Injuries and wounds: choke of a shotgun: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Injuries and wounds: choke of a shotgun

Sample item

Two smooth-bore shotguns of the same bore fire identical cartridges at a target 10 metres away. The pellets from gun A spread over a circle twice as wide as those from gun B. What feature of gun B best explains the tighter pattern?

AA choke at the muzzle end of the barrelBA longer cartridge caseCA larger bore diameterDRifling grooves inside the barrel

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. A choke at the muzzle end of the barrel

A choke is a narrowing at the muzzle of a shotgun barrel that keeps the shot together and so gives a tighter pattern at a given range. Shotguns are smooth-bore weapons and do not have rifling. The pattern size is used with other features to estimate the range of fire.

Option by option

A. A choke at the muzzle end of the barrel (correct)
Correct. Constriction at the muzzle holds the pellets together for longer.
B. A longer cartridge case
The length of the cartridge case does not control the spread of pellets.
C. A larger bore diameter
A larger bore would not tighten the pattern; the choke narrows only the muzzle.
D. Rifling grooves inside the barrel
Rifling is a feature of rifled weapons and shotguns have a smooth bore.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, A choke at the muzzle end of the barrel. A choke is a narrowing at the muzzle of a shotgun barrel that keeps the shot together and so gives a tighter pattern at a given range.

Why is "A longer cartridge case" not the answer?

The length of the cartridge case does not control the spread of pellets.

Why is "A larger bore diameter" not the answer?

A larger bore would not tighten the pattern; the choke narrows only the muzzle.

Why is "Rifling grooves inside the barrel" not the answer?

Rifling is a feature of rifled weapons and shotguns have a smooth bore.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: choke of a shotgun in Forensic Medicine. Shotguns are smooth-bore weapons and do not have rifling. The pattern size is used with other features to estimate the range of fire.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Injuries and wounds: choke of a shotgun?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.