3rd Edition
Gunshot Wounds Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, Third Edition
Written by the nation's foremost authority on gunshot wounds and forensic techniques as they relate to firearm injuries, this third edition of a bestseller provides critical updates to information on gunshot wounds and the weapons and ammunition used to inflict them. The book describes practical aspects of ballistics, wound ballistics, and the classification of various wounds caused by handguns, rifles, and shotguns. It also explains autopsy techniques and procedures and laboratory analyses relating to weapons and gunshot evidence. A much-needed update after nearly 20 years, the third edition of Gunshot Wounds provides the latest and most thorough information on firearms and best practices for examining firearm-related wounds.
Firearms and Ammunition
Small Arms
Ammunition
Bullets
Civilian Firearms in the United States
Right-to-Carry Permits
Source of Firearms Used By Criminals
References
General References
Forensic Aspects of Ballistics
Class and Individual Characteristics of Bullets
Comparison of Bullets
Cartridge Cases
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network
Base Markings on Bullets
Examination of Bullets for Tissue and Foreign Material
DNA Typing of Tissue on Bullets and Cartridge Cases
Fingerprints and Examination of Firearms for DNA
Black Powder Firearms
Discharge of a Firearm
Hang Fires—Misfires
References
General References
Wound Ballistics
Theory of Wounding
Wounding Characteristics of Handgun and Rifle Bullets
References
General References
Introduction to the Classification of Gunshot Wounds
Contact Wounds
Hard-Contact Wounds
Near-Contact Wounds
Intermediate-Range Wounds
Distant Gunshot Wounds
Soot
Cylinder Gap
Silencers: Sound Suppressors
Muzzle Brakes/Compensators
Flash Suppressors
Gas Ports/Vents
Miscellaneous Powder Patterns
Entrance Wounds
Microscopic Examination of Gunshot Wounds
Fate of Tissue from Entrance and Exit Defects
Graze/Tangential/Superficial Perforating Entrance Wounds
Stippling: Powder Tattooing and Pseudopowder Tattooing
Ricochet Bullets
Bone
Atypical Bullet Wounds of the Skull
Nonpenetrating Fatal Cranial Cavity Wounds
Intracranial Pressure Waves and Secondary Fractures of the Skull
Pseudoexit Wounds
Caliber Determination from Entrance Wounds in Skin and Bone
Bullet Wipe
Backspatter
References
Wounds due to Handguns
Handgun Wounds
Gas Injuries
Timed Test Firings
Muzzle Velocity of Saturday Night Specials
Addendum: Centerfire Handgun Cartridges
References
Wounds from Rimfire Firearms
.22 Magnum
.22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle Cartridges
.22 Ammunition
.177 Rimfire Ammunition
Wounds due to Rimfire Ammunition
References
General References
Wounds from Centerfire Rifles
Muskets
Breech-Loading Rifles
Centerfire Rifle Bullets
Assault Rifles
Addendum: Common American Rifle Calibers
References
General Reference
Wounds from Shotguns
Shotgun Ammunition
Shot
Wound Ballistics of the Shotgun
Shotgun Wounds
Miscellaneous Observations
Taurus Judge
References
Bloody Bodies and Bloody Scenes
Physical Activity Following Gunshot Wounds
Exsanguination
Wounds Seen in the Emergency Room
Minimal Velocities Necessary to Perforate Skin
Bullet Emboli
Gunshot Wounds of the Brain
Intrauterine Gunshot Wounds
Lead Poisoning from Retained Bullets
Location of Fatal Gunshot Wounds
Behavior of Ammunition and Gunpowder in Fires
Blunt Force Injuries from Firearms
Multiple Gunshot Wounds through One Entrance
Falling Bullets
Reaction-Response Times in Handgun Shootings
Nonlethal/Less-Lethal Ballistic Weapons
References
Weapons and Ammunition: Miscellaneous
Air/Nonpowder Guns
Paintballs
Zip Guns
Nail Guns and Powder-Actuated Tools
Captive Bolt Devices (Pistols)
Bang Stick, Power Head, or Shark Stick
Sympathetic Discharge of Rimfire Firearms
Bullets without Rifling Marks
Elongated Bullets
Cast Bullets
Sabot Ammunition
Tandem Bullets
Handgun Ammunition
Hollow-Point Design
Flechettes
Blank Cartridge Injuries
Interchangeability of Ammunition in Weapons
Markings and Foreign Material on Bullets
Effect of Environmental Temperature on Bullet Velocity
References
X-Rays
Virtual Autopsy: Virtopsy®
References
Detection of Gunshot Residues
Gunshot Residue
SEM-EDX
References
Correct Handling of Deaths from Firearms
Autopsy Report
Who Should Perform the Autopsy?
Reference
Suicide by Firearms
Suicide by Firearms
Suicides due to Long Arms
Gunshot Wound Suicides: Miscellaneous
Accidental Deaths from Firearms
Slam-Fires
More Guns: More Accidents, Homicides, and Suicides?
References
Appendix A: Stopping Power and Hollow-Point Pistol Ammunition
Appendix B: Forensic Autopsy in Gunshot Wound Cases
Biography
Vincent J.M. Di Maio, MD, was a medical examiner and then deputy chief medical examiner in Dallas County, Texas. He then became the chief medical examiner in Bexar County (San Antonio), Texas from 1981 to 2006. He obtained his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. He is board-certified in anatomical, clinical, and forensic pathology. He has over 40 years of experience as a forensic pathologist and has been recognized with several awards. He is a fellow of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He has authored many scientific publications, letters, and medical textbook chapters, has written three other texts in forensic psychology, and is editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
