You are here

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Volume 168, Issue 5
  • Microscopic and macroscopic comparisons of 0.223 soft point and full metal jacket ammunition with bos taurus scapulae as a proxy to human flat bones

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Original research
Microscopic and macroscopic comparisons of 0.223 soft point and full metal jacket ammunition with bos taurus scapulae as a proxy to human flat bones
  1. Seth C Taylor1,
  2. D C Kieser2,3,
  3. N Hammer4,5,6,
  4. A Pullen1,7 and
  5. G Hooper1
  1. 1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand
  2. 2 Orthopaedics, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
  3. 3 Medical Corps, New Zealand Defence Force, Dunedin, New Zealand
  4. 4 Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology, Dresden, Germany
  5. 5 Department of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
  6. 6 Department of Trauma, Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
  7. 7 Balllistics and Personnel Protection, New Zealand Defence Force, Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand
  1. Correspondence to Seth C Taylor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; 22sethtaylor{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Background The prevalence of civilian 0.223 ammunition is widespread. Due to low costs and the same dimensions as a 5.56×45 mm North Atlantic Treaty Organization, this round is exceptionally popular. However, recent mass shootings have employed soft point (SP) expanding ammunition to cause grievous wounds compared with military full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds that do not rapidly expand on impact.

Methods The aim of this given study is to compare FMJ and SP rounds to determine if there are diagnostic differences between the bullet types in the wounds inflicted to flat bones. Bos taurus scapulae were used for 25 m simulated cranial gunshot injuries. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to assess the difference in wound morphology and elemental analysis between SP and FMJ rounds.

Results Entrance and exit wound morphology change significantly between the two different types of ammunition as seen with circumferential delamination which is indicative of FMJ rounds and is not seen with the softer SP hunting rounds. Lead staining of the entrance wound is visible on only the SP rounds.

Conclusion Gunshot flat bone wound morphology is distinctively different between SP and FMJ rounds. Circumferential delamination is only seen with FMJ due to the hardness of the round. Lead staining is only seen with SP rounds due to bullet composition.

  • anatomy
  • trauma management
  • adult pathology
  • forensic pathology
  • head & neck imaging

Data availability statement

Data are available on reasonable request. Data stored in a data repository and available on request from the corresponding author.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001491

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    Data availability statement

    Data are available on reasonable request. Data stored in a data repository and available on request from the corresponding author.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Twitter @pulla106

    • Contributors SCT: main author as research was undertaken in course with a PhD programme. DCK, NH and GH: supervisors and editing. AP: statistical analysis.

    • Funding Funding for this study project was provided by the University of Otago.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.