Powder Tattooing (Stippling)
Definition
Intradermal haemorrhagic abrasion points caused by individual unburned or partially burned propellant grains impacting the skin at intermediate range. Cannot be removed by wiping, unlike surface soot.
- Cause
- Unburned or partially burned propellant grains
- Range
- Intermediate range firing
- Appearance
- Intradermal haemorrhagic abrasion points
- Key trait
- Cannot be wiped off, unlike surface soot
Common questions
Why does the fact that it cannot be wiped off matter forensically?+
It distinguishes stippling from soot deposition, which sits on the skin surface and can be smudged or removed by handling or cleaning, so stippling survives evidence handling and washing in a way that helps confirm intermediate-range firing even after a body has been moved or examined.
How do examiners estimate firing distance from a stippling pattern?+
The density and spread diameter of the stippling pattern are compared against test fires from the same or a comparable firearm and ammunition at known distances, since spread increases and density decreases as range increases within the intermediate zone.
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...
- Contact Wound
- A firearm wound produced when the muzzle is pressed against or within a few centimetres of the target surface. Characterised by a...
- 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...
- 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 (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...
- Stellate Laceration
- A star-shaped tearing of the skin at the entry wound, produced by the gas pressure at contact range when the wound overlies...
- Test-Firing Programme
- Comparative discharges conducted with the specific weapon and ammunition type at measured distances, producing documented patterns used to calibrate range estimation against...