Ballistic research techniques: visualizing gunshot wounding patterns

Sarah A. Stapley,Karl Harrison,Iain E. Gibb,Tom Stevenson,Richard Critchley,Debra J. Carr

doi:10.1007/s00414-020-02265-5

Abstract

There are difficulties associated with mapping gunshot wound (GSW) patterns within opaque models. Depending on the damage measurement parameters required, there are multiple techniques that can provide methods of “seeing” the GSW pattern within an opaque model. The aim of this paper was to test several of these techniques within a cadaveric animal limb model to determine the most effective. The techniques of interest were flash X-ray, ultrasound, physical dissection, and computed-tomography (CT). Fallow deer hind limbs were chosen for the model with four limbs used for each technique tested. Quarantined 7.62 × 39 mm ammunition was used for each shot, and each limb was only shot once, on an outdoor range with shots impacting at muzzle velocity. Flash X-ray provided evidence of yaw within the limb during the projectile’s flight; ultrasound though able to visualise the GSW track, was too subjective and was abandoned; dissection proved too unreliable due to the tissue being cadaveric so also too subjective; and lastly, CT with contrast provided excellent imaging in multiple viewing planes and 3D image reconstruction; this allowed versatile measurement of the GSW pattern to collect dimensions of damage as required. Of the different techniques examined in this study, CT with contrast proved the most effective to allow precise GSW pattern analysis within a cadaveric animal limb model. These findings may be beneficial to others wishing to undertake further ballistic study both within clinical and forensic fields.

Highlights

Damage caused to a target by the impact of a projectile in research can be measured in a number of ways, for example, depth of penetration (DoP), kinetic energy (KE) transfer, or calculation of area or volume of damage [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
This paper examines several techniques to ascertain the most effective method to measure gunshot wounding (GSW) patterns in a cadaveric animal model
Shots were taken using Enfield number 3 proof housing fitted with an appropriate barrel from a range of 10 m with two high speed video (HSV) cameras used to capture the event of the entrance and exit of the projectile through the limb (Fig. 3)

Summary

Introduction

Damage caused to a target by the impact of a projectile in research can be measured in a number of ways, for example, depth of penetration (DoP), kinetic energy (KE) transfer, or calculation of area or volume of damage [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. The last century has seen the use of target materials for ballistic research including, but not limited to, soap, gelatine, cadaveric human tissue, cadaveric animal tissue, and live animal tissue [13]. With synthetic models such as gelatine, the relative transparency allows for visual analysis of gunshot wounding (GSW) using techniques such as high speed video (HSV) to capture the effect of the projectile on the target in real time [6, 10, 12, 14]. This paper examines several techniques to ascertain the most effective method to measure GSW patterns in a cadaveric animal model With respect to the study of GSW in cadaveric or live tissue, one of the difficulties in the analysis of wounding patterns is the opacity of the surrogate.

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Conclusion