Publication details
Forensic and clinical issues in the use of frangible projectile
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X13001224 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2013.04.006 |
| Field | Military subjects |
| Keywords | wound ballistics; ultra-frangible projectiles; projectile fragmentation; wounding effect of projectile; gunshot wound |
| Description | This article describes the design and function of frangible projectiles, and describes gunshot wounds caused by ultra-frangible projectiles which fragment after penetration of soft tissues. Shooting experiments performed by the authors confirmed that differences in the geometry and technology of frangible projectiles can significantly modify their wounding effects. Some frangible projectiles have minimal wounding effects because they remain compact after penetration of soft tissues, comparable to standard fully jacketed projectiles. However, a number of ultrafrangible projectiles disintegrate into very small fragments after impact with a soft tissue substitute. In shooting experiments, we found that the terminal behavior of selected ultra-frangible projectiles was similar in a block of ballistic gel and the soft tissues of the hind leg of a pig, except that the degree of disintegration was less in the gel. |