FORENSIC MEDICINE

DAY 2
FIREARM INJURIES
BALLISTICS
 Study of firearm:
 Shotgun – Paradox gun

 Black powder content:

 Scanning Electron Microscope:

 Projectiles used in rifled gun:

 Projectiles used in smooth bore gun:
EFFECTS OF DISCHARGES OF A GUN
 Fire / Flame -→

 Smoke →

 Hot gases→

 Unburnt gun powder →

 Felt wad →
 Bullet →
 Grease collar/dirt collar –
 Abrasion collar –
RIFLED GUN INJURIES
 Contact shot –
 Close shot –
 Near shot –
 Distant shot –
APPEARANCE OF WOUND OF RIFLED FIREARM IN
DIFFERENT RANGES:
CONTACT(point blank) CLOSE SHOT (range of flame)

Circular entrance wound

• Muzzle impression Burns & Singeing- Present
• Stellate or cruciate margins Blackening - Present
• Burns, blackening & powder tattooing seen along the track
of the wound (not seen in skin externally) Tattooing - Present
Abrasion/Grease collar -Present

NEAR RANGE LONG RANGE (beyond the range of gun

(range of gun power) power)

Circular entrance wound Circular wound smaller than the diameter

Burning/ blackening - Absent of the bullet
Tattooing - Present Burning, blackening, tattooing - absent
SHOT GUN INJURIES:
 Dispersion of lead shots.
 distant increases  dispersion increases.
 Contact shot  cruciate or stellate appearance

 Within 1m  Effects of flame, smoke, tattooing (beyond 1 m, only

lead shot injuries seen).
 Beginning dispersion: 2 – 4 m.
 Complete dispersion: 4m.
DEFINITION OF RANGES IN SHOT GUN:
 Contact range:
 Close range:
 Near range:
 Intermediate range:
 Distant:
 Wound is cruciate/ stellate in contact shot.
 BBT till 1 m. (Not in >1m)
 Between 1 – 2m  start to disperse  making the wound rat – hole appearance.
 Lead shots as single mass upto
 Begin to disperse + individual pellet holes can be found in addition to central big hole at
 Complete dispersion of lead shots and only individual pellet holes are seen
APPEARANCE OF WOUND OF SHOT GUN IN
DIFFERENT RANGES
ENTRY WOUND VS EXIT WOUNDS

CHARACTER ENTRY WOUND EXIT WOUND

Smaller than the
diameter of the bullet
Size (exception in contact Larger
shot)
Edges Inverted Everted
Abrasion collar & Present Absent
grease collar
Scorching, smudging & May be present Absent
tattooing
Bleeding Less More
Fat extrusion Absent May be present
Cherry red colour May be present Absent
BULLET FINGER PRINTING
 Primary markings:

 Secondary markings:
TYPES OF BULLET:
 Dum Dum bullets:

 Tandem bullets/ Piggy back phenomenon:

 Duplex rounds:

 Tumbling bullet:
 TRACER BULLETS:

 INCENDIARY BULLETS:
TYPES OF GUNPOWDER
 BLACK POWDER
 Charcoal
 Sulphur
 Potassium Nitrate

 SMOKELESS POWDER

 SEMI SMOKELESS