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Rubber bullet

 
Rubber Bullet

 
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Rubber bullet
 
 
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Rubber bullets are rubber
Rubber

Natural rubber is an elastomer?an Elasticity_ hydrocarbon polymer?that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex , found in the sap of some plants....
 or rubber-coated projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
s that can be fired from firearm
Firearm

A firearm is a tool that projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined combustion of a propellant....
s. They are usually non-lethal, unless fired at short range, but are often heavy enough to pierce skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
. Rubber, plastic
Plastic bullet

The plastic bullet is the name given to a type of less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun, used in riot control. There are also some plastic bullets, such as those made by the bullet maker Speer, that are designed to be used for short range target practice....
, wax, and wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
en bullet
Bullet

A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
s are often used in riot
Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence, vandalism or other crime....
 control and to disperse protest
Protest

Protest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favor, though more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake direct action to attempt to directly enact desi...
s. Rubber bullets may also be used for short range target practice.

Crowd control use
Development
The British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 use the name baton round (not to be confused with the flexible baton round
Flexible baton round

The flexible baton round is the trademarked name for a "bean bag round," a type of shotgun shotgun shell used for semi-lethal apprehension of suspects....
).






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Encyclopedia


Rubber bullets are rubber
Rubber

Natural rubber is an elastomer?an Elasticity_ hydrocarbon polymer?that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex , found in the sap of some plants....
 or rubber-coated projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
s that can be fired from firearm
Firearm

A firearm is a tool that projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined combustion of a propellant....
s. They are usually non-lethal, unless fired at short range, but are often heavy enough to pierce skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
. Rubber, plastic
Plastic bullet

The plastic bullet is the name given to a type of less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun, used in riot control. There are also some plastic bullets, such as those made by the bullet maker Speer, that are designed to be used for short range target practice....
, wax, and wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
en bullet
Bullet

A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
s are often used in riot
Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence, vandalism or other crime....
 control and to disperse protest
Protest

Protest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favor, though more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake direct action to attempt to directly enact desi...
s. Rubber bullets may also be used for short range target practice.

Crowd control use


Development


The British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 use the name baton round (not to be confused with the flexible baton round
Flexible baton round

The flexible baton round is the trademarked name for a "bean bag round," a type of shotgun shotgun shell used for semi-lethal apprehension of suspects....
). It was first used in the late 1960s, when 25mm
25mm

25mm is a measurement which generally refers to certain weapons and calibers.*25 mm caliber, a large caliber round, used in rifles, heavy machine guns....
 teak
Teak

Teak , is a genus of tropics hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation....
 cylinders were fired to control rioters
Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence, vandalism or other crime....
 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
. The round and its later developments were widely used in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. The first death to result from its use occurred in April 1972, when Francis Rowntree, an 11-year old boy, was hit in the head by a round fired at close range in Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
. The wooden round was soon replaced by a new development, which was commonly called the rubber bullet.

Use in the UK

The initial British rubber bullet was 150mm (6 inches) long, 38mm (1.5in.) in diameter, and about 145g (4oz.); it used rubberized plastic around a metal core. It was fired from a modified and lengthened Very pistol
Flare gun

A flare gun is a gun that fires Flare . They are typically used as a distress signal as well as other signaling purposes at sea and between aircraft and people on the ground....
 named the L67. The new rounds were first used in Belfast by the British Army in August, 1970. Almost 56,000 rounds of this type were fired up until 1975. The instructions for firing the round indicated that it should be fired at the ground so as to ricochet into the target. When fired directly, the round could, and did, cause serious injury. Seventeen people have died as a direct result of, or due to injuries sustained by, these rounds in Northern Ireland since 1969. A new type of projectile named the plastic bullet
Plastic bullet

The plastic bullet is the name given to a type of less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun, used in riot control. There are also some plastic bullets, such as those made by the bullet maker Speer, that are designed to be used for short range target practice....
 or plastic baton round was introduced in 1972; initially used alongside the rubber bullet, it eventually replaced it.

Recreational use

Rubber bullets, powered only by a primer
Percussion cap

The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled Muzzleloader firearms to fire reliably in any weather. Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the gun's main powder charge....
, are usually used for short-range indoor target practice or training, generally only with handguns
Handgun

A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other hand optionally supporting the shooting hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger counterparts: long guns such as rifles and shotguns , mounted weapons such as machine guns and autocannons, and l...
. They are intended only for target shooting, unlike paintballs
Paintball

Paintball is a game in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with pellets containing paint , usually shot from a carbon dioxide or compressed-gas powered paintball gun ....
, which are intended for use on live targets. Rubber bullets, if used with a suitable backstop, can be recovered undamaged after firing, and reused numerous times.

See also

  • Plastic bullet
    Plastic bullet

    The plastic bullet is the name given to a type of less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun, used in riot control. There are also some plastic bullets, such as those made by the bullet maker Speer, that are designed to be used for short range target practice....
  • Wax bullet
  • Simunition
    Simunition

    __NOEDITSECTION__Simunition is a trademark for training ammunition produced by General Dynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systems Canada Inc. of Le Gardeur, Canada....