ISSN: 2573-1734
Authors: Kaur S*, Modi JK and Murthy SS
In criminal investigation, one often comes across cases involving the passage of different types of bullets in objects made of or fitted with metallic sheets of varying thicknesses. In this paper, the authors have studied the interaction of 9mm bullets with iron sheets of varying thicknesses with gauge numbers varying from 30 to 14. The authors have observed that (i) the nose of the bullets becomes flattened, (ii) in sheet of gauge number 14 of thickness 2mm, the lead core and jacket may get separated, or the bullet may turn into a disc, (iii) the diameter of the bullet hole depends upon the energy lost by bullet and hence in some thicker sheets, the diameter of hole may become larger than the calibre of bullet, (iv) there is formation of plug which may also penetrate in human body, (v) there is formation of some tiny fragments of iron which may produce slight contusions on human body around the gunshot hole, (vi) the bullets do not lose appreciable weight while passing through sheet, (vii)striations on bullets that had passed through the sheets of gauge numbers 30 to 16 and on the jacket that had been separated from the core while passing through sheet of gauge number 14 are maintained, thereby, enabling the evidence bullets to be linked with a suspected firearm, and (viii) the bullets are lethal even after their passage through sheets.
Keywords: Forensic Ballistics; Experimental Firings; 9mm Jacketed Pistol Bullets; Iron Sheets; Gauge Number; Gun- Shot Hole; Bullet Deformation; Plug Formation
