TY  - JOUR
T1  - RElative power of ammunition
AU  - Schipf RG
Y1  - 1979/11/02
N1  - 10.1001/jama.1979.03300180011009
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 1967
EP  - 1968
VL  - 242
IS  - 18
N2  - To the Editor.— 
    In his review of an apparent suicide attempt (241:2265, 1979), Bernard P. Wolff, MD, mentioned the use of "a .32-caliber revolver" and reported that the bullets barely got through the skin over the skull. He called this a "remarkably minor injury resulting from a powerful weapon."I would guess that the ammunition involved here is either the .32 S&W or the .32 S&W long (these are standard designations), most likely the former. If so, the injury is not remarkable at all as these "calibers" are notorious for their poor results on humans, especially when bone penetration is necessary. Either caliber is an excellent squirrel- or rabbit-getter, especially the latter, but any decent ballistician or knowledgeable gun buff will discourse at length on the ineffectiveness of this kind of stuff as man-stoppers. Surely, such ammunition can kill, but that is not the point here or in most cases. There are, of
SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10.1001/jama.1979.03300180011009
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1979.03300180011009
ER  -