Accidental injuries from captive-bolt guns (slaughterer's gun)

Captive bolt guns or 'slaughterer's guns' are weapons used in slaughtering animals. Lesions caused by these weapons are likely to have a more serious character than is to be expected from the size of the entrance wound. The wounds are primarily contaminated and it is imperative to explore the wound thoroughly as foreign bodies are often deeply embedded. Three cases are reported of accidental injuries to personnel working with such weapons.