Reply #110: Actually

[JoeyT]

A bullet striking the front of the head would throw the head forward. One striking the back of the head throws it backwards. I realize it doesn't seem like that's how it should work, but that is how it works. A rifle round doesn't transfer a lot of the energy to the skull when it hits, but it does create a "jet effect" at the exit wound. I'm sure you can imagine what I'm talking about, cause I'm trying not to be too graphic.

What Oswald was firing was a manual bolt action rifle. As far as I know, those don't actually leave residue on your hands because the spent shell isn't actually ejected when the round is fired while the gas still has pressure behind it. You manually pull the bolt up/back/forward/down to reload the next round.