The thesis scientifically substantiates the criteria for forensic medical evaluation of clothing fabric damages and human body injuries caused by shots from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14TP" pistols. The thesis has for the first time determined the design features of the "Fort" pistols. They impact on marking formation and are essential for forensic medical examination. In particular, the author described the following features: a specific shape of the shuttle slot with a narrowing downwards due to displacement under the trunk of the axial direction of the return spring; a round 5 mm in diameter hole in the gate of the "Fort-12" pistol in accordance with the axial guide, and 7 mm hole in the gate of the "Fort-14TP" pistol; a specific form of the end part of the axial guide like a hemispherical polygon in the " Fort-12" pistol, and in the form of a cut cone in the "Fort-14TP" pistol. We noticed that with the contact shots (a point blank range shooting) the above-mentioned constructive pistol elements influence on the tissue damage. We carried out a complex examination of fire-damage on such textile materials as: cotton fabric linen weaving (coarse calico), cotton knitted fabric, denim fabric, as well as cloak fabric consisting of multilayer models, which in addition consisted of synthetic cotton, lining fabric and cotton knitted fabric. A typical muzzle imprint on clothing is a predominantly contour layout of a sooty pear-shaped or an oval form with a thin lowered downward end, where we can see a section of enlightenment in the form of a circle or a semicircle, possibly with a dot element in the center. The nature and size of damage, the stamp-prints intensity and severity depend on the characteristics of the structure and absorption properties of the clothing fabric. Taking into account the mechanogenesis of the pistol openings, we grounded the mechanism of a double muzzle imprint formation when firing from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14TP" pistols. We established that double muzzle imprints were formed only in case of shooting in a point blank range from a pistol equipped with more than one bullet, that is, under the condition of a compulsory return movement of the gate. This feature can be used to set the sequence of shots. It also indicates that a pistol had more than one bullet. Examination of various clothing fabrics revealed certain patterns of their damage characteristics for shots from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14TP" pistols. Bullet wounds usually have a hexagonal ring of dirt corresponding to the number of grooves in the pistol barrel, detected at a distance of at least 10 cm. The manifestations of mechanical and thermal action of gunpowder gases were noted at a short shooting distance (up to 3-5 cm). The features of the soot sedimentation should include the zoning of its distribution in all types of textile materials and the dependence of its topography on the nature of the perceiving surface at a maximum spreading distance of 35-40 cm as well as penetration into multilayer models at shooting distances of up to 10 cm. Depositing of gunpowder particles was characterized by zoning, deep penetration through several layers of multilayer models, with the induction of separate splits on synthetic fabrics at a shooting distance of 25 cm and with a bullet it was up to 75 cm. The maximum gunpowder particles propagation range was 200-240 cm. The contact-diffusion method and the X-ray fluorescent spectrometry allowed determining the peculiarities of such basic metals deposition: antimony, copper, lead, zinc, and iron. The main differences in the layout of shooting products from "Fort-14TP" pistol compared to "Fort-12" pistol were observed in their metric characteristics with a tendency of decreasing indicators and simultaneous maintaining topographical features. This is due to more compact action of the gas-jet stream, and the increased length of the gun barrel. Examination of damage to biological imitators of human tissues revealed certain features. The clear single or double stamp prints (depending on conditions) of specific shape similar to the damage on fabric materials are formed on the skin after a contact shooting. Mechanical action of gunpowder gases manifests itself only in case of point blank range shooting. The abrasion ring is detected at all shooting distances, with metric characteristics approaching the bullet diameter. The ring of dirt visualized from the distance of 10 cm (at smaller distances, masked with soot) is slightly smaller than the bullet diameter and has a predominantly hexagonal shape, corresponds with grooves quantity in the pistol barrel. A residual cavity is detected in the subcutaneous fatty tissue, along the wound canal. It is an element of incomplete regression of the temporary cavity, the maximum amplitude of which is observed predominantly at the boundary of tissues with different density (a combination of fat and muscle tissues). Among the topographical features of the soot sedimentation, one can mark the zonal character of its distribution; the maximum spreading distance was 35 cm. The maximum gunpowder particles distribution range was fixed up to 200-220 cm on the skin. When shooting from "Fort-14TP" pistol compared to "Fort-12" pistol, the main differences in soot and gunpowder particles deposition were observed in their metric characteristics with a tendency to decrease the indexes, while maintaining topographical features. It is associated with a more compact action of the gas-jet stream. Examination of damage in ballistic gelatin, as a nonbiological simulant of human tissues, allowed establishing the basic laws of the temporary cavity formation, its morphometric characteristics and the features of energy bullet dissipation along the wound canal. The study of the radial gelatin fissures characteristics, as an equivalent of the size of the temporary cavity and the scattered energy indices, indicates its wave-like variation throughout the wound canal. The use of correlation-regression analysis, based on the generalization of the obtained data, allowed identifying the most significant factors that can be considered diagnostic criteria for determining the shooting distance from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14TP" pistols. Taking into account the experimental data, we constructed the statistically significant linear multi-factor and pair regression models, which let us calculate the shooting distance from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14ТP" pistols for different types of fabrics. An algorithm of forensic medical examination of clothing fabric damages and human body injuries caused by shots from "Fort-12" and "Fort-14TP" pistols was developed for practical expert tasks.
