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01-03-2017 | Original Article

The influence of the bullet shape on the width of abrasion collars and the size of gunshot entrance holes

Authors: Rebecca Pircher, Demet Preiß, Stefan Pollak, Annette Thierauf-Emberger, Markus Große Perdekamp, Dorothee Geisenberger

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 2/2017

Abstract

To investigate if there is any correlation between the bullet design and the respective dimensions of the abrasion collar and the skin defect in gunshot entrance wounds, experimental studies were performed on dyed pig skin. For the test shots, .38 Special revolver cartridges with three different bullet designs (round nose, wadcutter, and truncated cone) were used. With the help of an image editing program in combination with an image analyzing system, the area size of the abrasion rings and the skin defects was calculated automatically. The measured values differed significantly depending on the bullet type: the abrasion ring areas were largest in shots with round nose bullets and smallest with wadcutter projectiles. With regard to the entrance hole size, the relationship was inverse. The results are discussed with reference to the pertinent literature concerning the dynamic interaction between bullet and skin.

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Title: The influence of the bullet shape on the width of abrasion collars and the size of gunshot entrance holes
Authors: Rebecca Pircher
Demet Preiß
Stefan Pollak
Annette Thierauf-Emberger
Markus Große Perdekamp
Dorothee Geisenberger
Publication date: 01-03-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 2/2017
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1501-6

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