Wound Ballistics: Basics and Applications

520 Pages·2011·6.83 MB·English

by  Dr Robin M. Coupland MB

B. P. Kneubuehl (Editor)
Wound Ballistics: Basics and Applications

Beat P. Kneubuehl (Ed.)
Robin M. Coupland
Markus A. Rothschild
Michael J. Thali
Wound Ballistics
Basics and Applications
Translation of the revised third German edition (2008)
With 234 figures and 156 tables
1 3
Beat P. Kneubuehl, Dr in forens. sci., MD h. c. (Editor)
M. in Mathematics
Head, Centre of Forensic Physics and Ballistics
Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Berne
CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland

Dr Robin M. Coupland MB, BChir, FRCS
Assistance Division, International Committee of the Red Cross
CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland

Prof. Dr Markus A. Rothschild
Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine
Medical Centre of the University of Cologne
D-50823 Cologne, Germany

Prof. Dr Michael J. Thali
Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine
University of Zurich
CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland

Translation
Steve Rawcliffe, BA, PgDip. Int. Trans.
F-01210 Versonnex, France

ISBN-13(cid:1)(cid:1)978-3-642-20355-8 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York

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Preface
The German original of the present work on wound ballistics is already in its third
edition. The first two German editions focused on the behaviour of a bullet in the
body and the physical modelling of that behaviour. In parallel with this, a system
of simulants was established that allowed gunshot wounds to be simulated empiri-
cally.
In the period between the second German edition (2001) and the third (2008),
the emphasis in wound ballistics research was on consolidation and application. It
was possible to use the results to answer many forensic and surgical questions.
Both the physical models and the empirical simulation of gunshot wounds using
simulants have been validated by experience. It is therefore logical that the em-
phasis in this, the third edition, should have shifted towards the practical applica-
tion of wound ballistics.
The introduction to the basics (physics, ammunition and the principles of bal-
listics) was previously divided over two chapters; these topics are now covered in
one chapter. In a similar manner, the specific wound ballistics of handgun bullets,
rifle bullets and fragments are dealt with in one chapter instead of three. These
changes created room for three chapters on the use of wound ballistics in forensic
medicine, surgery and international instruments. Three leading and highly com-
petent co-authors were recruited to cover the topics of surgery and forensic medi-
cine: Dr Robin Coupland (who for many years was chief surgeon at the In-
ternational Committee of the Red Cross), Prof. Dr Markus Rothschild (Director of
the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Cologne) and Prof. Dr Michael Thali (Director
of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Zurich).
So-called “non-lethal” projectiles have become increasingly important in recent
years – not only for police use but also in military contexts. We have therefore
devoted a separate section to the ballistics and effectiveness of this type of pro-
jectile.
The tables at the end of the book now include a number of projectiles used in
sport, as these may be relevant to sports accidents.
Such an interdisciplinary field as wound ballistics requires an intensive ex-
change of experiences and thoughts. I should like to thank Prof. Dr Michael Thali,
Zurich, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Berne, for their un-
stinting support. With their extensive surgical experience, Dr Robin Coupland and
Dr Wolfgang Titius each made a major contribution to the success of the experi-
VI Preface
mental simulation of gunshot wounds. My thanks go to Dr Ulrich Stoller for his
numerous suggestions and pointers regarding medical questions.
Christoph Simon, PhD, of gelatine manufacturer Gelita, was kind enough to
check and correct the section on the characteristics of gelatine and the process by
which it is produced.
My special thanks go to Steve Rawcliffe, with whom it was a great pleasure to
work during the translation of this demanding text. I am extremely grateful to
Dr Leslie Payne and Dr Virginia Fitzgerald-Swallow for their thorough and expert
review of the English manuscript. I should like to thank two members of my team
– Matthieu Glardon, M. in forens. sc. and Lea Siegenthaler, M. in Physics – for
their careful checking of the layout.
My thanks go also to the Competence Centre for Science and Technology of
armasuisse for their kind permission to use some of their illustrations in this work.
Warm thanks go to the publisher, Springer, with whom it was a pleasure to work
and who are responsible for the excellent appearance of the book.
Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to remember physicist Prof. Dr Karl
Sellier, who died in 1997. He laid the foundations of this work with the first,
German edition, on which it was a great honour for me to work as co-author. He
would have been happy to see how successful this book has been so far.
Thun, April 2011 Beat P. Kneubuehl,
Editor
Outline of contents
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
2 Basics .................................................................................................................. 3
Beat P. Kneubuehl
2.1 The physics of wound ballistics .................................................................. 3
2.2 Ammunition and weapons ......................................................................... 33
2.3 Ballistics .................................................................................................... 65
3 General wound ballistics ................................................................................ 87
Beat P. Kneubuehl
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 87
3.2 Processes in the wound channel; the temporary cavity ............................. 95
3.3 Simulants ................................................................................................. 136
3.4 Other approaches to simulation ............................................................... 154
4 Wound ballistics of bullets and fragments .................................................. 163
Beat P. Kneubuehl
4.1 The effectiveness of bullets ..................................................................... 163
4.2 Wound ballistics of handgun bullets ....................................................... 186
4.3 Wound ballistics of rifle bullets .............................................................. 212
4.4 Wound ballistics of fragments ................................................................. 232
4.5 “Non-lethal” projectiles ........................................................................... 240
5 Wound ballistics and forensic medicine ...................................................... 253
5.1 Conventional forensic medicine .............................................................. 253
Markus A. Rothschild
5.2 Modern graphical methods ...................................................................... 286
Michael J. Thali
5.3 Experimental reconstruction .................................................................... 291
Beat P. Kneubuehl, Michael J. Thali
6 Wound ballistics and surgery ....................................................................... 305
Robin M. Coupland
6.1 The historical connection between wound ballistics and surgery ........... 305
6.2 Wound ballistics and ballistic trauma – what’s the difference? .................. 306
6.3 Comparing simulated wounds and real wounds ...................................... 307
6.4 Clinical features of real wounds .............................................................. 312
VIII Outline of contents
6.5 The contribution of wound ballistics to the care of wounded people .... 313
6.6 Documenting ballistic trauma ................................................................ 317
7 Wound ballistics and international agreements ......................................... 321
Beat P. Kneubuehl
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 321
7.2 History of firearms and ammunition ..................................................... 321
7.3 International treaties .............................................................................. 334
Appendices
A Tables ............................................................................................................. 345
A.1 List of tables in the main text ................................................................ 345
A.2 Characteristics of materials ................................................................... 347
A.3 Calibre designations (metric system) .................................................... 348
A.4 Ballistic data for cartridges (metric system) .......................................... 350
A.5 Calibre designations (British/U.S. system) ............................................ 355
A.6 Ballistic data for cartridges (British/U.S. system) ................................. 357
A.7 Bullet designations ................................................................................ 362
A.8 Geometric data for selected bullets ....................................................... 363
A.9 Twist length, angle of twist and rotation ............................................... 364
A.10 Ballistics tables (metric system) ............................................................ 366
A.10 Ballistics tables (British/U.S. system) ................................................... 384
A.12 Shotguns and shot .................................................................................. 402
B Glossary .......................................................................................................... 405
B.1 English (cid:159) German (cid:159) French ............................................................... 405
B.2 German (cid:159) English (cid:159) French ............................................................... 425
B.3 French (cid:159) German (cid:159) English ............................................................... 443
C Bibliography .................................................................................................. 463
Photo credits .................................................................................................... 485
Index .................................................................................................................... 487
Detailed table of contents
Table of symbols ............................................................................................ XIX
Prefix symbols for decimal multiples and submultiples of SI units ........... XXIII
Conversions ................................................................................................. XXIII
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
2 Basics .................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 The physics of wound ballistics .................................................................. 3
2.1.1 Preliminary remarks ......................................................................... 3
2.1.2 Coordinates, systems of units and notation ...................................... 3
2.1.3 Mechanics ........................................................................................ 4
2.1.3.1 Kinematics ......................................................................... 4
2.1.3.2 Mass, momentum and force ............................................... 7
2.1.3.3 Work and energy ................................................................ 8
2.1.3.4 Rotation ............................................................................ 10
2.1.3.5 Laws of conservation of mass, energy and momentum ... 11
2.1.3.6 Equations of motion ......................................................... 12
2.1.4 Fluid dynamics ............................................................................... 15
2.1.4.1 General ............................................................................. 15
2.1.4.2 Basic concepts in thermodynamics .................................. 15
2.1.4.3 Material characteristics .................................................... 18
2.1.4.4 Frictionless flow ............................................................... 21
2.1.4.5 Flow of a viscous fluid ..................................................... 23
2.1.5 Fluid jets ......................................................................................... 26
2.1.5.1 General ............................................................................. 26
2.1.5.2 Exhaust flow from a muzzle ............................................ 26
2.1.5.3 De Laval nozzles (converging-diverging nozzles) ........... 27
2.1.5.4 Jet velocity and energy ..................................................... 28
2.1.6 Measuring techniques for wound ballistics .................................... 29
2.1.6.1 General ............................................................................. 29
2.1.6.2 Dynamic phenomena ........................................................ 30
2.1.6.3 Physical values ................................................................. 32
2.2 Ammunition and weapons ......................................................................... 33
2.2.1 Introduction .................................................................................... 33
2.2.2 Ammunition ................................................................................... 34