ABSTRACT
The features of a gunshot injury arising in the presence of body armor on the injured person are considered. The purpose of the work is to reveal the mechanisms of damage formation during non-penetration of an armored composition, during its penetration, as well as during external or internal rebound. The characteristic of damages arising with this is given. It was shown that injuries due to non-penetration of body armor are characterized mainly by local closed injuries, not only of integumentary soft tissues, but also of internal organs in the projection of impact of a wounding projectile. With through penetration of body armor, the severity and volume of gunshot damage increase due to the introduction of fragments of bullets, fragments of armored panels and pieces of equipment into the wound channel. Rebounding of elements of dismantled bullets from the outer or inner surface of the body armor can cause severe gunshot damage to both the wearer of body armor and other persons. Knowledge of the mechanisms of formation and morphological features of injuries that occur when using body armor are prerequisites for a full forensic medical assessment of the investigated incident.
