A plastic bullet or plastic baton round (PBR)[6] 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 (notably in Northern Ireland). Plastic bullets were developed by the British security forces to replace their rubber bullets in an attempt to reduce fatalities. If misused they can still cause fatal injury.
An unrelated small-calibre handgun bullet made of plastic is sometimes used for short range target practice (see recreational use).
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The plastic bullet was developed as a replacement for rubber bullets in the United Kingdom.
The ammunition was developed by the British as the L5 Plastic Baton Round with a projectile that could be fired directly at targets while also reducing the risk of serious injury or death.[7] It was intended to replace the older rubber bullet: training doctrine was to fire these rounds below waist level, to reduce the risk of lethal injury. Rubber bullets would ricochet uncontrollably from the ground, if fired too low. The intention of the plastic bullet was to produce a projectile of similar effect on its target, with less risk of ricochet than rubber.
It was introduced in 1972 and initially was used alongside the rubber bullet, which it replaced completely in 1975. The first plastic bullet was made of PVC,[8] was 89 mm (3.5 inches) long and 38 mm (1.5 in.) in diameter, and weighed approximately 131 g (4.6 oz). The weight was similar to the rubber bullet but the new projectile had a lower muzzle velocity.
| Year | Rubber bullets | Plastic bullets |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 238 | |
| 1971 | 16,752 | |
| 1972 | 23,363 | |
| 1973 | 12,724 | 42 |
| 1974 | 2,612 | 216 |
| 1975 | 145 | 3,556 |
| 1976 | 3,464 | |
| 1977 | 1,490 | |
| 1978 | 1,734 | |
| 1979 | 1,271 | |
| 1980 | 1,231 | |
| 1981 | 29,665 | |
| Total | 55,834 | 42,669 |
| Total rubber and plastic bullets
98,503 |
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The British Government pioneered the use of plastic bullets. Used extensively in Northern Ireland, it was discovered they were lethal at certain ranges.[11]
From 1973 to 1981, over 42,000 plastic bullets were fired in Northern Ireland. Fourteen people were killed by plastic bullet impacts, including nine children. Most of the deaths were allegedly[12][13][14] caused by the British security services misusing the weapon, firing at close range and at chest or head level rather than targeting below the waist.
One of the victims, 12-year-old Carol Ann Kelly from Twinbrook in west Belfast died on 22 May, having been struck by a plastic bullet fired by a member of the Royal Fusiliers on 19 May 1981.[15][16] These concerns led to campaigners such as Emma Groves founding the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets, to call for tighter immediate controls on their use, more accountability after such shootings and even a total ban on their use in Northern Ireland.
The latest variant of the L5 PBR—the L5A7—was introduced in 1994 along with a new more accurate launcher, the HK L104 riot gun. The L5 was followed by the L21A1 in 2001. The L21 PBR is fired from a rifled weapon which gives greater accuracy when used with an optical sight.[7] The L21 was replaced by the Attenuated Energy Projectile in June 2005.[17]
In 1990, Kenyan riot police raided a room at the University of Nairobi beating students with batons. A fleeing female student was shot in the stomach with a plastic bullet.[18] Plastic bullets were used against protestors at a protest against globalization in Quebec in 2001.[19] Plastic bullets were approved for policing in England and Wales in June 2001.[20] Plastic bullets were also authorized for G8 summit protests in Gleneagles, Scotland in July 2005.[21] In September 2004, seven picketing shipbuilders were injured in a tear-gas and plastic bullet assault in Cadiz, Spain.[22] Foam-tipped plastic bullets were employed by U.S. Marines in a trial in the Iraq War but were determined to be ineffectual.[23] A plastic bullet was successfully used to disarm a hostage taker armed with a machete in Dorchester, England in November 2002.[20][24] Venezuelan police and soldiers fired plastic bullets at student protestors in Caracas in December 2010.[25] Israeli security forces used non-lethal weapons such as plastic bullets in an eviction of settlers in the West Bank settlement of Havat Gilad.[26]
A typical plastic bullet weighs around 130g. The bullets were originally intended to be effective from 33m–64m.[8]
Speer plastic bullets, the only widely available brand, are hollow based plastic cylinders, and are available in .357/.38/9 mm, .44, and .45 calibers, and are designed for use in handguns, primarily revolvers, as the flat nose of the bullet does not feed well in most magazine fed actions. The propulsion is provided only by the primer, and the slow moving plastic bullets may be captured undamaged and reused numerous times if a suitable backstop is used. For use in revolvers, .38 Special and .44 Special versions also include plastic cases, which can be primed and de-primed by hand with minimal tools. For other calibers, standard brass cases are used.[27]