Question

A firearm wound shows an entry with an abraded collar and a grease (dirt) collar, but there is NO tattooing (no gunpowder stippling), no soot blackening, and no burning around the wound. What is the range of fire?

• A. Distant range
• B. Contact range
• C. Close range
• D. Near (intermediate) range

Hint:

No gunpowder tattooing, no soot, no burn - the powder never reached the skin.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: The range of a gunshot wound is judged by the marks produced by the products that leave the muzzle - flame (burning), smoke/soot (blackening), and unburnt/partially burnt powder grains (tattooing or stippling) - in addition to the bullet itself.

Step 2: Here the wound shows only an abrasion collar (AC, produced by the bullet indenting and grazing skin on entry) and a grease/dirt collar (GC, wiped off dirt and lubricant from the bullet). Both are produced by the bullet at ANY range and carry no range information by themselves.

Step 3: The absence of tattooing, soot, and burning is the decisive finding. Powder tattooing is seen up to roughly 60 cm (about 2 feet) and soot up to roughly 30 cm; beyond the maximum travel of powder grains, none of these accessory marks reach the skin.

Step 4: Therefore the shot was fired beyond the range at which gunpowder can reach the target - a distant (far) range wound, showing only AC and GC.

Step 5: Why the others are wrong - contact wounds show muzzle imprint, soot, and burning; close range shows dense blackening and burning; near/intermediate range shows powder tattooing. None of these features are present here.

Key fact: Only abrasion + grease collar with NO tattooing/soot/burning = distant range firearm wound.