Trajectory
How man forces does a fired bullet having working against it?
2. Forward force from gunpowder and downward force from gravity.
A sub-set of terminal ballistics dealing with the human body as the “target” is what?
Wound ballistics
Damage done as the projectile strikes tissue is what?
Direct Injury
What happens to a hollow point bullet as it hits its target?
It breaks down and expands into a mushroom shape
What are used to determine a shooters position?
Trajectory test using dowels, strings, or lasers
What happens to the bullet naturally as it leaves the muzzle?
Downward push from gravity
Interior Ballistics is the study of what?
The study of projectiles within the firearm (during barrel travel)
What causes the most damage to tissue?
Bullet Fragmentation
When the man shot the other man in the bar, what was the deciding factor that proved it was not a drive-by shooting like that suspect stated?
The trajectory tests showed the car was not in motion while the shooting occurred.
What are 2 common issues in a shooting incident?
The range from which a firearm was discharged
The position of a firearm at the moment of discharge
The location of a victim at the moment of the projectile impact
The number of shots fired in a multiple discharge incident
The sequence of shots fired in a multiple discharge incident
The presence and nature of any intervening material between the firearm and the victim
What is perforation?
The study of projectiles in flight after the barrel is called what?
Exterior ballistics
Explain the difference between permanent and temporary cavitation.
Permanent: tissue crush and excavation
Temporary: Blast effect due to tissue stretch
What major change was made to give guns more accuracy and bullets more traveling power?
Spirals and grooves were implemented into the muzzle and barrels.
What is the definition of ballistics?
Study of projectiles in motion
What is penetration?
When the bullet enters and stays in its target
A bullet hits a persons abdomen and bounces around their internal system. Studying the route the bullet took inside the target is what?
The radial dispersion of energy created by the projectile is what?
Cavitation
Which type of vest is necessary when taking on a high powered rifle?
Hard ceramic plate armor
KE = mass (weight) x velocity (speed)
What two pieces of information can you get from trajectory statistics?
Where was the shooter located?
Path taken by the propelled bullet.
What are the general body regions on injury?
Extremities Injury limited to resiliency of tissue 60–80% of injuries with <10% mortality
Abdomen (includes pelvis) Highly susceptible to injury and hemorrhage Bowel perforation: 12–24 hrs. peritoneal irritation
Thorax Rib impact results in explosive energy. Heart and great vessels have extensive damage due to lack of fluid compression. Any large chest wound compromises breathing
Neck Damages trachea and blood vessels Neurological problems Sucking neck wound
Head Cavitational energy trapped inside skull Serious bleeding, lethal
Small fast bullets can cause less damage than large and slow bullets. True or False?
False. More damage
Which type of bullet is most devastating in the human body once penetrated?
Hollow Point
How many deaths approximately are in the USA that are a result from gun violence?
28,000+