PHOTOLUMINESCENCE ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED ON SAMPLES COLLECTED BY AN ADHESIVE LIFT SAMPLING METHOD FROM THE BACKS OF THE HANDS OF 67 APPARENT GUNSHOT SUICIDE VICTIMS, 41 CONTROL SUBJECTS WHO HAD DIED OF NON-GUNSHOT-RELATED CAUSES, AND 31 LIVING CONTROL SUBJECTS WHOSE OCCUPATIONS EXPOSED THEM TO HIGH LEVELS OF LED AND ANTIMONY. THRESHOLD LEVELS FOR PRESUMING THAT GUNSHOT RESIDUE IS PRESENT ON HAND SAMPLES WERE DETERMINED FROM DATA ON THE CONTROL SUBJECTS. BASED ON THRESHOLD LEVELS OF 0.85 MICROGRAM FOR LEAD AND 0.01 MICROGRAM FOR ANTIMONY, 48 PERCENT OF THE SUICIDE CASES INVOLVING HANDGUNS OTHER THAN .22 REVOLVERS YIELDED DETECTABLE AMOUNTS OF GUNSHOT RESIDUE. FOR CASES INVOLVING .22 REVOLVERS, RIFLES, AND SHOTGUNS, THE SUCCESS RATE WAS MUCH LOWER. THE FIELD TEST REVEALED THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF THE PRESENCE OF BLOOD ON DETECTION BY PHOTOLUMINESCENCE. METHODS FOR ELIMINATING THIS EFFECT ARE SUGGESTED. INFORMATION ON BACKGROUND LEVELS OF LEAD ON BOTH HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT RECENTLY FIRED A GUN IS INCLUDED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE OFFERED. SUPPORTING DATA, A LIST OF REFERENCES, AND A GLOSSARY ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)