A silencer is a device, often homemade, fitting over the muzzle that attempts to reduce noise by baffling the rapid escape of gases. Their possession is illegal. Entrance wounds produced when silencers are present lead to muzzle imprints that are erythematous rather than abraded and disproportionately large for the size of the wound. Entrance wounds may appear atypical at close range. The presence of multiple entrance wounds may not exclude suicide.
Men are more likely than women to shoot themselves in the head.
Exit wounds Most bullets are designed to hit the target without exiting, for this imparts all the bullet's KE to the target and does the most damage. However, in many situations an exit wound will be present. Exit wounds are generally larger than entrance wounds, due to the fact that the bullet has expanded or tumbled on its axis. Exit wounds either do not exhibit gunshot residues or far less residues than associated entrance wounds. Scanning electron microscopy of exit wounds shows irregular lacerations with protruding collagen fibers, but relatively undamaged papillae.