The forensic medical significance of the igniting primer for the 18×45T cartridges of the “Osa” pistol

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to obtain the ballistic characteristics of the igniting primer (electrical ignitor) for the 18×45T cartridges of the 'Osa' pistol produced by different manufacturers. The experiments included a series of shots fired from the 'Osa' pistol with the use of cartridges having an energy of 85 Joules ('Novye oruzheinye tekhnologii', Ltd., Sergiev Posad) and 88 Joules ('A+A', Ltd, Tula). The shooting distance varied from the point blank range to 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 cm. The targets were either the femoral soft tissue of the cut-off human lower extremity, white cotton fabric, and the 1-5 cm high gelatin cylinder 25 cm in diameter. The experiments have demonstrated that the igniting primer (electrical ignitor) for the cartridges manufactured by the 'Novye oruzheinye tekhnologii', Ltd., Sergiev Posad, served as an additional factor of the shot responsible for the penetrating power of the ammunition at a distance of 50 cm. The data on the composition of metals used for the manufacturing of the igniting primers under consideration are presented.