SPECIFICS

Question 1

When a bullet hits a person or an animal, it can cause damage in different ways:

Answer 1

1. The bullet can crush and tear the tissue it passes through.
2. The force of the bullet can create a temporary hole in the tissue, which can stretch, compress, and tear surrounding tissue.
3. If the bullet breaks apart, it can cause additional damage.
4. The type of tissue the bullet passes through can affect the extent of the injury.
5. The distance the bullet travels through the body can also impact the severity of the wound.

Question 2

Four broad categories into which gunshot wounds can be
divided are:

Answer 2

• Contact Wounds
• Near Contact Wounds
• Intermediate Wounds

Question 3

How are shear marks created on a bullet and how does blowback affect it?

Answer 3

Blowback/flowback can cause drag marks on a fired cartridge case when the firing pin drags across the primer as the slide of the firearm is rapidly moving rearward and then suddenly comes to a stop. This sudden stop causes the primer to move forward with a great deal of force, which can lead to the primer material being extruded into the firing pin hole, leaving shear marks and other unique marks on the primer.

Question 4

Temporary Cavity

Answer 4

The temporary cavity is a cavity which is formed when
the kinetic energy of a projectile is transferred to the
surrounding tissue causing it to expand outwardly.

Question 5

The size and shape of the temporary cavity in a body depend on:

Answer 5

• Nature of the bullet
• The amount of kinetic energy lost by the bullet in its path
• How rapidly the energy is lost
• The elasticity and cohesiveness of the tissue

Question 6

Factors that affect kinetic energy lost include:

Answer 6

1. Yaw of the bullet at the time of impact
2. Bullet Characteristics
3. Location of the wound

Question 7

Wound ballistics

Answer 7

A subdivision of terminal ballistics which deals with the motions and effects of projectiles in tissue.

Question 8

What is black powder?

Answer 8

Early propellants was a simple mixture of charcoal,
Sulphur and potassium nitrate. Modern propellantgrade black powder is:
Black Powder
* 75 parts potassium Nitrate
* 15 parts charcoal
* 10 parts sulphur

Question 9

Disadvantages of black powder

Answer 9

• Limited to total energy per unit of volume.
• Velocities seldom exceed 1400 ft/sec.
• Black powder residue is corrosive to steel which accelerates wear on the firearm.
• Produces dense smoke and fouling in the barrel

Question 10

Modern propellants aim

Answer 10

to eliminate sulphur and Incorporate oxidizers rather than inorganic materials that contribute to corrosive by-products.

Question 11

What is nitrocellulose

Answer 11

Invented in 1845/6 this is a cotton fibre treated with nitric acid

Question 12

What is celluiod?

Answer 12

This is a dissolved version of nitrocellulose by the use of alcohol and ether.

Question 13

Plasiticizer are

Answer 13

A form of flexible sheets of wet mass that is used to help granules from shattering

Question 14

Disadvantage of plasiticizer

Answer 14

In storage they go through dehydration which caused them to evaporate and in turn lose the rate of energy.

Question 15

Nitroglyerine is

Answer 15

a compound created by treating gly erol with a mixture of nitric acid. Often used in dynamite.

Question 16

Cordite is

Answer 16

A smokeless powder that has the composition of 58 nitroglycerin