ABSTRACT
FIGURE 18.1 The effect of magnification on estimate of caliber. Bullets of .32 and .38 caliber were placed at different positions on a body and radiographed. All of the bullets appear to be about the same size because of the variation in magnification, which is related to the difference in object film distances for the different bullets. (From Messmer, J.M. and Fierro, M.F., RadioGraphics, 6, 457, 1986. With permission.)
FIGURE 18.2 This is the same case as Figure 17.3, but the body has been turned slightly. It is now very clear that the lower density is not a second bullet, but the shed partial jacket (arrow) from the large bullet fragment above. (From Messmer, J.M. and Fierro, M.F., RadioGraphics, 6, 457, 1986. With permission.)
FIGURE 18.3Articles of clothing can be confused with bullets. (A and B) This biker impaled himself on a length of rebar when he crashed into a bridge under construction. The initial frontal x-ray (A) showed two metallic densities that might be a bullet (arrows). Actually, the upper one is a waist fastener, and the lower one is a zipper pull.
