Smoothbore weapons and ammunition in shooting sports.

The paper discusses the gauge ammunition used in shooting sports, dedicated for Olympic and non-Olympic shooting disciplines. The following disciplines are addressed: trap, skeet, parcour, shooting animal silhouette targets (stationary or moving) and western competition. Ammunition used in these disciplines, especially produced in Poland, is discussed as well.

Blast injuries found on the exhumed remains of Polish postwar partisans killed by the Polish security service in 1946.

Exhumed, badly decomposed human remains constitute very difficult research material. It requires a great deal of caution and critical judgment to analyze the nature of injuries, especially those resulting from an explosion. Scientific publications in the field of traumatology concerning injuries caused by the action of explosives mainly focus on the effects of contemporary terrorist or military activities. The results of this research regard mainly clinical medicine and the organization of healthcare. This article discusses the problems and solutions of determining the presence of injuries caused by explosions on badly decomposed human remains exhumed 70 years after death. To obtain optimal results in valuable injures estimation it is vital to apply efficient work methods i.e.: forensic team composed of experienced pathologist and anthropologist, archeological methodology and doubled examination and description of the remains (in the field and next in the autopsy room), detailed photographical documentation and protocol. The results of forensic examinations of the remains (58 fragments forming anatomical wholes), derived from not fewer than 30 individuals (MNI = 30), confirmed, despite the presence of severe taphonomic changes, the presence of injuries caused by an explosion. Forensic examination of the remains revealed a characteristic pattern of injuries resulting from the dismembering the bodies. We discovered typical traumatic amputation of the limbs, which corresponds to the aforementioned mechanism of injury. The findings confirm the thesis that in the area of the former Luftwaffe airport near Stary Grodków (Opole province, Poland), in September 1946, a group of Polish postwar partisans was liquidated.

Injuries and traces on hands of a shooter caused by a firearm shot

AIM OF THE STUDY: 1) evaluation of the frequency of occurrence of traces and injuries on hands of persons firing firearms, 2) detailed description of types of traces and injuries as mentioned above, 3) detailed evaluation of the mechanism of their arising in respect to types of firearms and ammunition, and the way of holding firearms during shooting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The material consisted of 8 cases in which traces or injuries were found on the upper limbs of the person firing the shot. A total of 217 firearms, including 68 pneumatic firearms, were tested during the period under investigation, with approximately 1100 sample test shots. RESULTS: Traces and injuries were only revealed in about 5% of all shots fired from a particular type of firearm. They were not found in the case of pneumatic firearms. The lesions took the form of singeing, gunpowder tattooing, and various shapes of epidermal abrasions and superficial wounds caused by moving elements of firearms (lock, hammer). Some of them reflected the design of the moving parts of the firearms. CONCLUSIONS: In criminal and forensic medical practice, detailed knowledge of the type and mechanism of traces and injuries on the shooter's hands may have significant evidential value in cases concerning the use of firearms. The results of this analysis confirm the need for further study and observation in this area.

Specialty gauge ammunition.

This paper, as the third of the series, is devoted to gauge ammunition, which may be a problem in ballistic opinions. The paper reviews existing cartridges of the type used in smoothbore weapons (bullet cartridges, non-penetrating, compressed powder, flash-bang, signal, adapter-type, and training cartridges). The paper also presents homemade special cases of gauge ammunition, as well as ammunition used for "peculiar" purposes. The second part of the paper discusses other uses of specialty gauge ammunition, specifically its use as mortar ammunition, propelling charges, pyrotechnic tools, and to start combustion engines.

Smoothbore hunting ammunition - a historical overview.

This article deals with traditional hunting amunitions in paper cases, intended for smooth-bore shotgun. The paper describes the development of gunshot cartridges in historical terms, with particular emphasis on the origins and development of systems, initiating the combustion of subsequent generations of propelling cargo. The work gives an author's look into the uprising process of an integrating gunshot cartridge. The article contains a number of information about historical cartridges, currently not to be found, their dimensions, markings and ignition systems. The described cartridges are often examples of rare and long-lasting constructional solutions, that have been made to create a modern cartridge in weight scale calibers. The presented work includes a number of numerical data as well as ballistic, obsolete and archaic today's cartridges, with dimensions and ballistic properties. Some of the theses and data in this paper contained, according to the author's knowledge, are for the first time presented in the literature, and others can be found, but it is very tedious because of their dispersion in the literature or the availability of hard to find and unstable internet sources.

Hunting shot - evolution of manufacturing technology

Hunting shot are 1.2-10 mm diameter balls, usually made of lead alloys, forming a cluster projectile used in smoothbore hunting shotguns. Shot may also be used in pistol and revolver ammunition, in which it can constitute structural element of the projectile. Shot pellets may also be made of other materials and have other shapes. The aim of this paper is to aggregate information on the topic available from a number of different sources. It is hoped that such information will be useful for forensic ballistics experts. Historical development of pellets and their manufacturing technology from the 15th century is presented.