Blow-Out Exit Wound
Definition
A large, ragged exit wound with radiating lacerations produced when the bullet retains high residual kinetic energy at exit and the skin is unsupported. Most common with high-velocity rifle rounds. Distinguishable from contact stellate entry wounds by the absence of soot inside the wound track and the everted rather than stellate tear pattern.
- Wound appearance
- Large, ragged, with radiating skin tears and everted edges
- Key ballistic condition
- Bullet retains high residual kinetic energy at exit with unsupported skin
- Primary weapon types
- High-velocity rifles and close-range shotguns
Common questions
What makes a blow-out exit wound different from a regular exit wound?+
A blow-out exit wound is large and ragged with radiating skin tears, while regular exit wounds may be smaller or more regular in shape. The key is that the bullet retains high kinetic energy at the moment it exits, and the skin has no support underneath, causing the tissue to tear outward in radiating lacerations.
How do you tell a blow-out exit wound apart from a contact entry wound?+
Both can look ragged, but they have telltale differences. Contact entry wounds show soot inside the wound track, while blow-out exit wounds do not. The wound edges also differ. Entry wounds from contact shots have a stellate (star-like) inward tear pattern, whereas blow-out wounds have edges that evert (turn outward) in radiating lacerations.
What kinds of firearms cause blow-out exit wounds?+
High-velocity rifle rounds are the most common cause. Close-range shotgun discharges can also produce them. The common factor is retained kinetic energy at the point of exit, combined with unsupported skin on the exit side of the body.
Related terms
- Abrasion Collar
- The rim of abraded, dried skin surrounding a gunshot entry wound, produced by the bullet stretching the skin inward before perforation. Width...
- 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...
- 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...
- Permanent Cavity
- The lasting wound channel produced by the bullet's direct crushing and laceration of tissue. Diameter approximates expanded projectile diameter. At handgun velocities,...
- Secondary Missile
- A bone fragment or other dense internal body component that is driven by bullet impact to become a projectile in its own...
- Stippling (Tattooing)
- Discrete punctate abrasions or haemorrhages around an entry wound from individual unburned propellant granules embedding in the epidermis at intermediate range. Unlike...
- Temporary Cavity
- The transient radial tissue displacement produced by a bullet's passing. Caused by the transfer of kinetic energy to surrounding tissue via compression...
Explained in these topics
- Firearm Entry and Exit Wounds: The Medico-Legal ReadingA large, ragged exit wound with radiating lacerations produced when the bullet retains high residual kinetic energy at exit and the skin is unsupported. Most c...
- Wound Ballistics: Entry Wounds, Exit Wounds and CavitationA large, ragged exit wound produced when the bullet retains high residual kinetic energy at exit and the overlying skin is unsupported. Characterised by radiat...