“Tw ounval oF TRAUBA Vol. 28, No, Suppl. ‘Printed in USA. A Reconsideration of the Wounding Mechanism of Very High Velocity Projectiles—Importance of Projectile Shape MARTIN L. FACKLER, M.D., RONALD F. BELLAMY, M_D., anv JOHN A. MALINOWSKI, B.S. In 1976 a paper appeared which forecast “significant increases in velocities of projectiles from guns and fragments from warheads.” It was postulated that the higher velocity projectiles would cause shallow wounds with wide tissue destruction on the surf ly when striking velocity exceeded the face—especi speed of sound in tissue (about 1.5 km/sec). Other studies have not dealt with ‘velocity range; the conclusions and assumptions stated in this Ina previous study, we shot blunt fragments into gelatin, but our findings did not support the proposed hypothesis that temporary cavity shape in tissue nges at larger with increasing velocity but it does not become Projectile fragments on impact. locities above the sonic speed. The temporary cavity becomes shallow In the present study, we shot a series of blunt projectiles into animal tissue at velocities of 764 to 2,049 m/s. The stellate skin and muscle disruption splits from temporary cavity stretch we observed in this study are not apparent on entrance wounds from individual explosive device fragments in the living. wounded. We suggest, therefore, that studies us blunt projectiles at striking velocities above 700 m/s are lacking in clinical relevance. ‘We also compared wounds produced by pointed projectiles with those produced by blunt projectiles, The marked difference in wound morphology showed the fallacy of doing a study with blunt missiles and applying conclusions from that study to tissue disruption caused by all projectiles. In 1976 Charters and Charters (1) speculated that “velocity of projectiles will continue to increase, and the size of the wounding projectile will progressively de- crease.” They suggested that these faster, smaller projec- tiles would cause “relatively shallow wounds with wide surface destruction,” because of an increase in drag coef- ficient which occurs when missiles travel in tissue faster than the speed of sound (1.5 m/s). Figure 7 of their article (1) shows an outline of a human leg with the “area of potential tissue necrosis” which appears about 20 cm in diameter and about 5 em deep. Their study consisted of one shot with a 0.635-cm stainless-steel sphere and five shots with 0.318-em spheres of the same material. ‘Three of the shots (those shot at velocities 2.85 km/s and above) produced shallow penetrations (6.2 to 7.4 cm). In all three of these shots the sphere fragmented, ‘The fact that the other shots disproved their postulate From the Division of Combat Casualty Care, Letterman Army Institue of Resgarch, Presidio of San Francisco, California. in conducting the research described in thi report the investigators ‘adhered to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as promulgated by the Commitice on Revision ofthe Guide for Laboratory Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, ‘was ignored and the performance of the three fragmented spheres was considered support for their theories. De- spite the fact that this error was pointed out at the time the paper was presented (1), the speculations of this paper have been widely quoted as fact. We recently reported a series of 21 shots into gelatin with both spheres and fragment simulators in the shape of short: rod segments (4). We found no shallow penetra- tions with these projectiles shot at velocities up to 6,614 ft/s (2,019 m/s). The temporary cavities increased in size with velocity as would be expected, but the cavities did ‘not change in their basic shape. In the study we are reporting in this paper, we have ‘examined the gross wound characteristics in animal tis- sue produced by these two types of blunt projectiles (spheres and truncated rods) at velocities ranging from 2,508 ft/s (764 m/s) to 6,723 ft/s (2,049 m/s). We also ‘compared the wounds produced in animal tissue by aero- dynamic projectiles with those produced by blunt projec- tiles. We found that the major difference in wound appearance produced by aerodynamic projectiles as op- posed to blunt missiles was the same both at velocities ‘above the sonic speed in tissue (1.5 km/s), and at veloc- ities below sonic speed, 86a$64 The Journal of Trauma METHODS Five fresh swine carcasses (all were shot in the pre-rigor state, within 20 minutes of death) were used for the blunt projectile shots. One shot was made into each hind limb which ‘was held in the extended position so thet the shot perforated the thick proximal portion of the limb. All shots were made transversely, the bullet path at 90° to the long axis of the swine body. Blocks of gelatin 25 x 25 x 50 cm (250 A Ordnance type, Kind and Knox Co., Sioux City, IA) were placed against the skin of the swine at the predicted point of projectile exit. Thus the entire tract of the missile was captured for calculation of total penetration depth (swine leg thickness plus gelatin pene: tration depth) and recovery of the projectiles for examination. ‘The gelatin was a 10% solution; the blocks were stored in airtight plastic bags at 4° Celsius. The blocks were removed from the refrigerator only minutes before use. Penetration depth, projectile deformation, and fragmentation patterns in living ‘swine muscle can be duplicated by this gelatin (5-7), ‘Wounding patterns of five shots with 6-mm (diameter) steel spheres weighing 0.85 gm as the projectile and four shots with '5.6-mm long pieces of 5.6-mm (diameter) steel rod were studied. Both projectiles were placed in a split-shell plastic sabot and shot from a rifle supplied by the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, ‘Maryland. The sabot had an outside diameter of 7.62 mm to fit the 30-caliber barrel; the inside diameter of 5.6 mm was hol- lowed out to fit the 6-mm sphere. The rifle was chambered to accept a 50-caliber machine gun cartridge; the action was a single-shot bolt type with a shell-holder boit face. The loaded ‘sabot was placed into the barrel from the breech with a special Joading device The ower charge vas then placed ina primed ‘case and held against the rear of the case with a 2-cm tong exlnder of compressible polyurethane fom: Upto 1425 gm of Winchester-Western type 743 ball powder was used— ‘the amount depended on the velocity desired. ‘The following two experiments were performed to compare the effects of blunt projectiles with aerodynamic projectiles. ‘The first consisted of shooting one buttock of # fresh 90-kx ‘wine carcass with a solid brass bullet (5.6-mm, 1.9-em long, ‘weighing 3.1 gm) machine made at the Letterman Army Insti- ‘ute of Research with a point shaped the same as the military M 193 (M-16) bullet. The shot was made from a standard 1M-16 barrel with the same powder charge used with the M-193. bullet. A second shot was made into the opposite buttock of ‘the same swine with all conditions the same except that the brass bullet was loaded backwards so that the blunt end would January 1988 strike the tissue. Both shots were recorded with a 16-mm'ciné camera (Red Lake Hycam at 10,000 frames per second) aimed at the bullet's striking point on the swine buttock. ‘The second experiment to compare blunt with aerodynamic projectiles was done by using another fresh 90-kg swine careas ‘These shots were made with the swine body parallel to the bullet path so that both wounds could be shown on the same photograph. In order to obtain a velocity above the speed of sound in tissue for this final experiment the brass bullet was ‘made lighter by shortening it to 1.6 em with a weight of 2.4 gm. ‘The two shots with this bullet were made from a rifle supplied by the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, which consisted of a 22- caliber barrel (5.6-mm) chambered for an “improved” 300 H & H Magnum case. The “improved” case was sharper shouldered, with @ straighter case body than the standard 300 H & H “Magnum case; this modification of the case was done to increase powder capacity, The powder charge used for each of the two shots in this experiment was 3.6 gm of Hercules 2400; it was held against the primer with a 1.5-cm long cylinder of com- pressible polyurethane foam. The brasé bullet was loaded into the barrel ahead of the charged cartridge case with a loading device. The first shot was loaded into the barrel pointed end forward and shot into one buttock of the fresh swine carcess ‘and the other loaded blunt end forward and shot into the other buttock of the same carcass. ‘All shots were made with the muzzle of the firearm 3 m from the surface of the target. Projectile velocity was measured with ‘a chronograph composed of two counters (Model 464 T, Elec- tronic Counters, Inc, Syosset, NY) connected in parallel (one serving as a check on the other), and the impulses were gener- ated by the breaking a circuit of fine metal foil printed ‘on thin paper. The foil screens were spaced 50 om apart and placed midway between the firearm muzzle and the target surface. RESULTS. Table I lists the striking velocities, wound measure- ‘ments including maximum skin disruption, maximum muscle disruption (which occurs just under the skin with blunt missiles), missile penetration depth, and projectile deformation for the blunt projectile series of shots. Dis- section of the wounds showed that in both the sphere and rod shots the muscle was split. Temporary cavities ‘TABLET Shots into fresh rwine carcasses using blunt projectiles "Foes Dirpton Velocity os 7 Maxinum Mone Penetrtion Condition of (a sia a ‘Diarapton (om) ‘cm Recovered Projectile 764 G-mamateel sphere "Tiny puncture 05x08 2 ntact aus 085 em. 12 02elipee 2x25 39 Intact aur 085 am 15 x 08 ellipse 2x53 37 Intact 1420 035 am 22x 23 stellate 4x45 @ Intact 14699 0.85 am 10% 75 wellate 5x6 0 Sphere fattened to 625 mm 900 5B steel L.Lm fragment 1.8% 0.9 ellipse 25x38 32 Intact simulator 1,308 24x 12ellpee 45x58 Flattened 1959 182 145 stellate exe 2 Flattened 17.7 2,089 18 stellate 9x10 % Flattened to 8Vol. 28, No. 1 Supplement created by the 1,000-m/s velocity missiles caused skin disruptions smaller than the muscle disruption (Fig. 1), but when the temporary cavities became massive at the highest velocities, the skin splits exoceded tho muscle disruption (Fig. 2). Even at the highest velocities tested, when gaping stellaie wounds resulted from temporery cavities large enough to split both muscle and skin, these wourds could have their edges approximated easily under no tension since all the original tissue was there (except for the very minimal part that was crushed by actual contact with the penetrating missile), it was merely displaced by a massive stretch. Alll the projectiles were recovered: there was slight deformation of both projectiles at the higher velocities as listed in Table I, but in no case was there any frag mentation of these blunt missiles. ‘Thus, aside from the small amount of tissue crushed by actually being struck boy the projectile, the effects observed are from the tissue displacement or stretch of the temporary cavity. Table Il lists the shots comparing tissue disruption resulting from streamlined projectiles with the © 6mm Sphere - Vel. 4660 f/s (1420 m/s) cm 1 a \ bey (snes Ble fee gee 3 Fic. 1. Wound in swine careassin which thetnderiying mule wns Aisrupied to a greater extent than tho skin. In order to thew tae Azruption in both tanta, the ski ff the muscle ane the skin containing theprojetile erty sites shown, tthe bottom ofthe photograph withthe exposed muscle atthe top. fubeutaneous fat were diteected Proceedings, 5th Symposium on Wound Ballistics S65 17 gr Steel 22 Cal. Flat ended Fragment Simulator Vel. 6010 f/s (1832 m/s) Fic. 2. Wound in wine carcas showing the stellate appearance that resales wien the stretch of temporary cavitation overcomes the Unis of skin elasticity disruption from blunt projectiles, The first two shots wore at a velocity well below the sonic speed in tissue. Individual frames from a high-speed ciné film of this experiment are used to show the results in (Figs. 3 & 4). ‘The results of the comparison made at striking velocities above the sonic speed in tissue are shown in Figure 5. DISCUSSION ‘The experiments showed that the marked difference in wound morphology eaused by blunt projectiles as opposed to aerodynamic ones is seen at striking velocities both above and below the sonic speed in tissue (1.5 kan/s). This clearly illustrates the fallacy of discuss- ing all “projectiles” togethor and ignoring the important variable of missile shape, This discussion is divided into two parts to discuss the two classes of projectile sepa- rately Blunt Projectiles—Explosive Device Frag- ‘ments. Te rods used in series one of our shots have an even higher drag coofficiont than sphores and aro prob: ably a better “fragment simulator,” but both belong to a class of projectile called “biunt bodies” that have high retardation in tissue and lose velocity rapidly in flight$66 ‘The Journal of Trauma January 1988 ‘TABLET ‘Shots into fresh swine carcasses comparing aerodynamic with blunt projectiles Veleci we Prete Teeve Danilo a rte Penwintion Condition of Hecoersd Projectiles 963 Solid brass, -mm Minimal —S-mm round hole Bécm Identical to preind sate xcept 19 em, weight 1 for riding marks, weight 3 am. em $60 dontical to above fired Stellate wound 8m from ond Blunt end fattened eighty to a ‘with blunt ed for of opposite spies ameter of 6.1 mm, weight ward Slam 85 Selid brass, 5.6mm 1.6 Minimal 7-mm hele Stem Bullet lost 27% of ite weight in cm, weight 24 gn ‘ragments from blunt end, f- nal wight wae 1.75 gm 1,556 Identical ta above fired _Stellate gaping wound 18.em 36 em Ballet lost 61% of its welght in with blunt end for wand from ends of opposite splite fragments from blunt erd, nal woight of Lem Fig, 2. Frame from ciné film showing maximum surfice disruption from temporary cavity by streamlined projectile Fig. 4. Frame from ciné fil showing maximum surface disruption, from temporary cavity by blunt prosetile because of their nonaerodynamic shape (2). In tissue the blunt projectile causes its maximum disruption in the initial part of its path with gradually decreasing tempo- rary cavity stretch as velocity diminishes with penetra- tion depth. Stellate wounds of the skin (Figs. 1 & 2) indicate that temporary cavitation stretched the skin beyond its breaking point. With the blunt rod projectiles we saw this beginning at about 900 m/s (2,952 ft/s); the splits became larger with increasing velocities. Stellate wounds of entrance are not a characteristic of individual ‘wounds in living persons caused by artillery shells, gre nades, or other explosive devices. (Personal observations, M. F., R. B,, and other combat surgeons.) Since the initial fragment velocities from explosive devices are reported to be in the 1,886 m/s (6,180 ft/s) range (3), probably anyone close enough to an explosion to be hit by a fragment whose velocity was still as high as 900 m/s (2,952 ft/s) would be hit by so many fragments that he would be killed. In addition, the fact that the majority of these individual fragments are retained in the body and exploration of their tracts shows little evidence of tiseue stretch from temporary cavitation, it is probably a safe assumption that: they struck at a velocity below 600 m/s (1,967 ft/s). Individual fragment wounds from explosive devices have not presented unusual problems, Aerodynamic Projectiles—Rifle Bullets. Rifle bullets, because of their streamlined form, cause little disturbance in passing through sir and retain their ve- locity well. This performance in air is mirrored in tissue, where the bullet causes minimal disruption at the surface ‘and $0 long as it remains traveling point forward. Tt it deforms, yaws, or fragments, it causes its maximum disruption at the point along its path whore this occurs but not at or near the surfece. Charters and Charters’ prediction of an increase of projectile velocities to the 2 to 3 km/s (1) range appears to us most unlikely. The most recent changes in rifle velocities, in both military and civilian shooting circles, have been downward. 'The Model 1898 German Mauser had a muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s) about the same as the present-day 7.62 NATO rifle cartridge. Dur- ing the early part of the Vietnam conflict the first of the new generation of assault rifles in 22 celiber was devel- oped. The advertised velocity of this new weapon was 990 m/s (3,250 ft/s), about 12% higher than the 7.62 NATO round, and the bullet weighed about one third asVol. 28, No. 1 Supplement 37 gr (2.4 gm) Brass Bullet Vel. 5200 ¥/s (1595 m/s) Proceedings, 5th Symposium on Wound Ballistics S67, 37 gr (2.4 gm) Brass Buller Shot Base Forward Vel. 5107 t/s (1556 ms) io, 5. Photo comparing disruption caused by streamlined projectile (eft) with that of Mont nrcietle (right) when striking velocity w wentation ofboth projeetiloe which wa prebabiy a factor in the massive wus deruption. above ihe sanie speed in tissue. There was seme f ‘much. The lighter assault rifle bullet was never able to produce the long-range results neeided in a sniper rifle and the 7.62 NATO rifle remains to fulfill that role. The latest refinement in an attempt to improve long-range capacity is an increase in bullet weight and a decrease in muzale velocity. The properties of a lighter and fester projectile which Charters and Charters predicted (1) would cause greatly increased tissue destruction (in- creased drag), also occurs in air, and seriously limits the projectile’s potential as a weapon. In civilian shooting Circles, a realization of the inefficiency accompanying rifle velocities much over 1 km/s (3,281 ft/s) has also occurred. Twenty years ago the 220 Swift was popular and the advantages of its 1,262 m/sec (4,140 ft/s) velocity widely advertised: today it is no longer being produced and shooters are wisely choosing the more efficient heav- ier and slower bullets which have loss drag and retain their velocity better. We suggest that the occurrence of wounds from “very high velocity” projectiles as predicted by Charters and Charters is an unlikely event on future battlefields, REFERENCES: 1. Chartom, A.C, IL, Charters, A.C: Wounding mechaniams of very rejects J. Trauma, 16: 464-4 2 Charters, AC, Thomas, KN. The serodynemie periormance of ‘small Spheres from subsonic to hich supersonic. velocitios ‘oro, Sei, 12: 163, 1045, 8. Costes, J. B.y Beyer, J. C. (ede): Wound Batistis. Washington, D.C, Otte of the Surgeon General, Medicel Dep, US Army, 4. Packler, ML, Bellamy, RP, Malinowski, J. As Wounding Imochaniam of projectiles striking at more then 15 kin!s. 2. ‘Trauma, 26: 200-204, 1986, 5. Fackler, M. Ls, Surinchak. J. 8, Malinowski, J. A, Bowen, R. Es Ballet fragmentation’ A'major cause of tissue’ disrptien. J Traumes 44 I 39, 1994. 6, Packer, ML, Surinchak, J. 8, Malinowski, J. A. Bowen, R. Wourding etential of the Russian AK-T4 assault rife, 0. ‘Trauma, 24: 263-266, 1954, 7. Packler, ML, Malinoweki, J. As The wound profile: A visu rethed for quantifying gunchot wound components. J. Trou, 225: 522-529, 198,