Citation

Hartwig S, Tsokos M, Schmidt S, Byard RW. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2010; 31(2): 192-194.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; and daggerDiscipline of Pathology, The University of Adelaide and Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e3181c297f5

PMID

19949314

Abstract

Three cases of suicide are described where deaths were due to single gunshot wounds to the head from self-constructed shooting devices. The victims were twin brothers aged 27 years, and a 53-year-old male. The firearms were manufactured by the victims who used machined metal tubes with 12-gauge shotgun and 7.65 mm ammunition, respectively. The mechanism of action in all cases relied upon direct impact on the firing pin rod; with a hammer in 2 cases, and a rock in the third. Homemade firearms are manufactured globally for use in criminal activities, although they tend to be found more often in countries and among groups where there is limited access to commercially manufactured weapons due to economic or legal constraints. Most devices use either a standard sprung hammer or trigger mechanisms. Given the unusual and cumbersome nature of the firing mechanism in the reported cases, it is likely that these firearms were specifically manufactured for the purpose of suicide.

Language: en