Defects in cotton fabric when shot from «Fort 12R» and «AE 790G1» pistols: an experimental study using a human body simulator

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of cotton fabric defects formed as a result of shots from the «Fort 12R» and «AE 790G1» pistols at the complex «clothing + non-biological human body simulator». Materials and methods. To conduct a controlled ballistic experiment in a shooting range, 30 gelatin blocks were made and subsequently fired from close, 25 and 50 cm distances (10 blocks in each group). Within each group, there were two subgroups according to the pistol used to make the shots: «Fort 12R» and «AE 790G1» (5 blocks in each subgroup). The blocks were covered with a cotton cloth. The fired blocks were examined using generally accepted descriptive methods in forensic science. Results. When shooting at close range, both «Fort 12R» and «AE 790G1» produced the so-called «punching mark». In the case of the «AE 790G1», tears in the fabric around the entrance hole were formed at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock; when firing the «Fort 12R», no tears in the clothing were observed, but a specific soot deposit was found below the entrance hole, corresponding to the area of the end surface of the recoil spring rod. No differences in the macroscopic pattern of clothing damage were found at 25 and 50 cm, except for a slight predominance of the defect size when using the «AE 790G1» pistol. At all shot distances, when both pistols were used, the deposition of residual shot components in the form of unburned powder particles was noted. Conclusions. When shooting from AE790G1 at close range, a significant number of additional factors of the shot were released, as evidenced by the formation of tears in the clothing, which were not observed when shooting from Fort 12R. Fort 12R is characterized by the formation of a specific soot deposit in the area of the end surface of the return spring rod, which can serve for differential diagnosis of the weapon.