This prospective study includes 146 patients with gunshot wounds of the abdomen. One hundred and five patients (72 per cent) had an acute abdomen on admission and were operated on immediately. The remaining 41 patients (28 per cent) had minimal or equivocal abdominal signs and were observed with serial clinical examinations. Seven of the observed patients needed subsequent laparotomy, but there was no mortality or serious morbidity. Had a policy of mandatory exploration for abdominal gunshot wound been applied the incidence of unnecessary or negative laparotomies would have been 27 per cent. By using a policy of selective conservatism this figure was only 5 per cent. We suggest that abdominal gunshot wounds should be assessed and managed exactly like knife wounds. Physical examination is reliable in detecting significant intra-abdominal injuries. Many carefully selected patients with abdominal gunshot wounds can safely be managed non-operatively.