AFTE Store - Simple Home-Made Shotgun Used in Suicide

Determining the recoil velocity of a discharged firearm is usually not required for most casework. In the incident recounted, the recoil velocity was a factor after the body was located in bushland with a shotgun wound to the head. No firearm was located near the body and murder was suspeted. However, after a wide search was conducted, an unusual homemade firearm was found 20 meters from the body in long grass. Test and calculations revealed the homemade firearm was capable of being thrown to the position found. By recoil produced upon discharge. The death was determined not to be a murder but suicide.