Death by black powder revolver: a case report
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CASE REPORT
Death by black powder revolver: a case report Joseph J. Pavelites • David Kintzele Paul Fotia • Joseph A. Prahlow
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Accepted: 12 June 2010 / Published online: 25 June 2010 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract Deaths resulting from the use of black powder handguns are relatively uncommon compared to other firearms. We report the case of a 48 year-old woman who sustained a lethal gunshot wound to the face from a black powder revolver. Autopsy revealed extensive soot and powder deposition around the entrance wound between the right eye and nose with perforation of the skull and brain. The exit wound also contained evidence of soot. Discussion of this characteristic pattern of discharge deposition from black powder weapons is presented. Keywords Wound
Black powder Hand gun Ballistics
Introduction Black powder is a propellant once used in ammunition and as the bursting charge in artillery projectiles. It is made of
J. J. Pavelites (&) Transitional Year Program, GME Office, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Building 300, Hospital Road, Ft. Gordon, GA 30905, USA e-mail: [email protected] D. Kintzele P. Fotia Indiana State Police Laboratory, Lowell, IN 46356, USA J. A. Prahlow South Bend Medical Foundation, 530 North Lafayette Boulevard, South Bend, IN 46601, USA J. A. Prahlow Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend at the University of Notre Dame, Raclin-Carmichel Hall, 1234 Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate and is commonly referred to as ‘‘gunpowder.’’ Black powder is no longer commonly used except in replicas of antique firearms. ‘‘Black powder firearm’’ is a term that describes a weapon that traditionally uses the aforementioned propellant or the closely related, modern substitute powder formulations. The use of black powder firearms in homicides is a rare event even with less stringent government oversight compared to cartridge loaded weapons. Though less government regulation has led to ease of availability, it has been suggested that the complexity of loading and lack of reliability of black powder weapons limits their choice as a weapon [1]. The uncommon use of black powder weapons in homicide cases may lead to a lack of familiarity by clinical and forensic physicians with the characteristics and wounding effects of these firearms. In this paper, a homicide with a black powder revolver is presented as an unusual cause of death that also serves as an example of typical wound features for these types of weapons. A discussion of the special issues involved with firearms examination of black powder weapons is also provided.
Case report Police were notified of the shooting death of a 48 year-old white female. Allegedly, her husband shot her in the face at close range with a Ruger black powder revolver in their home. The husband testified that he asked his wife to retrieve the loaded weapon that was stored behind their couch. According to the husband, she grasped the weapon by the barrel placing it bu
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