.

Muzzle Pattern

caused by the flame or hot gases not by the hot projectiles as is commonly believed. It is also known as burning or charring.

Scorching

caused by the deposition of smoke particles by all types of powders at close ranges. Being light particles, they soon lose their velocity and get deposited on any material available in the path.

Blackening

caused by the embedding of unburnt and semi-burnt powder particles into the surface of the target.

Tattooing (a.k.a. peppering)

caused by absorbed carbon monoxide in the skin and flesh.

Pink Coloration

deposited by some projectile (which carry greases on them) around the wound. Existence of this indicates the entrance side of a firearm injury & does not indicate range.

Dirt Ring

caused by the impact of the projectile (reddish dark to bluish black - varies somewhat with the age of the injury). It takes the form of a belt around the wound. It is of uniform in thickness.

Contusion

Their presence not only permits the identification of the firearms injury but they also permit a fairly reliable guess of firearm.

Foreign Materials

The higher power the weapon is the more destructive to the tissues of the body.

Kind of weapon

round shape wound

right angle

oval shape wound

acute angle

It is an open wound produced by the penetration of pellets or shots within the tissues of the body.

Shotgun Wound.

Monsieur Noiles. He published a thesis titled ‘Les Plaies Feu Courtes’. His thesis dealt with the subject of wounds made by small firearms.

1857

Mr. A. Lacassogne of Lyon, France. He published a paper tided “La Deformation Des Balles de Revolver” (Deformation of Revolver Bullets) in Volume 5. Archives de l’Antropologie Criminelle et Des Sciences Penales.

1889

Henry Shrapnel. He invented the shrapnel, which disperse its load of case shot whit a small bursting charge, increasing the effective range of case.

1748

Blast injuries- greater than the speed of sound.

Primary effect: compression wave causes burn, lacerations and h’ge

Secondary effects: secondary burn, debris, structural damage

explosive