title: The influence of the bullet shape on the width of abrasion collars and the size of gunshot entrance holes.
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.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. rebecca.pircher@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Preiß
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thierauf-Emberger
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus Große
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perdekamp
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geisenberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044709:Forensic Ballistics / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D013552:Swine; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: .38 Special cartridges; Abrasion collar; Bullet design; Gunshot entrance hole; Round nose; Truncated cone; Wadcutter