Gunshot

sreeves2

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In my story, one of my characters get shot in the leg by a pistol. I don't know much about medical terms, especially bullet wounds, so does anyone know what would happen afterwards? He's going to be taken to the hospital, and the police will be involved, but in terms of his recovery and what the hospital will do, what exactly happens? I know the hospital will probably take out the bullet (do they do surgery for that or what?), and afterwards, won't they use morphine to help numb the pain? And how long of a process would that be? I also planned on having the bullet do some damage to his muscle tissue to where he'll have to do physical therapy, but is it possible that if there's only minimal damage to the muscle tissue, he could walk eventually? And how many days would he need to stay in the hospital? If someone who knows medical things like this, I would greatly appreciate some information! :)
 

asroc

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It would help immensely if you could specify where exactly the character gets shot.

There are lots of possibilities of how this could play out, from whether there'll be surgery or not (contrary to the movies, removing a bullet is generally not a priority) to pain management to physical therapy.
 

King Neptune

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In addition to where he character was hit, specifications of the handgun would be useful; there is a huge difference between a .25 and a .44 magnum but both are handguns.
 

Drachen Jager

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I know the hospital will probably take out the bullet (do they do surgery for that or what?)

Normally the bullet would pass through. Depends on the location of the hit, calibre of the handgun, range, and type of ammunition used.

You need to explain why/how this guy is shot. If it's a LEO, they'd most likely be using 9mm or .40 calibre expanding ammunition, Military, .45 or 9mm non-expanding, civilian/criminal could be anything.

I'm afraid "pistol" is an incredibly vague term and the damage possibilities range from nearly taking the leg clean off (or forcing the hospital to amputate) to a mere flesh wound that requires a few stitches and he's good to go.
 
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sreeves2

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You need to explain why/how this guy is shot. If it's a LEO, they'd most likely be using 9mm or .40 calibre expanding ammunition, Military, .45 or 9mm non-expanding, civilian/criminal could be anything.

I'm afraid "pistol" is an incredibly vague term and the damage possibilities range from nearly taking the leg clean off (or forcing the hospital to amputate) to a mere flesh wound that requires a few stitches and he's good to go.

The guy who shoots him doesn't want it to be a fatal wound. He just wants to injure him, kind of as a distraction?
I have no knowledge of guns, but I did some research and am thinking of having the gun be a Remingson R51 pistol with a cartridge of 9x19mm Parabellum.
 

Drachen Jager

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The guy who shoots him doesn't want it to be a fatal wound. He just wants to injure him, kind of as a distraction?
I have no knowledge of guns, but I did some research and am thinking of having the gun be a Remingson R51 pistol with a cartridge of 9x19mm Parabellum.

If you don't want to kill someone, don't shoot them. Firearms are deadly weapons, and nobody can plan a 'non lethal' shot. At least not without the victim being immobilized.

If he planned the shot in advance, he'd have brought ball ammunition, which would go straight through without much damage (expanding rounds will go right through the leg at anything under fifty yards or so as well, but they'll do a lot more damage).

So... going for non-lethal, but effectively stopping the other person, I'd aim for the outer 1/3 of the thigh. Not a big target, but so long as the victim wasn't running or farther away than 20 feet it's pretty doable (of course there are a huge number of variables here, relative movement, conditions etc.)

You'll need a medical expert to fill in the details, but I'd say the victim could be up and walking (in pain) in a week or two and moving without crutches in a month and a half to two months. No need to extract the bullet, unless shards break off of an expanding round (your call, it can go either way, especially if you hit bone).

Keep in mind that the shot you're talking about is tricky. 2" one way and the victim dies from a femoral artery hit, 2" the other way and you miss entirely.
 

sreeves2

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If you don't want to kill someone, don't shoot them. Firearms are deadly weapons, and nobody can plan a 'non lethal' shot. At least not without the victim being immobilized.

If he planned the shot in advance, he'd have brought ball ammunition, which would go straight through without much damage (expanding rounds will go right through the leg at anything under fifty yards or so as well, but they'll do a lot more damage).

So... going for non-lethal, but effectively stopping the other person, I'd aim for the outer 1/3 of the thigh. Not a big target, but so long as the victim wasn't running or farther away than 20 feet it's pretty doable (of course there are a huge number of variables here, relative movement, conditions etc.)

You'll need a medical expert to fill in the details, but I'd say the victim could be up and walking (in pain) in a week or two and moving without crutches in a month and a half to two months. No need to extract the bullet, unless shards break off of an expanding round (your call, it can go either way, especially if you hit bone).

Keep in mind that the shot you're talking about is tricky. 2" one way and the victim dies from a femoral artery hit, 2" the other way and you miss entirely.

Thank you so much, this is very helpful!!
 

Trebor1415

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The guy who shoots him doesn't want it to be a fatal wound. He just wants to injure him, kind of as a distraction?
I have no knowledge of guns, but I did some research and am thinking of having the gun be a Remingson R51 pistol with a cartridge of 9x19mm Parabellum.


Don't use the Remington R51. This is a very new pistol and it was recalled by Remington due to functioning and safety problems. There weren't that many sold, they didn't work well, and they aren't being sold right now until the problems get fixed.

Pick something more common. I recommend a Glock as it is extremely common.
 

Trebor1415

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The guy who shoots him doesn't want it to be a fatal wound. He just wants to injure him, kind of as a distraction?
I have no knowledge of guns, but I did some research and am thinking of having the gun be a Remingson R51 pistol with a cartridge of 9x19mm Parabellum.

Btw, any "professional" whose profession involves firearms would know better than to shoot someone in the leg. A leg wound can be fatal if it hits the femoral artery so it is still considered deadly force.

Now, if the shooter is a bad guy, whatever works for the story. But if he's a cop or something, that would be a no-go.
 
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In my story, one of my characters get shot in the leg by a pistol. I don't know much about medical terms, especially bullet wounds, so does anyone know what would happen afterwards? He's going to be taken to the hospital, and the police will be involved, but in terms of his recovery and what the hospital will do, what exactly happens? I know the hospital will probably take out the bullet (do they do surgery for that or what?), and afterwards, won't they use morphine to help numb the pain? And how long of a process would that be? I also planned on having the bullet do some damage to his muscle tissue to where he'll have to do physical therapy, but is it possible that if there's only minimal damage to the muscle tissue, he could walk eventually? And how many days would he need to stay in the hospital? If someone who knows medical things like this, I would greatly appreciate some information! :)

More than likely, the bullet would pass all of the way through the leg so no surgery to remove it would be necessary. As a paramedic, I'd administer morphine at the scene or en route. I was shot through the lower leg with a 22 and simply cleaned it, dressed it and went back to what I was doing. If you want damage and physical therapy, I'd suggest a knee cap or long bone fracture as the bullet struck the tibia, this would require reconstructive surgery and an extended rehabilitation period, but yes, they would eventually walk again.
 

WeaselFire

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A 9mm shot to the thigh, outside the femur (leg bone) meets your needs. Non-lethal, no lasting effects but the muscle needs a few weeks to rebuild.

Hospital will x-ray, bullet, if it didn't pass through, will be removed and wound dressed and cleaned. Maybe a stitch to close it. Local anesthetic only, minimal blood loss and no loss of consciousness. Won't likely be admitted, treated and released. Might get a prescription for pain killers, likely Tylenol 3 or even just told to take Ibuprofen. Possibly a small prescription for hydrocodone, unlikely that anyone would use morphine. Bed rest for a few days is about it.

Police, in the US, will require a report and it will be taken by an officer while your character is in the hospital. What the police do depends on the report.

As for weapon, Remington 51 works fine, if you're talking about an original early 1900's version. They only were available in .380 and .32 though, not 9mm. Currently, Remington does not sell the Model 51, it has been pulled from their line until they get it working right, but you could use a Remington 1911 R1 if you need a Remington pistol, though in .45 ACP. Otherwise, a Ruger LC9 or LC9s is a similar size, currently popular and in 9mm.

Does this work for your story?

Jeff