Gunshot Wounds

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this type of wound are that the edges around the bullet hole are seared by gases and blackened by soot and propellant (Pounder, 1993). The wound may also have soot deposition in a wider band around the wound, which can be wiped off (Pounder, 1993).
The next type of wound which will be discussed is a close range or intermediate gunshot wound. In this type of wound, the muzzle is within about three feet from the body. Close range wounds leave a red-brown to orange-red propellant grain tattooing; eccentric if muzzle is at an angle to the skin. It may also be blocked by hair or clothing. Post mortem it may appear moist gray or yellow (Pounder, 1993).
The final type of gunshot wound is a distant wound. This type of wound is seen when the muzzle of the gun is greater than three feet away from the skin. This type of wound is produced by the mechanical action of bullet penetration of skin, and the skin defect typically has an abraded margin(Pounder, 1993). Another type of wound that may be seen in gunshot’s is an exit wound. An exit wound is a slit-like wound with no powder or soot, and could possibly be mistaken for a stab wound (Jones, 2004). Given these characteristics of gunshot wounds, it should be fairly easy to recognize the three types of wounds from now on.
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