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Question #150 (6/12/2026)

National Association of Medical Examiners 
Educational Activities Committee

Submitted by Dr. Alfredo E Walker, Forensic Pathologist, Eastern Ontario Regional Forensic Pathology Unit; Ontario Forensic Pathology Service; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa
1.A 78-year-old male with a history of anxiety and depression was found dead in his backyard approximately one hour after last being seen by his wife. His depression had recently worsened, with refusal to eat or attend a scheduled medical appointment. There was no history of suicidal ideation or prior suicide attempts, and no suicide note was identified.
The body was found with a firearm partially clutched in the left hand. A spent cartridge case with a matching hammer imprint on the base rim was recovered from the chamber. A 0.7 cm in diameter circular entrance gunshot wound with a narrow abrasion collar of uniform width was centered within a 0.5 cm wide circular zone of soot on the right temple, without stippling.

Which combination of firearm and ammunition could account for the gunshot wound features shown in the photographs?