Abrasion Collar
Definition
The rim of abraded, dried skin surrounding a gunshot entry wound, produced by the bullet stretching the skin inward before perforation. Width and symmetry indicate bullet angle at impact: wider on one side means oblique entry from that direction. Present at all firing distances except very close contact. Absent on non-shored exit wounds.
- Location
- Rim of abraded skin immediately surrounding a gunshot entry wound
- Entry vs. Exit
- Present at entry wounds; absent at exit wounds (unless shored)
- Angle indicator
- Asymmetrical width shows oblique entry angle; symmetry indicates perpendicular entry
Common questions
How does an abrasion collar form on a gunshot wound?+
When a bullet enters skin, it stretches the tissue inward before punching through. The bullet's rotating jacket scrapes the stretched skin's outer layers, creating a ring of abraded, dried tissue around the wound edge. This happens because the friction and mechanical action of entry dries and damages that rim of skin.
Why is the abrasion collar wider on one side of the wound?+
The width and symmetry of the collar show the angle at which the bullet struck. If the collar is wider on one side, the entry was oblique, coming from the direction of the wider side. A bullet entering straight on produces a more even, circular collar all the way around.
Is an abrasion collar always present at gunshot entry wounds?+
Abrasion collars are present at all firing distances except very close contact range, where the muzzle contacts the skin and produces a muzzle contusion instead. Exit wounds do not have abrasion collars unless the skin was shored (supported from behind) at the exit point.
Related terms
- Blow-Out Exit Wound
- A large, ragged exit wound with radiating lacerations produced when the bullet retains high residual kinetic energy at exit and the skin...
- Grease Ring
- A grey-to-black discolouration at the outer margin of the entry wound's abrasion collar, caused by lubricant and metal fouling on the bullet...
- Shored Exit Wound
- An exit wound in which the exiting skin is braced against a hard surface at the moment of exit, preventing eversion and...
- Contact Stellate Wound
- Entry wound morphology at hard-contact muzzle-to-skin distance over bone: central perforation with radiating linear lacerations caused by discharge gas expanding laterally beneath...
- Contact Wound
- A firearm wound produced when the muzzle is pressed against or within a few centimetres of the target surface. Characterised by a...
- Country-Made Firearm (Katta)
- Locally manufactured, usually smooth-bore, single-shot weapon common in Indian murder cases. Low chamber pressure, inconsistent ammunition, atypical wound patterns.
- Distant Wound
- Entry wound produced beyond the dispersion range of propellant products. Shows only the mechanical bullet-entry findings: abrasion collar, clean wound margins, no...
- Gunshot Residue (GSR)
- Microscopic particulate residue containing antimony, barium and lead deposited on the shooter's hand, face and clothing at discharge. Collected by adhesive lift...
- Intermediate Wound
- Entry wound produced within the range at which unburned or partially burned propellant grains retain enough velocity to impact the skin and...
- Muzzle Imprint
- A patterned contusion or abrasion left on skin by the muzzle face of the weapon in hard-contact wounds. In revolvers, the cylinder-face...
- Muzzle Imprint (Muzzle Contusion Ring)
- The bruise or abrasion left on the skin by the barrel rim at contact range. The shape mirrors the muzzle geometry of...
- Near-Contact Wound
- Entry wound produced at approximately 0.5 to 5 centimetres muzzle distance (calibre-dependent). Dense soot deposits on the skin surface around the entry...
Explained in these topics
- Firearm Entry and Exit Wounds: The Medico-Legal ReadingThe rim of abraded, dried skin surrounding a gunshot entry wound, produced by the bullet stretching the skin inward before perforation. Width and symmetry indi...
- Firearm Injuries: Entry, Exit, Range and PatternA circumferential ring of grazed, dried skin around a bullet entry wound, produced by the rotating, friction-heated bullet as it scrapes the skin's outer layer...
- Range-of-Firing Zones: Contact, Near-Contact, Intermediate, DistantThe ring of dried abrasion at the margin of any entry wound regardless of range, produced by the bullet's jacket scraping the wound edge as it passes through....
- Wound Ballistics: Entry Wounds, Exit Wounds and CavitationThe rim of abraded, dried skin surrounding a gunshot entry wound, produced by the bullet stretching the skin inward before perforation. Width and symmetry indi...