Plastic bullet

Left and right: composite plastic/aluminium plastic baton round projectile from L21 round[1][2][3][4][5] and case of L5 round.

Plastic bullet can refer to:

  • Plastic baton round: a large, blunt, low-velocity projectile fired from a specialized gun, intended as a less-lethal weapon for riot control.[6][7]
  • Plastic bullet: a conventionally sized and shaped bullet made from a composite material including plastic, fired from a conventional rifle and capable of penetrating human tissue, intended as a less lethal weapon for riot control.[8][9]
  • Plastic bullet (target shooting): a blunt, lightweight handgun bullet intended for short-range target practice, not intended for use as a weapon.[10]

Both types of plastic bullet intended for riot control have caused deaths.[11][12]

Plastic bullets are generally used for riot control. Some plastic bullets are intended to be skip fired, hitting the ground and ricocheting into the intended target; while others were designed to be fired directly into the target.[citation needed]

Plastic baton rounds were invented by British researchers to provide a more accurate alternative to rubber bullets, and were intended to be fired directly at rioters in Northern Ireland during The Troubles.[7][13]

An unrelated blunt, low velocity, small-calibre handgun bullet made of hollow plastic is sometimes used for short-range target practice (see recreational use).

  1. ^ Nick Lewer (2002). Advanced Book Search The future of non-lethal weapons: technologies, operations, ethics and law. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-7146-8265-9.
  2. ^ "Written Answers to Questions [7 Jun 2004]". 7 June 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  3. ^ Chris Talbot (26 June 2001). "Sectarian riots in Northern Ireland". World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved 17 December 2010. who retaliated by firing rounds of a new type of plastic bullets, L21 A1,
  4. ^ "A Draft Chronology of the Conflict -2001". Retrieved 17 December 2010. During the riots the RUC fired a number of the new 'L21 A1' plastic baton rounds.
  5. ^ LAURA FRIEL (11 July 2002). "Victims and their families take action". Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  6. ^ Yearbook of the European Convention on Human Rights. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. 1989. p. 133. ISBN 0-7923-0207-9.
  7. ^ a b Rosenhead, Jonathan (16 December 1976). "A new look at 'less lethal' weapons". New Scientist. Vol. 72, no. 1031. Reed Business Information. ISSN 0262-4079. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023. Thirteen year old Brian Stewart died in October from a fractured skull after being hit by a plastic bullet fired by the Army.
  8. ^ Yellin, Alon; Golan, Michael; Klein, Ehud; Avigad, Hamar; Rosenman, Judith; Lieberman, Yair (February 1992). "Penetrating thoracic wounds caused by plastic bullets" (pdf). Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 103 (2): 381–385. doi:10.1016/S0022-5223(19)35042-1. PMID 1736005. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023. The plastic bullet (Fig. I) is a 5.62 mm missile, 1.5 cm long, weighing 0.85 gm, and composed of metal particles sustained in a plastic (polyvinylchloride) substance. The bullet is shot by conventional military weapons, usually the M-16 rifle.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Plastic Bullet DH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference speerbullets was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference cainbullets was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Israel Defends Plastic Bullets in Face of Growing Criticism". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 30 September 1988. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023. eight Palestinians have been killed by plastic bullets in the month since they were first employed
  13. ^ Mr Hugh Jenkins, MP for Wandsworth Putney (30 December 1976). "Bullets". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 921. UK: House of Commons. col. 78W–79W. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. The rubber baton round was withdrawn from Northern Ireland towards the end of 1975 by which time it had been replaced by the plastic (PVC) round which is inherently more accurate, particularly at longer ranges.