Flash-ball
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A flash-ball gun ("arme à léthalité atténuée", "attenuated lethality weapon") is a hand-held weapon intended mainly for use by police officers in riot situations as an alternative to lethal firearms or baton rounds (plastic bullets). It was developed by French arms manufacturer Verney-Carron and is available in two versions. The super-pro version features vertically stacked barrels and is made from metal alloys, while the compact version is made from lighter composite materials 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 7 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. [1]
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