Contact shot - .38 snubnose versus ballistic gelatin...

[JE223]

To get an idea of the benefit (or lack thereof) of utilizing the escaping gas from the muzzle of a firearm as a wounding mechanism, I took a .38 Special snubnose (not my gun!) and pressed the muzzle into the face of a gelatin block and pulled the trigger. This is what happened:

Firearm : .38 Special revolver with 1 7/8" barrel

Cartridge : 130gr +P Winchester SXT

Block calibration : 13.0cm @ 595 ft/sec

Muzzle of firearm was pressed firmly into the face of the gelatin block (not hard enough to imprint the gelatin) and the trigger was pulled. Liquified gelatin hit me in the face and hands, and covered the gun. The gun appeared to be fully functional for another shot, as the cylinder moved freely, but no additional shots were taken.

Here is the entrance wound:


Here is the sideways view of the penetration track:


Please note the ~ 1.5" of gunshot residue that is present in the initial inches of penetration... this caused a permanent cavity of approximately the same size as the entrance hole - then it just went away. The remainder of the penetration appears to be consistent with this load in this barrel length.

[grimjaw]

Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark.

Ugly surface wound, following by decent penetration afterwards. Much thanks for the results.

jm

[Feanaro]

I've seen some autopsy photos of contact wounds. Looks correct, slightly exaggerated compared to what I saw but the weapon used could account for that.

[Jim March]

Very interesting.

We always knew there was some effect.

I think what may be lacking in this test, through no fault of the tester, is the PAIN FACTOR involving hot burning gas. It's a whole 'nother world of hurt - literally.

[Cosmoline]

Liquified gelatin hit me in the face and hands, and covered the gun.

You're a dedicated shooter! These tests are really fascinating. I've always wondered what would happen with a contact shot like that.

[ArchAngelCD]

Thank you for posting the results of your test and the photos. Very interesting.

[Mad Chemist]

Thanks for the interesting info. Please keep up the good work.

[2ndamd]

Ouch!
Thanks for posting this! Very interesting picture of the entrance wound.

[JE223]

You're welcome. Gelatin stings when it flies back like that... It was about like being shot with a paintball!

[JERRY]

do that contact shot with a .357 and a laminated vest that is all the rage today and you will see some melted plastic that allowed the .357 to cut right throught the few layers of UNWOVEN kevlar.....

this is why the FBI has gone to a new testing protocol over the inept NIJ rating and tests which do not include contact shots on laminated vests...

[Brasso]

You can see that the bullet didn't encounter any resistance as it entered the block due to the temporary cavity caused by the gas. There is another temporary cavity about halfway thru the penetration track where the bullet most likely began to expand. Neat!

[Vern Humphrey]

There was a case on a TV documentary of a woman who was convicted of murdering her husband, although there was some evidence it was suicide. The prosecutor convinced the jury that it was murder because the man was shot in the back with a rifle. He was able to do that because the wound in front was much larger that that in the back -- typical for a softnose bullet.

The woman won a re-trial, and the defense showed that the husband shot himself in front, and the huge wound in front was due to powder gasses at contact range.

[NailGun]

..A 1-7/8" .38 Special.....

(NailGun removes 442 from holster and places in palm of left hand.... grinning...thinks "Yup, dat ought ta Get-R-Done!")

Wow, that is pretty impressive for a snubbie. Thanks again for doing this testing for us.

NailGun.

[Dr.Rob]

True a contact shot might get blood and guts all over your gun... blood rusts gun blueing in a hurry.


Least of your worries, but still... reason enough NOT to finish off a downed animal with a contact shot.

[yongxingfreesty]

i love these threads!! keep it coming!!

i have a friend who thinks the .38spl is a weak round coming from a 2inch barrel and you're better off with a .380. i never believed him

[isp2605]

Worked a murder/suicide where a boyfriend shot his girlfriend with a 6" Ruger Security Six loaded with .357 (IIRC they were Remington 125 gr JHP) and then shot himself in the head. She was sitting in the drivers seat of her car with the window down when he placed the barrel behind her left ear and fired one shot. It completely removed everything above her bottom jaw. She looked like someone had taken a chain saw and cut off her head right at the top of her lower jaw with her lower jaw and tongue exposed and relatively undamaged. Everything above the lower jaw looked like it had been run thru a blender and then sprayed over the inside of the car. The rd continued out thru the front windshield and we never recovered it.
His wound was also a contact. The entrance was about the size of a silver dollar. The exit removed most of that side of his skull. We found the largest part of his skull 30 ft from his body.
The Ruger was caked thick with tissue. The front of each cylinder hole was packed full with tissue as was the gaps around the cylinder and frame.
Handled another suicide where the kid used a 9mm loaded with Federal 115 gr BP or maybe BPLE. Can't remember now. He placed the 9 center forehead at sort of a downward angle. Entrance hole was about the size of a golf ball. Bullet came to rest just under the skin at the back of the neck where people have that bump at the top of the spine. The bullet had traveled thru the bone of the skull in several places and completely penetrated the spine
Handled several suicides where rifles and shotguns were used. Those aren't pretty. We had one locally where a guy had shot his grandfather with a .270 then was chased by police to where he was finally stopped. He got out of his truck, rested his chin on the .270 and tried to kill himself. It was an angled shot which only took off his lower face and jaw. He's still alive.
On Oct 2, 1996 we attempted to make entry in a hotel room to arrest a fugitive. When we forced the door he opened up with a TEC-9 in one hand and a Colt Mustang .380 in the other, firing 11 rds at us. The hotel door was one of those spring closing types so as soon as we rammed it, it hit the wall, and closed shut. His 11 rds came thru the door in about 2 seconds. Sounded like full auto fire. He then shot himself with the .380 using UMC FMJ ammo. Entrance and exit wounds were about bullet diameter. The bullet entered just in front of his right upper ear and exited just behind his left upper ear. The bullet then went thru the cushion part of an easy chair, struck a stub wall, going thru about 1" of drywall at the angle, and then struck a 2X4 stud where it went in about 1.5" and stopped.

[Jim Keenan]

Muzzle blast can cause nasty wounds. The Soviet KGB used to carry out executions indoors using blanks. The gun was simply put against the victim's head and fired. The blast, combined with bone fragments, did the job, with no bullet over-penetration to worry about.

So, muzzle blast is certainly dangerous, and blanks are NOT harmless.

Jim

[Bezoar]

Excellent photographic evidence that the 38 snubnose revolver is not something to snicker at, and certainly not something to be considered worthless in a "tacticool" world.


The muzzle blast is interesting factor here. This is the best gelatin picture of that I have seen that shows muzzle blast damage. The best photo of what muzzle blast does is one i saw online from the FBI autopsy files of gunshot wounds.
That photo was of a male caucasion who was killed when a 36 caliber percussion revolver was pressed into his chest and fired. The muzzle blast from that "useless as self defense" black powder arm, charred and cooked his lungs and interior chest cavity killing him in seconds. More evidence for old guns and ammo as being effective.

Any chance on contact shots with FMJ or the ubiquitous wadcutter?

[JE223]

$. I couldn't stop myself from typing it...

Next week should include 2 rifles and 2 airguns ... no opportunity/incentive, right now, to do another contact shot.

Good info. Thanks for sharing!

[mavracer]

try it with some full house 44's you can borrow my redhawk i'll even clean it when your done you'll have to clean yourself ROFLMAO
PS I have some 180gr sierra hp's loaded with 28gr of 296