Wound Ballistics
Definition
Sub-branch of terminal ballistics dealing with biological tissue. Entry wound with abrasion collar, wound track, exit wound, hydrostatic shock in fluid-filled organs.
- Parent field
- Terminal ballistics
- Subject matter
- Biological tissue effects of projectiles
- Key features examined
- Entry wound, abrasion collar, wound track, exit wound
- Additional mechanism
- Hydrostatic shock in fluid-filled organs
Common questions
What is the abrasion collar and why does it matter in wound ballistics?+
It is the ring of scraped skin around a bullet's entry point caused by friction as the projectile passes through, and its width and symmetry can help indicate the angle at which the bullet struck the body.
How does hydrostatic shock differ from the direct wound track caused by a bullet?+
The wound track is the physical path the bullet carves through tissue, while hydrostatic shock is a pressure wave transmitted through fluid-filled organs and tissue beyond that direct path, which can cause additional injury at a distance from the bullet's actual trajectory.
Related terms
- Ballistic Coefficient (BC)
- The ratio of a projectile's sectional density to its drag relative to a reference standard (G1 or G7). Higher BC means less...
- Deflagration
- A subsonic combustion front propagating through an explosive by thermal conduction. Characteristic of low explosives such as black powder and smokeless powder;...
- External Ballistics
- Study of bullet flight from muzzle to target. Governed by gravity, air drag, wind, spin-stabilisation, Magnus effect and (at long range) Coriolis...
- Internal Ballistics
- Study of what happens inside the firearm from primer ignition to bullet exit at the muzzle. Includes propellant combustion, gas pressure, bullet...
- 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,...
- 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...
- Terminal Ballistics
- Study of bullet behaviour at the target. Includes penetration, permanent and temporary cavity, expansion or fragmentation, yaw and tumble, energy transfer.