A total of 59 penetrating contact shot wounds to the head caused by handguns was investigated and a comparison was made between the magnitude and the number of fracture lines at the entrance and exist site of the vault and at the base of the skull. It was noted that in approximately 50% of the cases the extent of fractures at the entrance site exceeded those at the exit wound while in the remaining individuals no relevant differences or even greater exit fractures were found. Furthermore, no close correlation between the fracture patterns of the vault and at the base of the skull occurred indicating that differences in the magnitude and the number of entrance or exit fracture lines cannot provide reliable information on direction of fire. Additionally, no further conclusions on the gun used can be drawn from differences in the entrance and exit fracture patterns. It can only be assumed that the absence of fractures in the cranial fossae points to the use of small calibre handguns (< or = 7.65 mm) while a fragmentation of the skull can as a rule be expected after shots from guns with larger calibres (> 7.65 mm).