Terminal behaviour of deforming bullets.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Ballistics
• Trauma Biomechanics

Background:

• Deforming bullets are designed to expand upon impact.
• Understanding projectile-tissue interaction is crucial for trauma analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of deforming bullets on soft tissue.
• To correlate bullet characteristics with injury severity.

Main Methods:

• Fired soft-point bullets and shotgun slugs into soap blocks and anesthetized pig hind legs.
• Utilized multi-flash X-ray to record bullet deformation, breakup, and retardation.
• Assessed soft-tissue damage through surgical debridement and tissue weighing.

Main Results:

• Deforming bullets exhibited high energy transfer and caused significant tissue damage.
• Bullet velocity, construction, and deformation directly correlated with injury extent.
• Observed extensive deformation and breakup of projectiles within tissue.

Conclusions:

• Deforming bullets pose a high risk of severe soft-tissue injury.
• Projectile characteristics are key determinants of wound ballistics outcomes.
• This research provides insights into projectile-tissue interactions and injury mechanisms.