[2 suicides with self-fabricated gunshot devices: technical forensic and morphologic ballistic characteristics]

Abstract

Two suicides with home-made guns firing conventional ammunition are reported. Three different classes of homemade guns can be distinguished. Special characteristics of the interior and exterior ballistics of the home-made guns caused unusual muzzle imprints, intensive soot deposits at the entrance wounds and on the hands, intensive CO-effects, burns and in one case a skin laceration of the hand holding the weapon. The bullets showed a reduced penetration depth, characteristic firing marks were missing.