Self‐inflicted Firearm Discharge from Heating Using a Gas Burner. Issue 3 (16th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Osawa, Motoki; Matsushima, Yutaka; Kumar, Alok; Tsuboi, Akio; Kakimoto, Yu; Satoh, Fumiko
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 61:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 845
• Page End: 847
• Publication Date: 2016-02-16
• Subjects: forensic science -- forensic pathology -- gunshot injury -- suicide -- gas burner -- homemade firearms; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1198

Abstract

Abstract: A male in his 70s was found lying dead in the living room of his house. A gunshot entrance wound was observed in the left orbit, with a lead slug and wadding left in the skull, which exhibited fatal cranio‐cerebral trauma. A cartridge had been discharged from a handmade launcher, or zip gun, that had been fixed to a spare gun barrel on a pipe chair, by heating the launcher from the side using a gas burner. The deceased had owned guns for hunting in the past and had returned the license, but he had retained a spare barrel and live cartridges at home. In this unique case of suicide, a zip gun was discharged by heating with a gas burner.