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• Define Firearm.
• What is difference between Rifled Firearm
& Smooth Bored Weapon ?
• How you Determine Bore In Rifled
Weapon & in Smooth Bored Weapons?
• What is Choking in Smooth Bored
Weapons?
• What is Jacketing in Fire-Arms ?
• What are Wads?
• What is Primer ?

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 Ballistics

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 Ballistics
“ Knowledge of physical forces acting on the
projectile & missile “
by Nasib R. Awan
1. Internal or Interior Ballistics
2. External or Exterior
Ballistics
3. Terminal / Wound Ballistics
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 Ballistics

Trajectory
T
H P
Exterior ballistics
E R
O A
Wound ballistics C
R
E T
T I
Interior ballistics C
I
C A
A L
L
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 CHAIN OF EVENTS WITHIN
THE CHAMBER OF A
WEAPON
(Internal Ballistics)

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 Chain of Events
1.Trigger is pulled, Firing Pin
Strikes the Primer Cap
2. Primer ignites
3. Powder charge burns
4. Temperature increases
5. Gases produce
6. Chamber pressure increases
7. Bullet / Shot charge moves
8. Exit of bullet
9. Chamber pressure zero

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 Revolver ( 4 Tons )
The Chamber
Pressure Rises
Pistols ( 6 Tons )
Rifles ( 20 Tons )

Revolvers ( 600-900 ft/sec )

Shot Charge
Moves Pistols (1200-1400 ft/sec)

Rifles ( 2000-3000 ft / sec)

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 Exterior Ballistics

“ Knowledge of forces acting on the shot / projectile

while it leaves the barrel till it reaches the target “
by Nasib R. Awan

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1- Forces originating from the bullet motion
a- Speed or rate of motion
b- Direction of motion
1- Forward velocity
2- Rotational velocity
2- Forces present in the medium
a- Air resistance
b- Gravity

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 Flame Bullet
Gun-Powder Particles

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 Forces originating from the
projectile
Velocity
1- Speed or Rate of motion also called Muzzle
velocity
• Rifles up to 2000 – 3000 fps

2- Direction of motion
• Forward motion
• Also Rotational motion in bullets due to
rifling
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Bullets do
not typically
follow a
straight line
to the target.

Rotational
forces are in
effect that
keep the
bullet off a
straight axis
of flight.

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 Forces Present in the Medium
1- Air resistance
2- Gravity
Projectile
Follows..

Bullet Fired Curved path

Trajectory of bullet
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 Trajectory of Bullet
As soon as bullet leaves barrel, its forward
motion is interfered by air resistance and
downward pull of gravity.
So it assumes a curved path, called
Trajectory of bullet.
Hence Bullet has to be fired slightly above
the target, to be accurate.
That is called as “Zeroing”.

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 Trajectory of bullet

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 Ballistic Co-efficient
• Efficiency of a bullet in overcoming air
resistance,
• The ability of the projectile, To maintain its
velocity against air resistance is called,
“Ballistic Co-efficient”.
• Better the co-efficient, better is the ability of
projectile to maintain its Trajectory.
• This is achieved by changing the shape of
bullet, jacketing, rifling, etc;

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 Tail Wag Phenomenon

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 Tail Wag Phenomenon

Tail wag

Initial Terminal
tail wag tail wag

Intermediate
tail wag

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 Initial Tail Wag
• Inside barrel projectile is supported by walls of
barrel.
• When it leaves the barrel and enters into new
medium i.e. air, it loses balance due to loss of
lateral support of the walls, air resistance & force
of gravity.
• The bullet tail then starts a circular motion around
axis of trajectory, which is called as TAIL WAG.
• It regains balance after covering some distance.

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 Intermediate Tail Wag
• This wag occurs due to the fact, that bullet
passes another medium, like glass, metal.

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 Bullet Through a Glass
Intermediate
Intermediatetail
tail
wag
wag
Secondary
Secondary
missiles'
missiles'

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 Terminal Tail Wag
• This wag occurs due to the loss of velocity
of a bullet.

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 Tail Wag Phenomenon

Medico legal importance

Atypical firearm entry wounds

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 Tail wag phenomenon
Medicolegal importance

Atypical firearm entry wounds

Bigger entry wound
X-shaped entry wound
Key hole or slit like entry wound
Multiple entry wounds of a single fire
Skin deep / muscle deep wounds

4009/20/2024 30
5/3/2004
 Key
Keyhole
holeor
orSlit
Slit like
likeentry
entrywound
wound

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 TERMINAL BALLISTICS
( Wound Ballistics )

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 Firearm wounds
• “Firearm wounding is a special form of
trauma producing a breech through the
body of the person by a bullet or shot
charge”
• Principles & Practice of Forensic Medicine
by Nasib R. Awan

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 Terminal / Wound Ballistics

“It is concerned with the effect of bullet on the

target at impact until it comes to rest”
by Nasib R. Awan

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Mechanism of Wound production

Laceration & Crushing by imparting energy

to the tissues.

Effect Of Shock waves

Cavitation Effect by High Velocity Bullets

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 Laceration & Crushing

Kinematics is the science of motion. In

gunshot wounds we can use this to
determine the extent of injury from the
forces and motion involved.

• Velocity is a key factor to the overall extent of

gunshot wounds

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• According to the kinetic energy equation:
(kinetic energy = mass/ 2 x velocity2)
Doubling the mass doubles the energy,
however doubling the velocity quadruples
the energy
• Therefore a small-caliber bullet traveling at
high speed can produce a more extensive
injury than larger caliber bullet traveling at
a lower speed

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 Laceration & Crushing
…. produced by the direct effect of bullet

1- Missile velocity
2- Shape & composition of
projectile or Frontal
area
3- Angle of impact
4- Flight characteristics as
yaw, tumbling &
nutation
5- Fragmentation
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 Objects and bullet.flv

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Shock
ShockWaves
Waves

Shock waves
…. generated in tissues by high velocity
bullets, greater than 2,500/feet/sec
• Last only for 15-25 microseconds
• Are of high energy creating over 1000 lbs/sq
inch of pressure
• Easily rupture gas filled organs

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 Gun shot in high speed slow motion.flv

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 Cavitation
…. created by the bullets travelling at speeds
> 1000 ft/sec
Effects of Cavitation
• Size & shape depends upon the capacity of the
bullet to disperse energy in the surrounding
Stretches
tissues & damages smaller blood
• Tissues are moved forward & laterally away from the
vessles, nerves & even bones
bullet
• Continues for few milliseconds after bullet has passed
• This creates a cavity which sucks air in from entry &
exit wounds & may be 30 times more in diameter than
that of the bullet
• Permanent cavity if exists is much smaller than the
temporary cavity
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 Bullet through gellatin in super slo mo2.flv

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Cavitation is produced in high
velocity weapons, Low velocity
weapons do not produce this effect.

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 M/L Importance of Wound
Ballistics
1- Recognition of Entry & Exit wounds
2- Distance of Fire
3- Direction of fire & Wound track
4- Relative position of weapon/victim & angle
of fire
5- Cause of death
6- Manner of death
7- Identification of firearm
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 Bullet Myths Busted.flv

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 Components of a Shot
Responsible for Damage
Or
Wounding Elements
Components of a Shot 1- Shot charge
(Bullet/Pellet)
Responsible for Damage 2- Flame & heat
Or (Burning)
Wounding Elements 3- Hot gases (Cavitation)
4- Smoke (Blackening)
5- Wad
6- Burnt & Un-burnt gun
powder (Tattooing)
7- Grease from the barrel
8- Metal Fragments
(Fouling)
9- Muzzle Imprint

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 Muzzle Imprint

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• When the muzzle end is held against skin,
there will be no circular or oval wound but
entry wound will be, irregular, bizarre &
Stellate shaped.

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• When muzzle is firmly pressed against the
body, an muzzle imprint will be seen.
• This will also give the idea of weapon,
besides other factors.

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 Muzzle
MuzzleImprint
Imprint

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 Hot Gasses Effect

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• Hot Gasses Effect………
• Gasses effect produced show their effects,
when shot charge is struck from close
distance i.e. Few Inches.
• And effects produced will depend on area
of strike, Bone or Soft Tissue.
Bone
Gasses can rebound back after
striking the bone causing splitting of
wound, producing Stellate shaped wound
with everted & splitting of margins. It is
different from exit wound.
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 Contact Firearm Entry wound
Stellate Firearm wound
Stellate Shaped Wound

• Muzzle of firearm pressed hard on some

hard bony area as forehead / skull
• Gases can’t enter skull & escape from
sides causing lacerations in the scalp
• Star shaped projections in scalp
• Components of shot present inside skull
in the track

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 Firm Contact Fire-Arm Wound on Head

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 Flame and Heat

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 FLAME
FLAME

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 Shotgun in UltraSlo motion.flv

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• Flame & heat Effects……….
• These effects will give information about the
distance from muzzle end & it is roughly equal to
length of barrel. Normally burning effect is seen
in few inches distance.
• Flame will cause,
• Burning of Skin & Clothes
• Scorching of Hair & skin
• Singeing of Hair
• (Keratin at free edges of hair
burns & again
solidify)
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 BURNING
BURNING

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• Pinkish Coloured Discolouration of
entry wound margins is due to
combination of CO & Hb. Converting it to
Met-Haemoglobin.
• It will decrease in Exit wound, so it also
helps in determining Entry & Exit wounds.
• In short barrel, flame effects are up-to,
• 3-6 Inches
• In case of Long Barrel Effects will NOT be
seen, beyond 1-3 Feet

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 Gun Powder Effect

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• The gun powder effect manifests itself as,

a) Smoke Blackening Effect

b) Powder Tattooing

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 SMOKE
SMOKE

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• Smoke Blackening Effect
It is mainly due to black powder, which
are completely burned. It is less marked with
smoke-less powder.
At contact or Near contact distance, The carbon
gets deposited as minute particles upon the
clothing or skin around the wound of entrance.
Smoke mark may indicate range and direction of
fire.
Beyond one yard, it is absent.
Smoke is easily washed whereas tattooing is not
easily washable.
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 Before Washing

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 After Washing

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 Carbon
Carbonparticles
particles
scattered
scatteredon
on
HISTOLOGICAL
HISTOLOGICAL
examination
examination

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Burning: Few inches in case of Blackening: Absent after one
revolver & one foot in case of a yard
Shotgun by Naseeb R. Awan
by Naseeb R. Awan

Click icon to add clip art

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Powder Tattooing
(due to un-burnt, burnt & partially Beyond
Beyond22yards,
yards,
burnt coarse gunpowder particles) tattooing
tattooingisisnot
present
not
present
“ They pierce under the superficial skin layers by
byNaseeb
NaseebR.
R.
Awan
causing punctate abrasions of smaller blood Awan

vessels under the skin”

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Un-burnt gunpowder particles pierce the skin & cannot be
washed while blood stains are washable

Tattooing Blood stains

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 Powder Tattooing (Stippling).....
Or Peppering
• It is present around the wound.
• These marks resemble peppering & are due to
un-burnt or partially burnt carbon particles.
• They are more common with black gun powder.
• Beyond two yards tattooing is absent.
• When blackening is there, tattooing is always
present.
• It leaves small punctate haemorrhages on skin.

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• Gun-Powder effect helps to determine,
The Direction of Fire,
• If the bullet is striked at right angle,
perpendicular to the target, there will be
symmetrical distribution of stippling all
around.
• If bullet is striked at an oblique angle to the
target, stippling will be distributed on one
side of wound.

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 Skin Damages
• Gross splitting: Tail wag/range/gas
penetration
• Bruising/Vital reaction/Inflammatory
reaction
• Collar of Abrasion: Rub raw of the
superficial skin layers while projectile
enters the skin. More prominent in rifled
firearms due to their rotational motion &
indentation of skin with rubbing.

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 Thank You

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