I've seen a good amount of GSW to the hands, arms, and legs. Like ST1911 started they are usually nothing remarkable. Caliber size holes.
A couple things that do change things up are contact range shots and hitting bones (especially in the hand and lower forearm). Contact shots adds muzzle blast to the wounds. From my experience on "meatier" parts of the body you'll get some markings on the skin, slight burns, and a slightly bigger entrance wound. On the hand though, I've seen the muzzle blast leave significantly bigger wounds. I believe it's because the hand is much smaller and can't absorb the blast as well. Also all the bone fragments add to the damage.
Had one guy accidentally shoot himself in the hand with a really nice special edition Vietnam commemorative 1911 that he assumed wasn't kept loaded because it was in a display case. Federal Hydrashock went through his hand at the thick point at the base of the thumb. Bullet expanded decently and hit the side of his fridge and ended up in the shelf after going through a glass milk jar. For about a 10 inch radius around hole in the side of the fridge the were about a dozen bone fragments embedded in the aluminum skin of the fridge.
Bullets hitting the bones of the forearm can definitely create a mor substantial exit wound. I've not seen that though in the upper part of the forearm, I assume because the arm is normally thicker up there. Same with the humerous bone of the upper arm. Whether that's from the upper arm being generally thicker or the bone being stronger, or both, I'm not sure. Thinking about it I've also seen substantially more people shot in the lower arm and hands, than I have seen shot in the upper arm.
Last edited by C-grunt; 11-03-19 at 20:28.
C co 1/30th Infantry Regiment
3rd Brigade 3rd Infantry Division
2002-2006
OIF 1 and 3
IraqGunz:
No dude is going to get shot in the chest at 300 yards and look down and say "What is that, a 3 MOA group?"
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