Is a gunshot suicide (if done correctly) really painless?

[Helplessturtle79]

I've got a rifle that uses 5.56. Definitely no peashooter. I know that if I used it, it would almost certainly be lethal, unless I flinched or did it at a weird angle. Statistically, gunshot suicides are by far the most effective, lethal method. The problem is mostly that I'm just nervous about the pain. Obviously there's no way to know for sure, since all the people that killed themselves this way are dead, but I was wondering if there's anyone here who'd know the science part of it.

 

[jodes2]

As long as it's to the head with something other than a peashooter, no way on god's green earth will you feel pain if you hit the brain remotely centrally or to the brain stem. It just goes "enough, I'm passing out before this guy feels pain" and you're dead very shortly after

 

[U. A.]

Fun fact: pain is created in the brain, but the brain itself doesn't have nociceptors (things that send signals to the brain to tell it to create a pain response). In a way it could be the least painful part of your body to target; the trick is that there's lots of other stuff in your head that sure can experience pain. Something that draws me to firearm (though hindered by my location) is the sheer instantaneity; if you do it right, you're gone. If you're slightly off, you're still gone very quickly. Of course, like with all things in life, it's not 100% but if you're unable to receive emergency care, you won't be around long with the organ that controls everything in your body bleeding and exposed to the elements.

Eugh, that was kinda gruesome to write. But yeah, if you haven't already, the first few pages of the firearm megathread have a lot of useful info.

 

[freelifexit]

In this case woman died only after 14 hours after self shooting. I'm not sure if shooting in head is peaceful or not.

 

[Snatsbats]

In this case woman died only after 14 hours after self shooting. I'm not sure if shooting in head is peaceful or not.

Oh god, there he is again. Always trying to come up with the worst case scenarios. I bet you have many friend dont you?

 

[freelifexit]

Oh god, there he is again. Always trying to come up with the worst case scenarios. I bet you have many friend dont you?

It's important to know about worst case scenarios and possible risks. Care about your friends, not mine.

 

[Himalayan]

In this case woman died only after 14 hours after self shooting. I'm not sure if shooting in head is peaceful or not.

That's the hour she was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital, it doesn't mean she was conscious and suffering. Extrapolating that from a Wikipedia article is a big mistake.

 

[freedomcalls]

In this case woman died only after 14 hours after self shooting. I'm not sure if shooting in head is peaceful or not.

Her death was pronounced 14 hours later…. Presumably because she did it in such a way as to have received immediate intervention and then attempted medical intervention. I'd imagine they were trying many life saving measures and like to believe that she would have already been brain dead at that point.

I don't think it's in any way comparable to a similar gunshot wound which occurs in isolation with no immediate intervention

 

[Amccorm2]

The only things are to ensure you get the right angle and a 5.56 round at point blank range will almost certainly over penetrate. Make sure you have something solid behind.

 

[A485]

Pain signals travel through your nerves at roughly 0.68 meters per second. A 5.56 round exiting a standard length barrel is going roughly 1000 meters per second. Your brain would no longer be there by the time any signals made their way up the nerves in your face. Brain tissue has no nerve endings itself so there would be no pain.

 

[rejected]

In this case woman died only after 14 hours after self shooting. I'm not sure if shooting in head is peaceful or not.

Rolls eyes aggressively

 

[Rahmose7]

I'm curious, what if the gunshot was to the heart? Wouldn't that be a sure fire way to end it all?

 

[Helplessturtle79]

I'm curious, what if the gunshot was to the heart? Wouldn't that be a sure fire way to end it all?

Statistically you've got a bit less of a chance. There's chances of your thoracic cage deflecting a bullet, and if you get it wrong then you could hit your lung instead of your heart, which would be a slow and painful death.

 

[Wunderkind]

Why is no one considering secure fixation weapons? It will be possible to pull the trigger in different ways, depending on the need, even pulling on the rope. Too bad I don't have access to weapons.

 

[Ernest1964]

Taking a shot directly into the mouth pointing at the back of the head would most likely hit the brain stem, once the brain stem is impacted there is no brain activity, thus no pain... it's logical. Don't shoot up through your chin or across at a point just in front of your ear, straight through the mouth to the brain stem.

 

[Zegers]

If done correctly, yes.

into the mouth pointing at the back of the head

Id prefer in the head, right between the eyes or slightly up. I also wonder which is the best calibre, 22, 9

 

[HermitLonerGuy]

i was thinking if i had the money id buy two guns and shoot myself on both sides of the head at the same time or id stand right at the edge of a high building and shoot myself .
no money though but those are some things i thought of.

 

[Ernest1964]

If done correctly, yes.

Id prefer in the head, right between the eyes or slightly up. I also wonder which is the best calibre, 22, 9

If you go for between the eyes, you may end up missing the brain stem and end up failing the attempt and having brain damage instead. Then your life will be even worse than before.