On average 200 gunshot wounds are treated in Finland annually. Half of them are caused by firearm accidents, whereas the great majority of fatal wounds are self-inflicted. Physicians treating trauma patients should be familiar with the basics of ballistics. In practice, however, a distinction between gunshot wounds caused by handguns and those caused by rifles or shotguns is generally sufficient. Generally accepted guidelines for treating trauma patients are followed, and imaging is used for nearly all patients. Removal of bullets is generally not necessary. Most patients require operative treatment, but in certain cases a non-operative approach may be considered. In severe gunshot wounds rapidly administered antibiotics and a sufficiently radical debridement remain the mainstays of treatment.