Chapter 20: Firearms and Explosive Injuries

**Firearms**

**____** are barreled weapons of any type or description from which a shot, bullet, or another missile can be discharged with some velocity and momentum, and which in the appropriate circumstances can cause injury and death.

**Puckle Gun**

It is a tripod-mounted, single-barreled flintlock gun fitted with a multishot revolving cylinder.

Samuel Colt

He invented the first revolver named after its revolving cylinder.

**Breech Loading Rifle**

invented by Captain Patrick Ferguson of Pitfours, Scotland.

**Winchester Rifle**

he pump shotgun, and the Colt 45 automatic; designed by John Moses Browning.

**M1 Semi-Automatic Rifle**

invented by John Garand in 1934.

**Johnson Model 1941 Rifle**

invented by Melvin M. Johnson Jr.

**Samuel Gardiner**

He received a U.S. Patent in 1863 on a “high explosive rifle bullet” in .54, .58, and .69 calibers.

**Rifle Scopes**

refractor telescopes used on a rifle; invented by August Fiedler.

Hiram Maxim

He invented the Maxim Silencer or Suppressor that attached to the front of the barrel of a pistol and allowed the firearm to be fired without a loud bang.

Maxim Suppressor

This was the first commercially successful silencer.

**Gatling Gun**

a six-barreled weapon capable of firing a (then) phenomenal 200 rounds per minute; designed by Doctor Richard.

**Thompson Submachine Gun**

 it was the first handheld machine gun

**Defense Gun**

placed on a tripod it was a large revolver with a cylinder behind its single barrel; invented by James Puckle

**Coffee Mill Gun**

invented by Wilson Agar and able to sell 54 of it to the Union Army.

**Billinghurst-Requa Gun**

comprised a wheeled frame carrying 24 rifle barrels. Once the gun was loaded a single percussion cap was placed on a nipple on the iron frame and fired by a hammer, the flash passing through the frame to ignite all 24 cartridges.

**Gardner Machine**

it fired 10,000 rounds in 27 minutes. This impressed military leaders from Britain and the following year the British Army purchased the gun.

**Maxim Machine gun**

the world’s first automatic portable machine gun; invented by Hiram Maxim.

**Vickers Machine-Gun**

it is fitted with interrupter gear, it was also standard armament on all British and French aircraft after 1916.

**Lewis Gun**

it is easier to produce and far lighter than the Vickers, it was used by soldiers on the Western Front and on armored cars and aircraft.

**Bullets**

known as the Projectile.

Round Nose Bullet

 the end of the bullet is blunted.

Hollow-point bullet

there is a hole in the bullet that creates expansion when a target is struck, creating more damage.

Jacketed Bullet

the soft lead is surrounded by another metal, usually copper, that allows the bullet to penetrate a target more easily.

Wadcutter bullet

the front of the bullet is flattened.

Semi-wadcutter bullet

intermediate bullet between round-nose and wadcutter.

**Buttstock**

The portion of the gun which is held or shouldered.

**Calibre**

The diameter of the bore of a gun/shotgun

**Cartridge**

 Also called a "round". Made up of a case, primer, powder, and bullet.

**Centrefire**

The cartridge contains the primer in the center of the base, where it can be struck by the firing pin of the action

**Chamber**

The portion of the "action" that holds the cartridge ready for firing

**Choke**

A constriction of a shotgun bore at the muzzle that determines the pattern of the fired shot

**Double-action**

Pulling the trigger both cocks the hammer and fire the gun.

**Double barrel**

Two barrels side by side or one on top of the other, usually on a shotgun

**Gauge**

Refers to the diameter of the barrel of a shotgun really refers to caliber, but is worded as such to refer to a shotgun

**Hammer**

A metal rod or plate that strikes the cartridge primer to detonate the powder.

**Ignition**

The way in which powder is ignited. Old muzzle-loading weapons used flintlocks or percussion caps. Modern guns use "primers" that are "rimfire" or "centrefire".

**Magazine**

 This is a device for storing cartridges in a repeating firearm for loading into the chamber. Also referred to as a “clip”

**Magnum**

An improved version of a standard cartridge that uses the same caliber and bullet, but has more powder, giving the fired bullet more energy.

Magnum shotgun loads

_____ refer to an increased amount of shot pellets in the shell.

Rimfire

These cartridges have primer inside the base.

centrefire

These cartridges have primer in a hole in the middle of the base of the cartridge case.

**Muzzle**

The end of the barrel out of which the bullet comes.

**Pistol**

Synonym for a handgun that does not have a revolving cylinder

**Powder**

Modern gun cartridges use "smokeless" powder that is relatively stable, of uniform quality, and leaves little residue when ignited.

**Primer**

A volatile substance that ignites when struck to detonate the powder in a cartridge.

**Revolver**

Handgun that has a cylinder with holes to contain the cartridges.

**Rifling**

The cartridge has the primer distributed around the periphery of the base.

**Safety**

A mechanism on an action to prevent the firing of the gun.

**Shotgun**

A gun with a smooth bore that shoots cartridges that contain "shot" or small metal pellets (of lead or steel) as the projectiles.

**Sights**

The device(s) on top of a barrel that allows the gun to be aimed.

**Silence**r

A device that fits over the muzzle of the barrel to muffle the sound of a gunshot. Most work by baffling the escape of gases

**Single-action**

The hammer must be manually cocked before the trigger can be pulled to fire the gun.

**Smokeless powder**

Refers to modern gunpowder, which is really not "powder" but flakes of nitrocellulose and other substances.

**Stock**

 A wood, metal, or plastic frame that holds the barrel and action and allows the gun to be held firmly.

**Internal Ballistics**

This comprises the study of projectiles/bullets used for firing from firearm weapons. Bullets fired from a rifle will have more energy than similar bullets fired from a handgun.

**External Ballistics**

This comprises the study of projectiles in the air.

**Elementary Ballistics**

This comprises of the study of the anatomy of the firearm and ammunition. It includes a basic study on firearms.

**Rifled Firearms**

These are weapons with elevations on the inside of the barrel that spirals around from one end of the barrel to the other, which can fire missiles or bullets capable of spinning on their own axis thus rendering their aim more accurate and their muzzle velocity higher

**Gun Cartridge**

rifled firearm ammunition, which can be loaded into the chamber of the gun and can discharge the bullet on being fired.

**Cartridge case**

an elongated metallic cylinder made up of cupronickel alloy, and its length varies with each type of gun.

**Shotguns**

are smooth-bore firearm weapons, which can fire missiles or cartridges, which contain multiple small lead pellets at the same time.

Direct method of Caliber

Here the caliber is determined by measuring the inner diameter of the cylindrical barrel directly in decimals of an inch or millimeters.

Indirect Method of Caliber

Here the caliber or bore is determined indirectly by finding out the number of spherical balls of uniform size, prepared from 1 lb (454 gm) of pure lead and each one fitting exactly in the barrel.

6 Bore shotgun

In this, the barrel of the shotgun exactly fits with each of the 6 spherical balls of uniform size prepared out of 1 lb. of pure lead and the number of balls prepared.

12 Bore shotgun

In this, 12 spherical balls of uniform size prepared out of 1 lb of pure lead exactly fit the barrel of the shotgun.

**Choking**

a mechanical narrowing mechanism or constriction device at the muzzle end of the shotgun which can control to some extent the area of dispersion of the pellets.

**Shotgun cartridge**

the ammunition for a smooth-bore firearm, which can be loaded into the chamber of the shotgun and can discharge the pellets on being fired.

**Gunpowder**

It is placed in the compartment immediately next to the detonator at the base of the cartridge and the pellets at the upper end.

**Wad**

It is a rounded disk of some thickness and made up of compressed paper, felt, or plastic material, and it physically separates the gunpowder and pellets.

**Pellets**

These comprise multiple uniform spherical balls of lead.

**Wound ballistics**

the study of tissue penetration of the projectile

**Rifled firearms wounds**

wounds produced by rifled firearms and also known as gunshot wounds.

***Ironing effect***

wherein the cloth looks as if freshly**Smudging/blackening** pressed with hot iron.

**Smudging/blackening**

It is due to the deposition of smoke particles, lead,s or metal of which the missile is made.

**Tattooing/peppering**

It is due to the deposition of fine or coarse gunpowder particles, which become truly impregnated into and mark the skin, and cannot be washed or scrubbed off.

Ballistics

It is the science that involves a detailed study of firearm wounds. It includes injuries caused by the bullet and pellets, shot into or through the body.

**Blast effects**

**______** are basically due to the hot gases formed on combustion of the gunpowder and are seen around the wound of entry.

Tearing of skin

This is due to efforts made by the gases accumulated to come out of the wound of entry.

Eversion of wound edges

Occurs as the gases try to flow out of the wound of entry, the wound edges become everted.

Muzzle end imprint abrasion

It is due to the skin being pushed forwards with force and this impinging against the muzzle end of the weapon by the gases accumulated underneath.

Formation of blood and gunpowder pocket

Occurs when the wound of entry is not sufficiently large, blood and gunpowder can get accumulated under the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Pressure extrusion

fabric fibers, subcutaneous soft tissues, blood, fat, etc. can extrude out of the wound along with the gases that are emerging out of the wound of entry.

Soiling of bones and Garments

These are due to the soot particles reaching inside of the wound at a contact shot range.

carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin

Carbon monoxide gas can combine with the hemoglobin and myoglobin in the blood/muscle tissues respectively resulting in the formation of _______, which are cherry red in color — resulting in cherry red color muscles around the wound of entry.

**Abrasion collar**

seen as a marginal abrasion around the wound of entry. Depending on the angle of entry made by the bullet

perpendicular entry

A __________ of the bullet develops the abrasion collar of rounded shape.

acute angular entry

An ___________ of the bullet develops the abrasion collar of an oblique or oval shape.

**Contact Shot Range**

Here the muzzle end of the firearm is held in—touch or in contact with skin.

**Close Shot Range**

Here the muzzle end of the gun is held about 1" to 3" (2.5- 7.5 cm) away from the target aimed at.

**Near Shot Range**

Here muzzle end of the gun has been held at about 12" to 24" (30-60 cm) away from the target.

**Distant Shot Range**

Here the muzzle end of the gun is held beyond 24" (60 cm) away from the target.

***Large atypical entrance wound***

When the size of the wound increases to an unusually larger size, more than that of contact shot range or at any other known range.

***Bullet bruise***

Bullet here just hits the skin only and drops down to the ground, without any penetration or wound of entry, producing a bruise alone at the site of impact

***Bullet grazes***

Here the bullet just hits the skin only at an angle and goes off from the site, without any penetration or wound of entry, producing an abrasion or a laceration depending on the thickness of the skin involved.

**Ricochet bullet**

a peculiar effect on the wound of entry due to the ricocheted or deflected or rebounded bullet.

**Tandem/piggy back bullet effect**

Here the wound of entry in its depth or along its track shows more than one bullet arranged exactly one behind the other in a row.

**Frangible bullet effect**

an inferior bullet, which on penetrating into the body gets broken up into several fragments and produces severe injuries, by each fragment.

**Dumdum bullet effect**

Here a bullet has a special device at its tip (nose) which, on coming in contact with the target aimed at, bursts open into several fragments, each of which can act like an individual missile and produce fatal injury, over a larger area.

**Rayalaseema phenomena**

Here a victim was first killed by stab injury and then to mislead the investigating officer, the criminal stuffed the stab wound with a bullet manually.