Shooting through windscreens: ballistic injury assessment using a surrogate head model-two case reports

Int J Legal Med. 2020 Jul;134(4):1409-1417. doi: 10.1007/s00414-019-02170-6. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Abstract

A synthetic head model developed to reproduce military injuries was assessed in two different scenarios involving shooting through intermediate targets (a laminated vehicle windscreen in scenario 1 and a military helicopter windscreen in scenario 2) with 7.62 × 39-mm mild steel core (MSC) ammunition. The injury patterns resulting from the two scenarios were assessed by a military radiologist and a forensic pathologist with combat injury experience and found to be clinically realistic.

Keywords: 7.62 × 39 mm MSC ammunition; Aviation helmet; Ballistic head injury; Window shooting.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Forensic Ballistics*
  • Forensic Pathology*
  • Head Injuries, Penetrating / pathology*
  • Head Protective Devices
  • Humans
  • Models, Anatomic
  • Polymers
  • Wounds, Gunshot / pathology*

Substances

  • Polymers
  • lexan