What term describes a gunshot wound where the muzzle is in direct contact with the skin?

• A. Hard Contact
• B. Loose Contact
• C. Intermediate
• D. Distant

Answer: (A)

Hard contact describes a wound created when the gun barrel is pressed directly against the skin. Because the muzzle is in direct contact, the explosive gases and flame are driven into the tissue rather than escaping outward, producing a distinctive entrance wound with a visible imprint of the muzzle and often surrounding burn or abrasion. There is typically little external stippling from powder on the surrounding skin, since the residue is driven into the wound itself. This pattern distinguishes it from looser distances where soot and tattooing appear around the wound, and from intermediate or distant shots where the contact is not complete and the wound carries different burn, soot, or stippling characteristics.