Questions About Gunshot Wounds & Bullet Types

[saba6277]

Hello, I know there are lots of questions about gunshot wounds and bullet types here, and I tried everything on Google, Wikipedia and even Yahoo! Answers but I couldn't find what I exactly need, any help will be appreciated.
I searched for "Gunshot wound to the chest" , "Gunshot wounds to the side" , "Gunshot wound to the abdomen" ,  "abdomen

Comments

[nightrose83]

I'm not a doctor, nurse, or anything in the medical profession, so please bear in mind what I have to say could stand for additions and correction from someone who is. That being said, I'll answer what I can

[saba6277]

Thanks for the link. I appreciate it :)

[stickmaker]

Bullets are classified by composition, structure and shape. Until about a century and a half ago, metal bullets were pure lead or an alloy. Early on they were spherical, but in the Nineteenth Century an inventor came up with the "conical" Minnie bullet. Confusingly, these were referred to by the military and most others a Minnie Balls. Ordinary military bullets are still called ball ammo. Bullets in both of these shapes were soft enough that they could expand on impact, though they didn't always

[saba6277]

Oh wow, these are very useful information about bullets, I think every writer involves weapons in his story should read it. Thank you so much, it really helps.

[anonymous]

Without knowing more about bullets, how they behave when they hit flesh/bone, and exactly what kind of damage and pain they cause, I couldn't tell you for certain. It really depends on how big a hole various types of ammunition will put in you, because there's not many places in the torso area that don't contain something vital. Some suggestions, though (and people who know more about guns than me will have to confirm if they're possible):

1. The side, just above the hipbone area. A friend of mine working ski patrol saw a guy who had actually been impaled on a sharp branch through that area, and while it looked nasty (obviously), it turned out that the stick had passed between his skin and muscle without actually entering his abdomen, and it was really quite a superficial wound. I imagine that if a bullet did something similar it would take some muscle with it, causing pain and bleeding

[saba6277]

1. The side, just above the hipbone area. A friend of mine working ski patrol saw a guy who had actually been impaled on a sharp branch through that area, and while it looked nasty (obviously), it turned out that the stick had passed between his skin and muscle without actually entering his abdomen, and it was really quite a superficial wound. I imagine that if a bullet did something similar it would take some muscle with it, causing pain and bleeding.

I am thinking about this too, I've seen pics for human anatomy and this area seems convincible to me

2. The ribs. If a bullet hit bone upon entering, it might crack/break a rib and then run along the ribcage under the skin before exiting his back, without actually passing straight through his torso and all the associated vital organs. A broken rib will definitely make it hard to breathe, stand straight, or run, but he could conceivably hide it for a little while.
Oh, now you gave me another good idea, but the rib injury will make it harder to move & breathe (as you mentioned) and I

[surgicalsteel]

On question one- it depends. Any wound to the torso has the potential to hit something life threatening. If you're honestly looking for shock and pain, I'd personally go for the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The liver sits up there, so it's entirely possible for you to have a pretty scary looking injury without the bullet having hit anything other than the liver (which does a pretty good job of healing itself, esp in young healthy folks

[saba6277]

I'd personally go for the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The liver sits up there, so it's entirely possible for you to have a pretty scary looking injury without the bullet having hit anything other than the liver (which does a pretty good job of healing itself, esp in young healthy folks).

Another good idea, but if it exit from the opposite side, will it make more damage?

those aren't signs of infection, those are signs of shock

Sorry, it's my mistake, I got confused

a nurse with limited resources isn't going to have access to anesthesia and isn't going to be doing major surgery

I know. I asked if he going to need those two things because if he does I can change the scenario of that scene.

You have no question 7.

Another typing mistake, sorry.

low rank soldier's rifle - it sort of depends who's doing the invading and what sort of weapon they have.

I'm thinking about AK-74, is it a good choice for my scene?

and THANK YOU THANK YOU for the useful info. it's very helpful.

[surgicalsteel]

One the 'exiting the other side of the body' you need to clarify. Going in the front and out the back of the right upper quadrant, the entire bullet tract may be in the liver. In the right and out the left would be more problematic.

On your weapon choice, it's probably fine, but I'm not a weapons expert, just a former military doc.

[saba6277]

Thank you very much doc. you really helped me. I appreciate it :)

[lolmac]

Two books and a blog series

[saba6277]

Thank you very much for the links, I have the first book, I'll try to get the second and the third.
and you are right, I read so many stories that included very "unconvincible" examples about this scenario, I'll try to make it better, that's why I asked for help. Thanks :)

[lolmac]

When I read your query, I thought "Aha, this one doesn't sound like the Same Old Thing -- I hope it works out!"

Jim MacDonald's post is one in a really fantastic series he did on the Making Light blog, covering (with an eye to the writer) almost every imaginable aspect of injury, sickness and damage, and getting it right. I tried to find the index to his posts, but all I could find was the first one (which then links to the others).

Once again, good luck!

[saba6277]

Jim MacDonald's post is one in a really fantastic series he did on the Making Light blog

So I noticed, I didn't read it "throughly" yet, but I noticed that it contains very useful info. Thanks for sharing.
I really hope it'll work out. Thanks again :)