Shotgun Wound in United Kingdom

Shotgun Wound and Handguns

Wounds created by shotguns are much larger than those created by handguns, and vary from massive disruption of the skull and its contents during a contact discharge to the head, or to a widespread pattern of pellet holes when fired at a distance. This patterns of wounds seen at various ranges of fire was first described by Breitennecker in 1969 (pp.261-268).

Shotgun Wound and Injuries caused by Air Weapons

Air weapons have a low muzzle velocity, and consequently give rise to fairly minor injuries such as bruising and abrasions. Cassidy (2000) refers to experiments carried out in the early 1980’s by DiMaio (1999) which found that the maximum air gun muzzle velocity of 80-105 m/s approaches the minimum found to actually perforate skin (75-101 m/s), and the striking velocity is less than the muzzle velocity in any case. She concludes that these weapons are usually harmless beyond a range of 100m unless the weapon has been modified in some way.

Firearms

There is information about arms pathology, including wounds, and shotgun shells in this entry about firearms.

Ballistics

In relation to wounds, including firearms, the ability of a bullet to cause a wound depends upon the amount of kinetic energy it possesses, and this in turn depends upon its mass.

Artefact and Mimics

In relation to the pathology of wounds there are lesions, injuries and artefacts that resemble gunshot wounds. Prahlow and McClain (1997 pp. 121-125, 2001 pp. 206-213) have described some of them.

Shotgun Wound