WOUND BALLISTIC – It is the study of effects of projectile to human body.

Gunshot Wound (GSW) – It is an open produced by the penetration of bullets  slug within the
tissues of the body. The bullet which was propelled from the gun as the   flame from the heated expanded
gases in short range fore is the one that produces injury. 

Three Basic Kinds of GSW Distinguished by the Proximity of the Weapon: 1. Contact – gun

muzzle pressed against, or within an inch or two, of the body. 2. Close discharge – 6 inches to 2

ft. 

3. Distance Discharge – over 2 ft. or 3 ft. 

RANGE OF FIRE – an important aspect of forensic ballistics. 

1. Muzzle Pattern – indicates contact and are often observed in suicide cases. The  whole charge
(projectile, if any, smoke, unburnt or semi-burnt powder particles and  hot gases) enter into the target.
No burning, blackening and tattooing are  observed. Instead, they are observed inside the hole
through careful examination.  The edges are found ragged (torn in star shape) and the wound is like
an exit  wound. 

2. Scorching – caused by the flame or hot gases not by the hot projectiles as is  commonly believed,
a.k.a burning or charring. 

3. Blackening or Smudging– 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. 

- The wound of entry will show deposit of smoke and soot from the burned  powder, producing
a dirty, grimy appearance. 

4. Tattooing (a.k.a. peppering) – caused by the embedding of unburnt and semi burnt powder particles
into the surface of the target. These particles are slightly  heavier than the smoke particles. They
retain motion to somewhat longer intervals  and consequently cause tattooing to a distance of about
one and a-half times  blackening range. 

- A pattern of unburned powder granules and particles of molten metal from the bullet  is embedded
into the skin.
Other GSW Characteristics: 

1. Pink Coloration – caused by absorbed carbon monoxide in the skin and flesh. 

2. Dirt Ring – deposited by some projectile (which carry gases on item) around the  wound. Existence of
this indicates the entrance side of a firearm injury & does not  indicate range. 

3. Contusion – caused by the impact of the projectile (reddish dark to bluish dark – varies somewhat with
the age of the injury). It takes the form of a belt around the  wound. It is of uniform in thickness.  
4. Foreign Materials – Their presence not only permits the identification of the  firearms injury but they
also permit a fairly reliable guess of firearm. 

Factors influencing entrance and exit gunshot wounds: 

1. Kind of weapon – higher power the weapon, the more destructive to the tissues  of the body. 

2. Caliber of the weapon – higher the caliber of the wounding bullet, the greater will  be the size of
the wound of entrance, hence, greater destruction to the tissues; 

3. Shape and composition of the missile – conical shape free end of the bullet slug  has more
penetrating power but less tissue destruction, while bullet slug with  hemispherical free end had less
penetrating but more destruction to the tissues. 

4. Range of fire – the injury is not only due to the missile but also due to the pressure  of the heated
expanded gases, flame and articles of gunpowder. 

5. Direction of fire – A right angle approach of the bullet to the body will produce a  round shape wound
of entrance in short distance fire, while in acute angle of  approach the bullet will produce an oval
shape wound of entrance with contusion  collar widest on the side of the acute angle of approach and
a tendency for the  bullet to deflect to another direction upon hitting the target. 

6. Part of the body involved – When the bullet hit the soft tissues of the body; the  bullet penetrates and
usually without any change in direction, however upon hitting  the bones and other hard body
structures the bullet may fracture the bones causing  further injury or may deflect to another
direction. 

Description of the wound of entrance is based on the distance of the body from the  fired gun:
1. Contact fire – burst due to the explosion of the powder which produces the heated  and expanded
gases. There is burning of the tissues; singeing of the hair; and  particles of gunpowder in and around
the wound of entrance; skin is separated  from the underlying tissues in the affected area and the
blasted tissues are cherry  red in color because of the presence of the carbon monoxide, pressure of
the bullet  will caused caving-in or excavation of tissues and the contusion collar is seen  around the
wound of entrance. 

2. Near contact up to six inches distance – There is bursting of tissues, burning  and blackening od the
skin but the particles of gun powder are present as well as  around the wound of entrance. The shape
of the wound maybe lacerated or silt like and the size is larger than the diameter of the missile. The
excavation of tissues  due to the pressure of the penetrating bullet slug but may as severe as in
contact  fire. 

3. Distance above six inches up to 24 inches – The size of the wound gradually  approximates the size
of the missile. The farther the target, the lesser the burning  or blackening of tissues, gun powder
tattooing, singeing of the hair and excavation  of tissues and lesser until they disappear beyond the
24 inches distances. 

Differentiation between gunshot wound of Entrance and Wound of Exit 

 Differential points  Wound of Entrance  Wound of Exit 

• Size of the wound  • smaller than the   • bigger than

• Edge of the wound • Shape of the wound • missile  the  
Contusion collar  • inverted  missile 
• Gunpowder   • round or oval  • everted 
tattooing  • present in • no definite shape 
• Presence or   contact   • absent 
absence  • and near contact   • absent 
• Protrusion of tissue • Paraffin test fire  • maybe absent if  
• always logged inside 
present   • maybe
• absent  present 
• positive in • negative
contact  
and near fire

DETERMINATION WHETER THE GINSHOT INJURY IS SUICIDAL, HOMICIDAL OR  ACCIDENTAL

A. Evidence to prove that gunshot wound is suicidal: 

1. Accessibility of the involved part to the hand of the victim
2. Usually only one gunshot wound 
3. Usually the distance is short range or class range 
4. Presence of suicide note 
5. History of frustration or despondency of the victim 
6. Presence of cadaveric spasm on the hand of the victim 
7. Exclusion of other evidences to prove that it is not suicide. 

B. Evidence that the gunshot wound is homicidal: 

1. Wound is located at any part of the body 
2. Victim usually at a certain distance from the assailant 
3. Signs of struggle (Defense wound) maybe present in the victim 4.
Disturbances of the surroundings. 
5. Wounding weapon usually not found at the scene of the crime 
6. Testimony from the witnesses 

C. Evidence that gunshot wound is accidental: 

1. Usually only one gunshot wound  
2. Wound located at any part of the body 
3. Absence of personal grudge between the victim and the one who fired the  gun 
4. Testimony from witnesses 
SHOTGUN WOUND – In shotgun fire, the pellets penetrate and usually lodged inside  the body and a
tendency for a wider dispersion of pellets at a certain distance except in  contact and near contact fires.