Characteristics and Frequency of Chipping Effects in Near‐Contact Gunshot Wounds

Abstract

The presence of "chipping" or "flaking" around the edges of gunshot entry wounds has been described among the characteristics of gunshot wounds in bone. In this study, the real frequency of such a peculiar feature was investigated. The presence of "chipping" was assessed on 22 gunshot wounds fired at a near-contact range on bovine ribs with 9-mm bullets. As controls, five samples were shot with a 3 cm range, and five from 40 cm. In 77% of cases shot at near-contact range, a detachment of small fragments of the upper layers of bone was detected, mainly with a circumferential disposition, whereas this feature was lacking in control samples. The study demonstrated the frequency of "chipping" and that it may probably be due to a combined ballistic effect of impact of the bullet itself and expansion of gases. It may be thus considered indicative of close-range shots.

Controversial Suicide Case Using a Submachine Gun with a Sound Suppressor—The Need of Team Work of Forensic Chemistry and Firearm Examiners

“…Therefore, their detection and identification may help in establishing some circumstances of a shooting incident for forensic purposes (9). These embrace not only relating a person with the fact of using a gun (10)(11)(12) but also an assessment of the shooting distance (13), establishing the kind of ammunition used (14,15), the confirmation of common source of GSR taken from various substrates, and establishing their distribution in specific areas of the crime scene, as demonstrated in recent publications (16)(17)(18)(19).…”

Imaging Ballistic Injuries

“…The inner or smaller margin of the bevel is the direction from which the bullet came, and the outer margin is the direction the bullet proceeded. 44,45 Also, bone fragments tend to be pulled along the bullets track. 4 This can help establish directionality and assist with identifying a bullets path.…”

Ballistic impact of hollow‐point ammunition on porcine bone

“…Typically, external beveling is categorized as either a “keyhole” defect from a tangential strike, or as a perpendicular strike to the surface of the bone, typical of contact handgun wounds [22–24]. DiMaio suggests that beveling of skeletal entrance defects is more common from contact, rather than distant, gunshot wounds [1, 25]. The experimental conditions of this study imitate handgun close‐range firing distances.…”

“…This fracture characteristic is likened to bone weathering, or skeletal decomposition, where either the outermost concentric layers of bone or fracture edges separate and cause chipping or flaking [27]. Cortical flaking has been reported in entrance defects of bone impacted by high-velocity projectiles, indicative of the range of firing and bullet-type categorization [9,25]. This feature has been shown to be present in long bones struck by FMJ ammunition, yet absent when impacted by lead bullets [9].…”

“…The impact of FMJ bullets has additionally been proven to create delamination of bone, where the bone fractures into layers [14]. The chipping and flaking of the boundaries of the entrance wound is indicative of a near contact shot [25]. Results observed from FMJ bullet damage which created flaking of the cortical bone around entrance wounds were absent in damage from lead bullets [12].…”