Baton round

Common types of baton round have included the:

• Bean bag round, a less-lethal projectile fired from a normal 12-gauge shotgun
• Plastic baton round or plastic bullet, a less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun
• Rubber baton round, commonly called the rubber bullet, a rubber-coated projectile with a metal or ceramic core.
• Wooden baton round (which are meant to be skipped off the ground into the targeted area), also called a wooden bullet (a bullet is a direct impact round).
• Foam baton round, also called a sponge grenade

Such munitions are meant to cause pain and incapacitation but not penetrate flesh. However, baton rounds can cause death and serious injuries such as damage to internal organs, permanent disabilities including blindness, especially when fired from close range at the head, neck, chest, or abdomen.

History

The use of baton rounds dates back to the 1880s, when Singapore police fired sections of broom handle at demonstrators in Singapore. The Hong Kong police subsequently developed wooden baton rounds, but they were likely to splinter and cause wounds.

Baton rounds, in the form of the Rubber bullet round were used extensively by the British Army against rioters in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, from 1970.

"Rubber bullets", with their pointed tips, tended to bounce uncontrollably, and were replaced by shorter, denser, plastic baton rounds like the L5A4: solid PVC cylinders 10 cm long, 38 mm in diameter, and weighing 135g. They were invented by Porton Down scientists and intended for use against rioters in Northern Ireland, first used there in 1973.