FEATURES OF FATAL INJURIES WHEN SHOOTING FROM CONVERTED AND REACTIVATED WEAPONS (TWO CASES FROM EXPERT PRACTICE)

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Relevance. Gunshot injuries from converted and re-activated (remanufactured) weapons are increasingly common in expert practice. This is due to the free circulation of such weapons, which are not controlled by authorized bodies, no documents or registration are required for their acquisition, and their transfer to a combat state is a technologically simple and fast process.
 Objective: analysis of the nature and characteristics of injuries caused by shots from converted and reactivated weapons, based on data obtained in forensic medical expert practice in the study of corpses of victims with gunshot wounds to the head, as well as on the results of forensic ballistic examinations of firearms and ammunition for them.
 Materials and methods. Cases of forensic medical examination of gunshot wounds to the head when fired from converted and reactivated (recovered) hand-held firearms, resulting in the death of the victims.
 Results. The study found that the use of signal weapons (pistol "Stalker-M906" converted for firing pistol cartridges of 9 mm RA caliber) and recovered neutralized weapons (mass-dimensional model of a 7.62 mm Nagant revolver equipped with non-standard ammunition) when fired at point-blank and at close range led to fatal penetrating gunshot wounds, accompanied by perforated fractures of the skull bones, destruction of the brain substance and intracranial hemorrhages.
 Conclusions. The analyzed cases of gunshot wounds when fired from converted and reactivated weapons indicate the potential danger of causing fatal injuries to a person. Consequently, an important issue is to strengthen control over the circulation, use and storage of signal and neutralized weapons.