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Key research themes
1. How do projectile characteristics and ballistic properties influence penetration and injury potential in air rifles?
This theme focuses on the relationships between the physical parameters of projectiles—such as mass, shape, velocity, and energy—and their ballistic performance, penetration capabilities, and resulting injury severity, particularly when propelled by air rifles or compressed air guns. Understanding these dynamics is critical for assessing the lethality and safety risks of air rifles, improving ballistic designs, and informing regulatory policies.
Key finding: This study experimentally demonstrated that projectile mass and tip shape significantly affect velocity and ballistic limit when fired from a compressed air gun at varying pressure levels. Pointed ogival projectiles required... Read more
Key finding: Through forensic investigation of a child’s fatal gunshot wound from an unlicensed air gun, this case report identified the projectile as a 4.5 mm pointed lead pellet that penetrated thoracic organs causing death. It... Read more
Key finding: This forensic case described a 5.5 mm caliber airgun pellet penetrating the temporal bone and brain, causing fatal injury. It detailed that despite low legal classification of airguns with pellet energies below 17 J, adequate... Read more
Key finding: This fatal case involved a 4.5 mm caliber pointed conical pellet fired from a spring piston air rifle with muzzle energy up to 7.5 J penetrating the chest, perforating the aorta and causing cardiac tamponade. The analysis... Read more
Key finding: This comprehensive review and case study revealed that despite classification as non-lethal weapons, air guns firing 4.5 mm lead projectiles at velocities sufficient to cause transfixing injuries to thoracic and cardiac... Read more
2. What are the biomechanical and technical factors that influence shooting accuracy and performance in air rifle sports?
This theme investigates how biomechanical stability, postural sway, rifle handling dynamics, and psychological pressure influence shooting precision and outcomes, particularly in competitive air rifle shooting. It encompasses measurement of body sway, rifle accelerations, aiming stability, and comparison of training versus competition performance to understand determinants of marksmanship excellence.
Key finding: This preliminary analysis measured displacement velocity as a proxy for body sway in elite male and female shooters over competition-length shooting sessions. Both athletes showed increased anterior-posterior sway with shot... Read more
Key finding: This study measured rifle stock and aiming point accelerations in prone and standing biathlon shooting to determine correlations with shooting accuracy. Results showed no significant association between accelerations and shot... Read more
Key finding: This study compared shooting technical components measured during training and competition among Finnish national-level shooters. Stability of hold accounted for over 50% of variance in shooting score and decreased from... Read more
Key finding: Though focused on warfare, this paper offers theoretical insights on how weapons embody calibrated apparatuses for delivering lethal effects with ethical legitimacy. It frames weapons, including rifles, not just as tools but... Read more
3. How have archaeological and anthropological analyses refined our understanding of projectile weapon technology evolution, specifically focusing on air rifles’ historical context?
This theme covers the archaeological and ethnographic study of projectile weapons, emphasizing osteological (bone and animal material) weapons, hafted point typologies, and the transition from darts to bows and arrows. Although focused on ancient weaponry, insights from these studies frame air rifles within the broader evolution of projectile technology and human cultural adaptation to ranged warfare.
Key finding: This volume synthesizes Pleistocene-era projectile technology manufactured from animal hard tissues, highlighting the diversity and sophistication of early projectile weapon forms. It establishes the archaeological and... Read more
Key finding: Using expanded metric data on hafted projectile points and foreshafts from North and South America, this study identifies morphological differences distinguishing arrows from darts, revealing distinct technological... Read more
Key finding: This paper describes the modification of rifled air rifles into smooth-bore air shotguns for wildlife specimen collection, emphasizing the technical adjustment of removing barrel rifling to optimize shot patterns at close... Read more