For example, knowledge about the safety features of a weapon that would have allowed or prohibited its operation in a given set of circumstances may be of great importance in determining the plausibility of a given death scene scenario. Although the forensic pathologist need not be an expert on all types of firearms, he or she must be familiar with the basic operation of different weapons in order to interpret the injuries resulting from them.
There are many unique features of firearms that may be of critical importance in a forensic investigation. As injuries due to firearms are common in most areas of the United States, skill in the interpretation of these injuries is vitally important for the practitioner of forensic pathology.
A firearm may be generally defined as an assembly of a barrel and action from which a projectile is propelled through the deflagration (rapid burning) of a propellant (gunpowder).
