Types of firearm weapons

Short Long

Types of firearm weapons

1.Non-rifled: only long2.Rifled: short and long

Types of missiles

Non-rifled Rifled

Types of missiles

Non-rifled weapons

Types of missiles

Rifled weapons

Firing

Firing - Dispersion

Firing - Dispersion

Characters of firearm injuries

1- Loss of substance

2- Presence of inlet and/or exit

3- Powder marks

4- Beveling of flat bones

Differences between inlet & exit

InletExit

SizeSmallLarge

EdgesInvertedEverted

RegularityMore regularLess regular

Powder marksPresentAbsent

Beveling InternalExternal

Near firing (point blank) (contact)

Inlet and exit abnormalities Inlet + no

exit No inlet +

exit Single inlet +

multiple exits

Causes of atypical inlet: Near firing Dumdum

bullets Putrefaction

Characters of firearm injuries

1- Loss of substance

2- Presence of inlet and/or exit

3- Powder marks

4- Beveling of flat bones

Characters of firearm injuries

1- Loss of substance

2- Presence of inlet and/or exit

3- Powder marks

4- Beveling of flat bones

Characters of firearm injuries

1- Loss of substance

2- Presence of inlet and/or exit

3- Powder marks

4- Beveling of flat bones

Range

Gases 15 cm1x

Burning, blackening

25 – 100 cm2-8x

Tattooing50 – 200 cm4-16 x

Characters of firearm injuries

1- Loss of substance

2- Presence of inlet and/or exit

3- Powder marks

4- Beveling of flat bones

Specimens

Points to be fulfilled

I. Injury description1. Number2. Shape3. Site4. Size5. Edges6. Type7. Post-trauma changes: sepsis, healing, surgical

interference8. Antemortem or postmortem

II. Causative instrumentIII. Causes of death

Points to be fulfilled

I. Injury description1. Number: one, two or multiple area(s) of loss of substance2. Shape:

a. Bullets or shots → roundedb. Slugs → squarec. Point-blank (contact) → cruciate

3. Site: in relation to anatomic landmark (bone) or specimen(soft tissue)

4. Size5. Edges

a. Bone: beveling (internal or external)b. Soft tissue:

1. Inlet: inverted edges2. Inlet of point-blank: everted lacerated edges surrounded by powder

marks in the form of burning, blackening and tattooing3. Exit: everted edges

Points to be fulfilled

I. Injury description6. Type

a. Inlet/exit of a bulletb. Inlets of slugsc. Inlets of shots

7. Post-trauma changes: sepsis, healing, surgical interference

8. Antemortem or postmortem: all are AM due to

a. Traces of hemorrhageb. Powder marksc. Surgical interferenced. In bones: AM signs are absent due to rapidity of death

Points to be fulfilled

II. Causative instrument1. Bullet of a rifled weapon wither long or short (short in

suicidal cases)

2. Shots of long, non-rifled, non-automatic weapon

3. Slugs of long, non-rifled, non-automatic weapon

III. Causes of death1. Head specimens: brain laceration – intracranial

hemorrhage

2. Other body parts: shock (neurogenic or hemorrhagic) – injury to internal organ

3. If there is surgical interference: as above + operative complications