PECULIARITIES OF CERTAIN .22 CALIBER REVOLVERS (SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS)

• NCJ Number: 12749
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1974) Pages: 48-53
• Author(s): SCHMIDT-ORNDORFF; J A REITZ
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: American Soc for Testing and Materials
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT 25TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, LAS VEGAS, FEB 21, 1973

Annotation

SHOOTING AND INJURY PATTERNS CHARACTERISTIC OF CERTAIN .22 CALIBER REVOLVERS IMPORTED FROM WEST GERMANY PRIOR TO THE GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968.

Abstract

SEVERAL OF THESE REVOLVERS WERE TEST-FIRED AND WERE FOUND TO BE SO POORLY CONSTRUCTED THAT THEY WERE DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO THE SHOOTER, BUT ALSO TO ANYONE IN THE GENERAL VICINITY. LOOSELY FITTING CYLINDERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EMISSION OF TWO BULLETS UPON ONE PULL OF THE TRIGGER, PRODUCING INJURIES TOTALLY UNEXPECTED BY AN OBSERVER UNAWARE OF THE POSSIBLE MALFUNCTIONING OF THE POORLY MANUFACTURED REVOLVERS. THE FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST CONFRONTED WITH A CASE INVOLVING THIS PHENOMENON SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO RECOGNIZE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH AN OCCURRENCE AT THE TIME OF AUTOPSY. SUBSEQUENT BALLISTIC EXAMINATION OF THE CARTRIDGE CASES AND SPENT BULLETS AT THE CRIME LABORATORY IS OF IMPORTANCE FOR CONFIRMATION. IN A SPECIFIC INSTANCE THE CONCLUSIONS OF THESE EXAMINATIONS MAY MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOMICIDE AND AN ACCIDENT, OR PROVIDE THE EXPLANATION FOR THE PRESENCE OF TWO WOUNDS IN A SUICIDE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)