Fig. 1

PMCT scan of a typical contact shot wound (1 = transverse view, 3 = longitudinal view) and a typical close-range/distant shot wound (2 = transverse view, 4 = longitudinal view). Note the hyperdense ring that is surrounding the outermost part of the contact shot wound channel (red arrows) but is absent from the close-range/distant shot wounds (yellow arrows). Three measurements were obtained from the scans (channel diameter = mean of green measurements; ring diameter = mean of orange measurements; ring thickness = mean of blue measurements); please find numerical values in Table 1 and Additional file 2: Table S2