Classification of wound channels by direction and location in the body. Forensic medicine and psychiatry Exit gunshot hole

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The mechanism of action of a firearm is as follows: when fired, the firing pin hits the primer, which causes ignition of the primer composition and the powder charge. When the latter burns, a large amount of gases is formed. Under the influence of gas pressure in the chamber of the barrel, the projectile moves along the barrel with increasing speed. The bullet pushes out the air of the pre-bullet space from the barrel along with a small part of the powder gases that break through between the surface of the bullet and the rifling of the barrel bore. If the body or clothing is very close to the muzzle of the barrel, this air will strike before the bullet and can cause damage. Following the bullet, the rest, most of the gases, along with the solid combustion products of gunpowder and primer composition suspended in them, escape from the barrel. Incompletely burned powder grains and metal particles, torn from the surface of the bullet, from the walls of the cartridge case and barrel, also fly out. When gases escape from the barrel, a flash may be observed and the sound of a shot may be produced.

The gases escaping from the barrel have high pressure and high temperature. Therefore, if the muzzle of a weapon is located close to the object at which the shot is fired, then gases with smoke-like products suspended in them, particles of metal and gunpowder have a damaging effect of a mechanical, thermal and chemical nature.

Between the body and the muzzle of the weapon there are often some objects that can be destroyed under the influence of gases and the projectile. Their fragments become secondary projectiles and can cause various damage. Secondary projectiles can also form in the body itself (for example, bone fragments). When you shoot at any durable object located near the body, the bullet may ricochet, deform and rupture. The nature of damage to the body in such cases can be peculiar. Among these conditions, the properties of the weapon and cartridge, the distance of the shot, the presence of an obstacle between the body and the weapon, and the features of the anatomical structure of the affected part of the body are important.

Damage caused by gunshots on the human body is called gunshot injuries, on clothes and other items – bullet holes.

Through has a bullet wound entry hole, wound
channel and outlet.

Typical inlet occurs if the bullet enters the body with its head more or less perpendicular to the surface of the skin. Such a hole has defect, or "minus fabrics", upset belt And belt of contamination (wiping).

Defect is formed as a result of a bullet knocking out a small area of ​​skin. Its presence is one of the important signs of the inlet. This sign was noted by N.I. Pirogov in 1849, and M.I. Raisky and N.F. Zhivoderov (1935) experimentally confirmed the presence of the defect and called it “minus tissue”. In a typical entry hole, the defect in the epidermis and dermis is round or slightly oval in shape. Its diameter in the dermis is usually 1-3 mm less than the diameter of the bullet and the defect in the epidermis. The edges of the defect in the dermis are sometimes relatively smooth and sloping, and most often scalloped due to the presence of small radial tears.

At the edges of this defect, as a rule, there is an epidermal defect in the form of a ring 1-2 mm wide, which is called belt of upset. The outer diameter of this belt is approximately equal to the diameter of the bullet. If a part of the body covered with clothing is wounded, the latter is strongly pressed by the bullet to the edges of the resulting hole in the skin, and scraps of thread are partially dragged into the wound. In this regard, the belt of injury in wounds through clothing is wider.

The surface of the fired bullet is usually covered with soot, sometimes with grease. Passing through the skin, the bullet leaves most of these contaminants at the edges of the entrance hole in the form of a narrow (0.5-2 mm) gray or dark gray belt. This belt is called belt of pollution or rubbing. It can completely coincide with the sedimentation belt and, as it were, be layered on top of it. In case of wounds through clothing, a wiping belt is formed at the edges of the hole in the top layer of clothing fabric. The wiping belt always contains metals that are part of the contamination, and sometimes gun lubricant.

Sometimes the bullet enters the body at an acute angle to the surface of the skin. The inlet hole may have an irregular oval shape. One edge of it is usually rounded, and the epidermis here is besieged in the form of a crescent; the opposite edge is uneven, with several small tears. Occasionally, a bullet enters the body “flat,” i.e., with its side surface. In this case, the entrance hole defect becomes oblong in shape, and the outer contours of the settling belt may resemble the side profile of a bullet.

Form outlet openings very diverse. There are holes of irregular stellate, cruciform, slit-like, arcuate, angular, indeterminate, and sometimes round or oval. Most of the holes do not have a tissue defect, so when the edges approach, they completely close the lumen of the wound. Only in some cases the exit holes, especially round and oval ones, have a slight defect. The dimensions of the exit hole are often larger than the entrance hole, which is explained by the action of bone fragments flying out of the exit hole and tearing its edges, the manifestation of the hydrodynamic action of the bullet in the soft tissues in the exit area, the change in the position of the bullet at the time of exit from the body (side surface) and deformation bullets. If the bullet is not deformed and leaves the body with the head part, having low kinetic energy, then the exit hole is small in size, often slit-like, sometimes round in shape.

The edges of the exit holes are usually uneven, often turned outward. Sometimes at the edges there is sedimentation of the epidermis, similar to the corresponding belt of the inlet. This irritation occurs from the impact and pressing of the edges of the wound against clothing or some other object as the bullet passes through the skin.

In case of a through wound, it is always necessary to determine which of the two holes is the entrance and which is the exit. In each specific case, a conclusion is made based on a thorough analysis of all the features of each hole. In the case of a wound at close range, the entrance hole is usually determined by the presence of characteristic traces of a close shot. These include: 1) the mechanical action of powder gases and air from the barrel bore - piercing action, tears of clothing and skin, tears and separation of tissues in the wound channel, imprint of the muzzle end of the weapon, settling and subsequent parchmentation of the skin, radial smoothing of the pile of clothing fabrics; 2) the thermal effect of gases, soot and powder grains - scorching of the pile of clothing fabrics and body hair, burning of clothing fabrics, burns; 3) chemical action of gases - the formation of carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin; 4) deposition and penetration of soot into clothing fabrics, skin, and wound canal walls; 5) deposition and introduction of particles of powder grains and large metal particles into clothing fabrics, skin, and walls of the wound canal; traces of the impact of these particles in the form of small abrasions on the skin and cuts on the fabrics of clothing; 6) deposition of splashes of gun lubricant on clothing or skin.

The listed traces are very important for proving the origin of the injuries from fire, to establish the entrance hole, the distance of the shot, the type of weapon and the ammunition used.

Wound channel is a collection of tissue areas injured by a bullet as it moves through the victim’s body, from the entry gunshot wound to the exit wound. Distinguish several types of wound channel. Through wound channel- when the bullet passed through the entire body of a person. Blind wound channel- when a bullet, having flown into the victim’s body, got stuck in it. At the end of the blind wound channel, as a rule, a projectile is found.

By form and character wound channels can be straight, broken, interrupted. Some authors identify other types of wound channels.

Direct movement bullet in the victim’s body is observed in cases where an ordinary bullet (without a displaced center of gravity and other design features) destroys in a straight line all the organs and tissues of the human body that come in its way and does not deviate from the straight-line movement. When a bullet hits the bones of the skeleton, it may deviate from its straight trajectory, which will result in a broken wound channel. Broken wound channel It can also happen in cases where the body at the time of its damage was in some position that differs from a simple straight one. For example, a person was in a bent state at the time of injury; when the body straightens, the wound channel may become broken. When examining the canal, it may appear intermittent if it passes through various organs and tissues that may move relative to each other. This is most often observed with injuries to intestinal loops. Interrupted a wound channel occurs when two parts of a person’s body are sequentially wounded and separated from each other by an air gap. For example, a bullet passed through the arm and entered the chest.

Channel lumen usually filled with scraps of damaged tissue and spilled blood. Its walls are uneven, have multiple breaks and, as a rule, are soaked in blood.

The shape and dimensions of the cross-section of the wound channel are different depending on the size of the bullet, its speed, the nature of its movement and the properties of body tissue. Bullets with a shifted center of gravity, explosive, with a notched tip and other complex designs can leave very complex wound channels after their impact. However, the complexity of the channel is not an obstacle to its detailed study according to all the rules of forensic science.

WOUND CANAL WOUND CANAL is a continuation of the wound in organs and tissues.

Large legal dictionary. - M.: Infra-M. A. Ya. Sukharev, V. E. Krutskikh, A. Ya. Sukharev. 2003 .

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As a result of the fact that a bullet or shot acts on various obstacles (clothing, tissue and organs) in the same way both when fired at point-blank range and from close and non-close distances, the mechanism of damage formation is almost similar. This mechanism consists of stages: the impact of a bullet (tearing and knocking out areas of skin, tissue - the formation of a defect), transmission of an impact wave to the tissues, compression and expansion of tissues located in front (that is, the formation of a wound channel).

In the first stages it is formed entry gunshot wound, having the following characteristics:

The presence of a tissue defect (minus tissue sign) of a round or oval shape;

The dimensions are slightly smaller than the diameter of the bullet (due to the elasticity of the skin);

The presence of a belt of deposition in the form of a narrow strip 0.1-0.2 cm wide, due to tight contact of the skin with the side surface of the bullet;

The presence of a wiping belt, 0.1-0.2 cm wide, dark gray in color, the presence of a metallization belt;

Soot deposits;

Thermal burns around the injury;

Traces from the effects of burnt and unburned powder.

Signs indicating exit gunshot wound, include: the absence of a tissue defect, the absence of a belt of deposition, rubbing and metallization, the shape of the damage is slit-like, irregularly oval, the edges of the damage are uneven, easily comparable, sometimes turned outward.

Determining the direction of the wound channel in the body

Wound channel- this is a linear cylindrical damage to soft tissues and bones, which is formed due to the penetrating action of a bullet with kinetic energy.

Wound channels can be blind, through, straight or broken; continuous and interrupted; encircling; single and multiple. When a wound channel is formed from the side surface of the bullet, a molecular shock effect is formed. With non-fatal wounds, these tissue areas are susceptible to necrosis and rejection.

The shock head wave, damaging organs containing liquid (or semi-liquid masses), causes a hydrodynamic effect in them in the form of ruptures in their walls. A bullet with high kinetic energy damages the bone with the formation of fragments, which are found along the wound channel. When passing through flat bones, a bullet forms a defect that is close in size to its cross section and cone-shaped in size, that is, the defect at the point of contact of the bullet with the bone is much smaller than the defect located on its reverse side.

Shot wounds can come in a variety of forms. This circumstance primarily depends on the shot distance. When fired from a distance of 1-2 m, the shot flies in a continuous mass and forms one large round gunshot wound of various diameters. When fired from a distance of 3-5 m, edge pellets increasingly move away from the main mass of the charge. The wound also acquires a rounded shape with pronounced scalloped edges and individual small entrance wounds corresponding to individual pellets. When fired from a distance of more than 5 m, the shot is dispersed relatively evenly. This dispersion area gradually increases. Thus, the flight of the shot as it exits the barrel resembles a kind of cone. Based on the area of ​​shot dispersion, you can approximately judge the distance of the shot.

Together with the shot charge, a wad flies out of the barrel, having a certain mass and a fairly high initial speed. It can fly over a considerable distance, sometimes several tens of meters, causing additional damage.

Shot wounds are mostly blind. But due to the fact that almost every pellet has its own independent wound channel, damage to internal organs is much more significant than with gunshot wounds from a bullet.

To determine the possible flight range of an individual pellet depending on its diameter, the formula is usually used:

D ½ 100 = Ð ,

where D is the diameter of the pellet, mm;

Ð — flight range, m.

Thus, a large shot flies over a distance of several hundred meters.

The wound channel is the path that pre-bullet air, projectile and powder gases pass through the body. Depending on the distance of the shot, it is formed by certain factors of the shot (pre-bullet air, gases, bullet). Powder gases containing carbon monoxide combine with hemoglobin in the blood and muscles, converting them into carboxyhemoglobin and carboxymyoglobin, respectively, which stain tissue light red in diameter up to 5 cm, most often around the wound channel. The shape and size of the wound channel are determined by the cross-section, speed, nature of the movement of the bullet and the properties of the affected tissue, and the firing distance. The lateral entry of the projectile into the body and its “tumbling” in flight leave larger wound channels than when moving in a straight line. The passage of the projectile through elastic tissues (tendons, fascia) forms slit-like channels of smaller sizes. The size of the channel in the muscles is determined by the degree of their blood supply and tension at the time of injury.

Most often, the channel is a more or less straight line, which is a continuation of the direction of flight of the bullet before it enters the body, but sometimes there are deviations from this direction. They are determined by the properties of the tissues hit by the projectile, the kinetic energy of the bullet, its integrity, the angle of entry into the body, and the characteristics of the anatomical area of ​​the body hit by the projectile.

Based on the direction and location of the channel in the body, they are distinguished:

straight - look like a more or less straight line that maintains the direction of the shot. They are left by projectiles passing through a small number of compact, nearby tissues and organs;

oblique - look like an oblique line running in the direction of the wind;

broken lines (zigzag) channels are formed from the passage of a projectile through several organs, which can easily move or change their position in the body;

tangential (tangents) channels occur when a bullet enters a rounded area of ​​the body at a very acute angle and exits near the entrance;

encircling the channels are inflicted by the insignificant energy of the bullet, causing a channel corresponding to the shape of the relief, the area of ​​the body encircled by it;

rejected channels are formed when a bullet encounters an obstacle in the body that is insurmountable for it, and therefore it changes its path and creates a channel in a different direction. Such a deviation is possible only in the presence of an acute angle of impact or the use of bullets with a displaced center of gravity, the so-called eccentrics;

interrupted channels arise when a bullet passes through hollow organs or pushes apart easily displaced organs. There are external and internal interrupted channels. The former are observed during passage through two or more areas of the body, the latter - in cases of passage in internal organs and between them;

multiple (branching) channels arise due to the rupture of one projectile into several parts in the body. A projectile entering the body initially leaves one channel, which at some distance from the entrance, as a result of the explosion of the projectile, branches into several channels. Many channels are formed from the action of a shot shell and blast injury.

In addition, they are inflicted by a shot from a weapon with a bullet with a displaced center of gravity. Due to unstable equilibrium, a bullet, passing through the boundary of two media of different densities, loses stability, changes direction of flight, somersaults, and the wound channel not only becomes broken, but also of different widths.

According to communication with the external environment, wound channels can be blind or through. A blind wound channel is a channel that communicates with the external environment at one end, a through wound channel is a channel that communicates with the external environment at both ends.

- straight- look like a straight line that maintains the direction of the shot.

- oblique- look like an oblique line running in the direction of the shot;

- broken lines(zigzag) channels are formed from the passage of a projectile through several organs, which can easily move or change their position in the body;

- tangential(tangent) channels occur when a bullet enters a rounded area of ​​the body at a very acute angle and exits near the entrance;

- encircling the channels are inflicted by the insignificant energy of the bullet, causing a channel corresponding to the shape of the relief, the area of ​​the body encircled by it;

- rejected channels are formed when a bullet encounters an obstacle in the body that is insurmountable for it, and therefore it changes its path and creates a channel in a different direction. Such a deviation is possible when using bullets with a displaced center of gravity - eccentrics;

- interrupted channels arise when a bullet passes through hollow organs or pushes apart easily displaced organs.

- multiple(branching) channels arise due to the rupture of one projectile into several parts in the body.

2. DETERMINING THE SHOT DISTANCE

In forensic medicine and criminology, three distances are distinguished: point-blank, close-range and non-close-range shots (Table 6.5).

Point-blank shot. A point-blank shot is a shot when the muzzle of the weapon comes into contact with the body or clothing worn on the person’s body. A distinction is made between a tight or sealed stop, an angled stop and a contact stop or a non-sealed stop when the muzzle of the weapon is at a distance of 0.5 cm from the body or clothing or comes into contact with it when fired.

The shape of the entrance wound on the skin when shot at point-blank range varies depending on the location. When a shot is fired into an area of ​​the body with an underlying bone base (in the area of ​​the head, chest, shoulder blades, etc.), the entrance wound has a cross-shaped or star-shaped shape, which is due to the mechanical, explosive action of gases that escape from the barrel bore and spread under the skin, form pocket-like voids, peel the skin from the tissues located below, lift it and tear it into separate shreds. When comparing flaps of torn skin in the center, as a rule, semilunar notches from the bullet hole are revealed.

When shots are fired into soft, easily pliable tissues, the entrance wound has a round or oval shape, since under the influence of powder gases the skin peels off from the underlying tissues by 1-2 cm. The size of the “minus tissue” defect in such cases is 2-3 times larger than the caliber of the weapon , which is due to the fact that when fired at point-blank range, not only the bullet, but also the gases have a penetrating effect.

Numerous studies of the entrance wound when fired at point-blank range show that no matter how tightly the muzzle of the weapon is pressed against the skin, at the moment of the shot, when the weapon recoils, part of the soot breaks through the resulting gap, as a result of which the edges of the entrance hole are covered with a thick coating of soot.

The bulk of the soot, powder and other additional factors of the shot passes into the wound channel, which is a direct continuation of the barrel channel. Carbon monoxide, which is part of the powder gases, penetrates the wound canal and combines with hemoglobin in the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin, which colors the soft tissue of the initial part of the wound canal bright red.

One of the important informative signs of a point-blank shot is the stamp mark - the imprint of the muzzle cut. The mechanism of its formation is that the powder gases generated during the shot, spreading in the subcutaneous tissue, lift the skin and hit it against the plane of the muzzle, resulting in damage to the epidermis with subsequent drying of this area of ​​the skin. The abrasion that forms when fired at point-blank range in the form of a negative imprint of the muzzle cut is called a stamp mark; its severity depends on the tightness of the muzzle cut and the presence of clothing in the area of ​​the shot. If there are clothes, the stamp mark may be incomplete, and often completely absent. The muzzle reflection is often covered with dried blood and soot.

The stamp mark allows you to find out the position of the muzzle at the moment of the shot and some of its characteristics. If at the moment of firing the weapon was placed at an angle, then the powder gases, partially breaking through into the open space of the corner, form a triangular or oval area of ​​soot.

Close range shot. By close distance we should understand the distance at which traces of the action of additional factors of the shot are detected around the entrance hole: flame, gases, soot, powder, and when there are no signs of a point-blank shot.

This distance will vary depending on the weapon system used. For long-barreled weapons with strong fire it is 1.5-2 m, for short-barreled weapons with weak fire it does not exceed a meter. The flight range of additional factors depends on the weapon system, the degree of its wear, the strength of the combat, the length of the barrel, the quantity and quality of gunpowder in the cartridge.

At the moment of firing, a flame appears at the cut of the weapon barrel due to the reaction of the explosion products with oxygen in the air. Its presence depends on the type of gunpowder. When black or black powder burns, it produces

a significant flame and a lot of hot unburned powder, which has a thermal effect, due to which hair is scorched and even clothing is ignited.

Smokeless powder burns faster and has less thermal effect. Only sometimes scorching of individual fibers of clothing and vellus hair of the skin is observed.

When shot at close range, the entrance hole has a round or oval shape (depending on the angle of the shot) with a “minus tissue” defect, rims of deposition and contamination (wiping), a coating of soot and powder particles is placed around the hole.

The “minus tissue” defect at the entrance hole is caused by the piercing action of the bullet; the deposition rim occurs as a result of the impact action of the bullet, which tears off the edges of the entrance hole, which then dry out, acquiring a brown color and parchment density. The presence of a rim of contamination is explained by the fact that the bullet, passing through the bore, collects particles of lubricant, soot, metals and other elements on its surface and leaves them at the edges of the entrance hole.

Hot powder gases, which fly out of the bore along with particles of soot and powder, have a clogging effect, causing the formation of parchment spots with a radius of 3-5 cm around the inlet hole.

Parchment spots of a brownish color, as a rule, are located under a thick layer of soot and are observed when fired from a distance of 8-10 cm. Soot flies to a distance of 20-40 cm. Its chemical composition depends on the type of gunpowder: soot from black powder consists of coals, smokeless - from particles of different metals (antimony - from the percussion composition of the primer; copper - from the cartridge case; lead, zinc, nickel - from the bullet; iron - from the bore).

The intensity of the soot zone is not the same; it contains concentric and radial dark and light areas. Depending on the distance of the shot, the intensity and diameter of the smoke varies. The closer the shot distance, the more intense the soot deposit and the smaller the radius of its spread.

Since complete combustion of gunpowder does not occur during shots, unburned or partially burned powder particles flying out of the barrel end up around the inlet hole at close range. They can damage the skin, and sometimes penetrate into its thickness, forming areas of powder impregnation. Powder particles reach objects when fired from short-barreled weapons (pistols, revolvers) at a distance of 70-80 cm and 1-2 m - when fired from long-barreled weapons (rifles, carbines, hunting weapons). If there is a need to determine the distance more accurately in units of measurement, experimental shots are carried out with the same ammunition, comparing the nature of the placement of additional factors in the test and experimental shots.

The absence of additional shot factors may be due to the presence of layers of clothing that retain additional shot factors on their surface.

Shot from close range. A shot from a short distance is understood to be such a distance when only the projectile acts on the body, and additional factors of the shot are not detected. For short-barreled weapons it begins beyond 80-100 cm, for long-barreled weapons - over 1.5-2 m.

It is impossible to establish a specific non-close distance in units of measurement (5, 10 m, etc.) based on the nature of the entry bullet wound. The entrance hole for such a shot has a round or oval shape with a tissue defect, which, as a rule, corresponds to the caliber of the weapon, the rims are deposited and dirty (wiping).

The rim of contamination, as a rule, is not visually detected. To identify it, additional research techniques are used (diffusion, contact-diffusion, spectrographic), which make it possible to establish not only the presence, but also the chemical composition of metals, the particles of which remain on the rim of the contamination (Tables 6.6, 6.7).

Outlets at all shot distances, in contrast to the entrance ones, they have a slit-like, star-shaped, angular shape, occasionally an irregular oval shape, as a rule, without a tissue defect, since the bullet acts wedge-shaped when exiting. Only in cases where it retains significant kinetic energy at the time of exit can a tissue defect occur, but it is always smaller than at the entrance hole. There are no rims of contamination or sedimentation at the outlet.

3. GUNSHOT DAMAGE TO CLOTHING

When examining gunshot injuries, a thorough examination of clothing is required. When shot at point-blank range and at close range, clothing absorbs a significant part of the additional factors of the shot and retains them on its surface. If there are thick layers of clothing, additional factors can be completely blocked by them, and then the entrance hole on the skin does not show signs of being shot at close range.

When shot at point blank range Due to the mechanical bursting action of the gases, the clothing fabrics are torn and the inlet hole takes on a cruciform shape. Some authors explain this by the presence of four rifling in the barrel. When comparing the breaks in the center of the hole, a clear tissue defect is observed, the size of which is several times larger than the diameter of the bullet. When fired point-blank into knitted or knitted fabrics, as a rule, there are no breaks; the entrance hole has a round or oval shape with a significant defect in the fabric, its edges are covered with soot, some of which is contained on the inner surface of the clothing and between its layers. When black powder is used at the moment of firing, dry flammable cloth (wattage, gauze) easily ignites. Synthetic fibers are fused with club-shaped thickenings at the ends.

When shot at close range around the hole, which has a round or oval shape, there are additional charge factors: soot, powder particles, and sometimes traces of heating of the pile. On light tissues, their detection does not cause complications, while on dark, bloody, contaminated tissues, additional studies are used for this purpose. The presence of soot can be detected in infrared rays.

To identify powder particles, a test is performed with diphenylamine and sulfuric acid, which produces a blue color, indicating the presence of nitro compounds contained in the gunpowder. In addition, in order to differentiate powder particles from particles of mineral origin, objects are examined in soft X-rays, and the radius of their distribution is also noted on the X-ray image. The contact-diffusion method (or color fingerprint method) has become widely used in forensic practice, with the help of which not only the presence and radius of distribution, but also the chemical composition of metal particles that are part of the additional factors of the shot are determined on the contactogram.

Entry hole at a short distance The shot, as a rule, has a round or oval shape, its size corresponds to the diameter of the bullet, the edges of the hole are fringed. In cloth, the split fibers fill the gap of the hole, which sometimes makes it difficult to detect the gunshot hole. On silk, cotton and synthetic fabrics, the hole is round with a clear fabric defect. On light-colored fabrics, you can see a rim of dirt around the edges of the hole. On dark, contaminated tissues, various research techniques are used to detect it: contact-diffusion, x-ray, spectrographic. The presence of lubricating oils can be detected during examination of tissues under ultraviolet rays.

When the shooting distance is not close, soot deposits are sometimes observed around the edges of the entrance hole. It is noticeable only on the lower layers of clothing or skin, but there are no traces of soot on the outer layer. This phenomenon is called the Vinogradov phenomenon. It is explained by the fact that at high bullet speeds (over 500 m/sec), soot particles accompanying the bullet in a vortex path are scattered between layers of clothing, settling on its underside, where they are easily detected upon inspection.

Exit hole in clothing fabrics at all shooting distances it has a different shape: slit-like, star-shaped, angular, etc. There is no regular round shape of the hole. There are no additional shot factors around the hole, no rim of contamination, and no fabric defect.

4. PARTICULAR TYPES OF GUNSHOT DAMAGES.

Injuries from automatic fire. The rate of automatic fire reaches 900 rounds per minute. Thanks to such a high rate of fire, the relative position of the weapon and the victim during the automatic burst practically does not change. When shot at close range, this can lead to the formation of connected (double or triple) wounds. Gunshot injuries caused by automatic burst bullets are characterized by a complex of the following distinctive features: multiplicity, one-sided and sometimes close to each other location of entry gunshot wounds, their similar shapes and sizes, parallel or slightly divergent directions of wound channels, as well as the properties of entry wounds, allowing them to occur when fired from the same distance.

When fired in a short burst at close range, the wounds are located nearby; when fired in a long burst from a weapon that is not firmly fixed, they are scattered. When fired in bursts from a short distance, the body is hit by one, less often two, bullets. If we continue in space the direction of the wound channels in the opposite direction from the entrance gunshot wounds, then when firing in one burst, the wound channels will converge to one point, which will approximately indicate the distance of the shot.

Wounds from special-purpose bullets. Most injuries caused by special-purpose bullets are no different from wounds caused by ordinary bullets. However, due to the design features of special-purpose bullets, they are more prone to destruction when dense bone formations are damaged. In such cases, blind wounds are common.

Among the fragmented parts of the bullet may be a tracer cup, a nozzle ring, or a lead core. If the tracer composition that enters the body of the bullet continues to burn, then the tissue along the wound channel is exposed to thermal effects. The constituent elements of the tracer or incendiary composition of special-purpose bullets are identified by spectrographic examination of the affected tissue.

Special-purpose projectiles include elastic and rubber bullets. Their damaging effect is associated with a mechanical effect. At close range they can cause blind, penetrating wounds; at distances over 10-20 m, their effect is limited to abrasions and local bruises. Indirect confirmation of the effect of rubber bullets can be the detection of lead on the surface of an abrasion or bruise using X-ray fluorescence analysis.

Injuries from bullets that previously interacted with obstacles. The influence of barriers on the nature of gunshot injuries is one of the most difficult issues in forensic ballistics. Interaction with an obstacle is expressed in two forms: overcoming the obstacle and rebounding from it. The interaction of a bullet with an obstacle can lead to the loss of part of the kinetic energy of the bullet, a change in the correctness of its rotation, partial or complete destruction of the bullet, and disruption of the integrity of the obstacle with the formation of secondary projectiles. The influence of the consequences of the interaction of a bullet with an obstacle on the characteristics of gunshot wounds depends on the distance between the damaged part of the body and the point of contact of the bullet with the obstacle. After overcoming the obstacle, its destroyed particles rush after the bullet. They have a different effect on a body located at different distances behind the obstacle. The relationship between the area of ​​the damaging effect of particles and the depth of their penetration into tissue is used to judge the length of the calving distance to the obstacle.

The result of the interaction of a bullet with an obstacle is: frequent formation of blind wounds, oblong entry wounds from impact with the side surface of the bullet, complete or partial absence of a skin defect in the area of ​​entry wounds, several blind wounds from the action of fragments of a broken bullet, a false picture of soot, powder and metal particles around entry wound due to the deposition of lead dust and small fragments of a firearm and an obstacle. This false picture most often occurs after special-purpose bullets interact with an obstacle. All of these features make the damage similar to close shot damage, shot damage, and blast injury.

Differential diagnosis in such cases is based on a comprehensive sectional, laboratory and instrumental examination of damage, and radiography and the color print method are mandatory.

Shot wounds. Such injuries occur as a result of shots from hunting rifles with cartridges loaded with shot. The hunting weapon has a caliber of 12-32 mm. The cartridges for it can be factory-made or home-made. A cartridge consists of a cartridge case with a primer, gunpowder, wads, shot or bullet. There are 15 shot numbers available, which differ from one another by 0.25 cm in diameter. The smallest shot No. 11 has a diameter of 1.5 mm, the largest - 5 mm. Shots with a diameter of over 5 mm are called buckshot, and those over 10 mm are called bullets. Buckshot has a diameter of 5.25-10.0 mm. Shot and buckshot are made from metal alloys.

After firing a standardly loaded hunting cartridge, the shot charge flies as a single compact mass over a distance of 1 m; after 2-5 m, the shot charge completely disintegrates. When using special scatterers or shot concentrators, these patterns may change. The density of the dissipated charge decreases as the shot distance increases. The flight range of the shot is 200-400 m. The degree of dispersion of the shot shell determines the characteristics of shot damage at different shot distances.

A point-blank shot results in a significant amount of internal damage, such as complete destruction of the head. When fired at point-blank range, extensive skin defects, an imprint of the muzzle end of the second barrel of a hunting weapon, soot in the depths of the wound channel and light red coloring of the muscles are observed. With a loose stop and a very close shot range, skin burns from the pronounced thermal effect of black powder are observed.

When fired within 1 m, one entrance gunshot wound with a diameter of 2-4 cm with uneven scalloped edges is formed. At a distance of 1 to 2-5 m, a main gunshot entrance hole of similar size and character is formed, around which there are separate round wounds with a small skin defect, roughened and metalized edges. As the shot distance approaches 2-5 m, the number of such wounds increases. At distances exceeding 2-5 m, only isolated small round wounds are formed from the action of single pellets. Shot wounds, as a rule, are blind.

To resolve the issue of a specific shot distance, experimental shooting is of great importance. Fatal injuries from shotguns are observed within 40 m. Small shot flies at a distance of up to 260 m, large shot - 300-400 m, buckshot - 400-600 m.

When fired with a shotgun cartridge, damage can be caused by wads, some of which (for example, felt ones) fly up to 40 m. Wads have a mechanical effect (abrasions, round or oval bruises, shallow blind wounds), and in some cases a local thermal effect. Damage, mainly of a mechanical nature, occurs from special containers, gaskets and other structural elements of a hunting cartridge. All parts of the cartridge found in the wound are subsequently transferred to the investigative authorities as evidence.

Injuries from weapons with a silencer. To reduce the intensity of sound and reduce the light effect during shots, special devices are used that are mounted on the muzzle end of long-barreled and short-barreled weapons. These devices are called silencers or devices for silent and flameless shooting. They are a metal cylinder, inside of which metal plates, plastic partitions or rubber diaphragms are reinforced. This design of the muffler not only reduces the mentioned effects, but also reduces the initial velocity of the bullet and the energy of the powder gases. In general, when fired from a weapon with a silencer, the amount of gunshot damage will always be less than when fired from the same weapon, but without a device for silent shooting. When fired at point-blank range, a weakly expressed stamp-imprint is formed, repeating the shape and dimensions of the front end part of the silencer. Detachment of the skin around the entrance wound from a shot at point-blank range is extremely insignificant, and skin tears do not form. The intensity of the soot is weak, the range of its deposition is half that of shots from a similar weapon without a silencer. One of the distinguishing features when firing from a weapon with a silencer is the dense deposition of small metallized particles around the entrance wound at a distance of up to 60-70 cm from the muzzle. When using suppressors with rubber diaphragms, significant lead deposits can be found around the entry wound at close range, even with copper-clad bullets.

Injuries from homemade weapons. Homemade weapons, as a rule, are made in a handicraft way and are distinguished by extreme design diversity, different loading methods, different cartridges and different firearms. All this leads to an extreme variety of damage that occurs when fired from homemade weapons. The initial velocity of a projectile when fired from a homemade weapon varies within significant limits, but usually does not exceed that when fired from a standard weapon. Most often the head and chest are affected, less often the neck, abdomen, and limbs. Damage is caused not only by a bullet (or an atypical projectile) and its fragments, but also by the cartridge case, as well as by fragments of an exploding weapon. The latter often occurs when homemade ammunition is loaded with an excessive amount of charge. When fired at point-blank range, in the vast majority of cases, a more or less clear stamp-imprint is formed; with significant charges, ruptures of the edges of the entrance wound and skin detachment occur. Soot, powder and metal particles fly out of the bore to an unpredictable distance. When a firearm explodes, the shooter and those in the immediate vicinity are primarily affected. Proof of a shot from a homemade weapon is based on the atypicality of the effects of the firearm and additional products of the shot. Conclusions about the use of homemade weapons and the firing distance can most objectively be drawn from the results of experimental studies in which an alleged homemade weapon (or its analogue), alleged ammunition and the conditions of injury established by the investigation are used. Homemade weapons include sawed-off hunting weapons (weapons with a shortened “cut off” barrel), which differ both in the behavior of the projectiles (usually shot) in the barrel bore and in their external ballistics.

Injuries from flare weapons. Typical signal-barreled weapons are smooth-bore rocket launchers, which are equipped with signal, lighting, incendiary and other cartridges consisting of a paper cartridge case, an expelling charge of black powder, wads and a star, which is a mixture of flammable substance and oxidizer. The main damaging factor is the star. It has not so much a mechanical effect as a pronounced thermal one. When fired from any distance, up to 60-120 m, wounds are formed with a large skin defect reaching 2-2.5 cm in diameter. Once in the cavities of the head and torso, the star continues to burn and has a thermal effect on the tissues in contact with it and organs, sometimes leading to significant damage. When fired at point-blank range, hair loss and abrasions from the action of wads may be noticed.

Injuries from construction-assembly pistols (SMP). SMPs are used in construction work to fasten various parts to durable structures. The shot occurs when the coupling tip is pressed against the surface of the corresponding structure. However, from criminally altered SMPs it is possible to shoot from some distance without pressing the tip of the coupling. When fired at point-blank range, a characteristic smoked stamp-imprint is formed in the form of a regular or truncated circle, in the center of which the entrance wound is located. The main damaging factor when firing from the SMP is a special dowel projectile of a short arrow-shaped shape. Due to the large mass of the dowel and the irregular external trajectory, it is capable of causing through or blind wounds with significant destruction of organs and tissues along the wound channel. Powder and metal particles when fired from an SMP are capable of hitting a target at a distance of up to 200 and 300 cm, respectively. If the cartridge is equipped with wads, then abrasions or bruises may form near the entrance wound from the action of the wads. In case of blind wounds, radiographs can determine the shape and relative dimensions of the dowel. It must be removed from the wound canal or found at the scene of the incident and transferred to the investigator for forensic research, with the help of which it is possible to determine the type, type and batch of the cartridge used, as well as the copy of the SMP used for shooting.

Injuries from atypical projectiles. A wide variety of small objects can be used as atypical projectiles: pieces of wire, small nails, table salt, small pebbles, pea grains, corn, etc., that is, the striking projectile is multiple. The latter circumstance determines the nature of the damage in the form of scree. Multiple damages are distinguished by the same type of shape, size, as well as the presence of identical introduced layers and the projectiles themselves. Atypical projectiles always fly a relatively short distance, the depth of damage to tissues and organs is insignificant. The wound channels are usually blind; at the end they are easily found using an atypical projectile. Only when using soluble projectiles, such as table salt, their particles may not be detected in the wound.

Defeats from throwing weapons. Types of weapons similar to firearms in design and ballistic properties may include rifles and pistols, in which the kinetic energy of the bullet is created not by the combustion of gunpowder, but by the transfer of mechanical energy from compressed air. Such weapons are called pneumatic. It is structurally different from other types of firearms in that it has a container in the channel in which the air forced by the piston during loading is compressed. When the trigger is pressed, the piston is released, and compressed air imparts forward motion to the bullet located in the barrel of the weapon. The bullet acquires an initial speed (relatively small) and flies at a distance of 30 - 50 m. Bullets can be in the form of hemispherical cylinders with a diameter of 3 - 4 mm or metal “caps” with a sharp head end and a stabilizer. Lead balls (usually shot No. 2 - 4), wrapped in paper or cotton wool, can also be used as a bullet.

When fired from an air gun, even from a distance of several meters, such bullets can cause severe injuries (brain damage through the orbit of the eye, destruction of the eyeball, blind wound of the carotid artery, penetrating wound of the chest with damage to the heart, etc.). When shooting from a pneumatic weapon, the damage is single, the wound channels are blind. A tissue defect does not always form at the entrance wound; the bullet can act wedge-shaped. Components usually associated with a shot from other types of firearms are never found around the wound, which can lead to the incorrect conclusion that the shot was allegedly fired at a short distance.

Damage from throwing devices, type of speargun, they have nothing in common with firearms, except for external design features. Being the predecessor of firearms, such throwing weapons currently have a sporting character (crossbows, bows, spearguns). Arrows, darts, and harpoons of various designs act as damaging objects (wounding projectiles). Damage that occurs when exposed to arrows and harpoons is classified as puncture damage. The wound canals are mostly blind. In some cases, when the arrow (harpoon) is removed, the tip may remain deep in the wound. Damage can be significant, affecting not only soft tissues, but even flat bones.

There are known designs of firearms for underwater shooting with special dart arrows made of tool steel with a range of 30 m or more.

Injuries from shooting with blank cartridges. Blank cartridges are cartridges without a projectile. The charge (powder) in the cartridge is held by a wad. The wad, which flies out like a projectile, flies not far. The most severe damage when firing blank cartridges is caused by powder gases, the pressure of which can reach 2-3 thousand atmospheres. When fired at point-blank range, large skin defects, extensive detachment and ruptures of the wound edges are formed. Wound canals are usually blind. Their length depends on the power of the firearm used. Thus, when fired from a carbine, the length of the wound canal can reach 10-15 cm. The tissues in the depths of the wound canal are significantly smoked, and unburnt and half-burnt powder particles are also found there. When firing blank cartridges at point-blank range into a thin segment of the body, such as a hand, skin tears can form on the surface opposite the entrance wound, and the wound becomes through-and-through. When powder gases penetrate into the cavity of the pleura or peritoneum, ruptures of hollow and parenchymal organs can be observed. Blank shots at point-blank range in the neck, aimed at the base of the skull, lead to extensive hemorrhages under the membranes and into the brain tissue. If the gap between the muzzle and the surface of the damaged part of the body at the time of a blank shot is 1-2 cm or more, extensive damage usually does not occur. Small tears in the skin or a wide, circular lesion covered with soot and powder deposits may occur. Blank cartridges for modern small-caliber military weapons have a plastic bullet; at the moment it leaves the barrel, it is destroyed, its small particles can fly over a distance of several meters. Plastic particles can be detected by their luminescence under ultraviolet rays.

Injuries from gas-fired weapons (GSO). GSO is distinguished by significant design diversity and features of ejection of the damaging agent. The latter can have mechanical, light thermal and special chemical effects. GSO cartridges are loaded with a powder charge. The damaging agent is any irritant that can cause a tear effect. The irritant is detected by forensic chemical examination on the surface of the skin. When fired at point-blank range, as a result of the action of powder gases, an entrance wound is formed with a skin defect and a slight detachment of its edges. Sometimes, when fired at point-blank range, perforated fractures may form in an area of ​​thin bone (for example, the squama of the temporal bone). The head part of the cartridges for GSO is marked with paint of different colors and varnished. Therefore, paint and varnish particles may be found on the target in the direction of a close shot. When fired from a GSO, soot flies a short distance, while powder particles can be detected on a horizontal surface at a distance of up to 1-2 m. When fired from a GSO, damaging factors, including powder particles, metal particles, irritant, and particles of paint and varnish coating, fly not only in the direction of the shot, but to the sides and back. They can be found on the surface of the shooter’s body and clothing, as well as on people who were near the shooter at the time of the shot.

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