Flash-ball
Encyclopedia
Flash-Ball is a registered trademark for a nominally non-lethal hand-held weapon used mainly by law enforcement officers in riot situations as an alternative to lethal firearm
s, baton round
s, and plastic bullet
s. It was developed by French
hunting firearms manufacturer Verney-Carron
. The weapon exists in two versions of caliber 44/83. The super-pro version features vertically stacked barrels and is made from metal alloys, while the compact version is made from lighter composite material
s with the twin barrels side by side. Both versions of the weapon can be used to fire a variety of ammunition although a soft 44 mm rubber ball is the most common.
According to the manufacturer's own publicity, the Flash-Ball's standard round packs the stopping power
of a .38 caliber handgun
but considerably less kinetic energy per sq. cm thus making it unlikely to penetrate the body of a normally clothed person even at ranges down to 5 meters. This said, various human rights
groups have expressed fears that the widespread deployment of such weapons could result in police being less likely to apply non-violent tactics when dealing with potentially dangerous situations.
Serious eye injuries and one death due to cardiac arrest have been attributed to the use of "Flash-Ball".
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s, baton round
Baton round
A baton round is a generally non-lethal projectile fired from a riot gun. There are three types:* Bean bag round* Plastic bullet* Rubber bullet...
s, and plastic bullet
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
s. It was developed by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
hunting firearms manufacturer Verney-Carron
Verney-Carron
Verney-Carron is a French weapons-manufacturing company base in Saint-Etienne which has been making firearms under that name since 1820. They produce a wide range of fine shotguns and rifles for the purpose of hunting...
. The weapon exists in two versions of caliber 44/83. The super-pro version features vertically stacked barrels and is made from metal alloys, while the compact version is made from lighter composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s with the twin barrels side by side. Both versions of the weapon can be used to fire a variety of ammunition although a soft 44 mm rubber ball is the most common.
According to the manufacturer's own publicity, the Flash-Ball's standard round packs the stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
of a .38 caliber handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
but considerably less kinetic energy per sq. cm thus making it unlikely to penetrate the body of a normally clothed person even at ranges down to 5 meters. This said, various human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
groups have expressed fears that the widespread deployment of such weapons could result in police being less likely to apply non-violent tactics when dealing with potentially dangerous situations.
Serious eye injuries and one death due to cardiac arrest have been attributed to the use of "Flash-Ball".