Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
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Zap! Here's a stunning solution to crime
August 03 2004 at 11:54AM
By Alan Duggan
Blam! A single shot rings out and the knife-wielding attacker stops in his tracks, clutching at his chest. Seconds later, he’s sprawled on the ground, body twitching uncontrollably.
A policeman strolls over and handcuffs him. “He’ll live,†he announces. In fact, the criminal isn’t hurt at all.
He’s just been zapped by a ShockRound, the latest addition to a growing armoury of “non-lethal†weapons being developed for the law enforcement industry, the military, and border control and anti-terrorism initiatives.
ShockRounds rubber bullets can incapacitate a target at 100 metres
ShockRounds are specialised bullets - fully compatible with standard ammunition calibres - that discharge an electrical shock upon impact and disrupt the nervous system. They incapacitate a living target in an instant - reportedly without risk of injury or death.
US-based MDM Group say their product will make law enforcement safer and more certain, save lives and reduce injuries, ensure less “collateral damageâ€, enhance security in aircraft and public places, and reduce legal liability. Oh, and it also promises to revolutionise the munitions industry.
Unlike stun guns and similar weapons, they say, ShockRounds rubber bullets can incapacitate a target at 100 metres, “whereas traditional rubber bullets are largely ineffective at their maximum range of about 40 metresâ€. Unlike the Taser, their bullets aren’t restricted to close range use, and don’t require a direct wire link to the target.
MDM Group estimate the worldwide market for metal bullets at over R30-billion, and the rubber bullet category at a more modest (but rapidly growing) R975-million.
ShockRounds employ the “piezoelectric effect†to generate a high-voltage charge from PZT ceramic crystals.
Are they about to corner this new market? It depends on whom you believe. Taser, manufacturers of the celebrated stun devices, have already announced a “non-lethal†electrically charged bullet with a capacitor that discharges on impact (known as the Extended Range Electronic Projectile). Jaycor’s “Sticky Shocker†works on a similar principle. MDM reckons its product beats these opponents in terms of flexibility and capability.
Rubber bullets are an increasingly common method of incapacitation and er… “behaviour modificationâ€. They are usually effective and generally non-lethal, but much depends on the point of impact.
According to Professor Michael Krausz and colleagues at the Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa, Israel, who analysed the medical records of casualties admitted to hospital during Israeli-Arab riots in October 2000, firing the types of rubber bullets that are currently used on civilians makes it impossible to avoid severe injuries to vulnerable body regions such as the head, neck and upper torso, leading to “substantial mortality, morbidity and disabilityâ€.
His conclusion: “New types of ammunition with less force of impact than those currently in use are urgently needed.â€
The problem with current rubber bullets is that they all depend on momentum to deliver a sufficiently strong impact to disable the target. Because this decreases across distance, currently available rubber bullets are fired at a high (and rapidly decreasing) velocity. They generally have insufficient impact at long range and excessive impact at close range.
A healthy man could probably throw a 250-gram rock, Molotov cocktail or other harmful missile about 60 m. Rubber bullets, however, have a maximum effective range of only 30m. So, to use these rubber bullets, law enforcement authorities need to enter well within striking range of these rocks and other harmful missiles.
Consequently, they are often unable (or unwilling) to use rubber bullets for controlling violent crowds, and opt for more lethal solutions.
Whereas ShockRounds require a certain degree of momentum to actuate their electric charge, they do not rely primarily on high-velocity kinetics. Instead, the bullets are designed to discharge a high enough voltage to stop a criminal without doing real damage. The MDM Group claim an effective range of anything from 1 m to 130m.
Comments a spokesperson: “Because of the potential harm from threat personnel, police doctrine calls for the engagement of the threat until the target is ‘downed’ (on the ground). As was seen in a highly publicised case in New York a few years ago, an individual reaching for his wallet in a doorway - in response to police orders - was shot over 40 times before he fell to the ground dead, ending the engagement. A ShockRounds bullet would have achieved this with one shot.â€
There is a well-recognised need for a less lethal alternative that equals or increases current levels of stopping power, insists the company. Military and law enforcement are not only under the constant pressure from public relations, politics, litigation, and personal ethics to save as many lives a possible, but may also have tactical reasons for non-lethal incapacitation - for example in anti-terrorism operations, where live captives are more useful than the dead variety.
Then there’s airline security. Shock-Rounds can ensure that one shot takes the threat down. MDM says they’ve begun development of a frangible (breakable) round that would not penetrate the aircraft wall.
Could ShockRounds work in South Africa? MDM spokesman Trevor Ruehs says they would “definitely†consider selling their product here once development work is complete – probably some time next year.
The South African Police Services declined to comment, but a ballistics expert was adamant there was no such thing as an effective yet non-lethal round. “Can the round penetrate several layers of clothing to do its work? What if it hits an artery, or an eye? The infra-orbital bone behind the eye is paper-thin -– and then there’s the brain.â€
A working ShockRounds prototype will be ready by early 2005, says MDM, and a fully tested product will be available by the end of that year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s harmless. No, really
If you thought ShockRounds represented the last word in advanced “non-lethal†weapons systems, you need to know about the StunStrike CQSR (Close Quarters Shock Rifle), developed by US firm Xtreme Alternative Defence Systems.
Intent on producing a non-lethal, neuromuscular disruptor that required no direct contact between weapon and target, they’ve come up with a rifle – frankly, it looks more like a bazooka – purportedly capable of “stopping and dropping any person or group of people with no long-term harm doneâ€.
The company claims the weapon can also immobilise a car by disrupting its electronic ignition system. Apparently it works by projecting a stream of ionised gas at the target, producing a conducting channel for a powerful jolt of electricity. Test results have not been made public, so it’s not clear whether or not the StunStrike will do nasty things to people in poor health.
This article originally appeared in the August 2004 issue of the South African edition of Popular Mechanics magazine.
Zap! Here's a stunning solution to crime
August 03 2004 at 11:54AM
By Alan Duggan
Blam! A single shot rings out and the knife-wielding attacker stops in his tracks, clutching at his chest. Seconds later, he’s sprawled on the ground, body twitching uncontrollably.
A policeman strolls over and handcuffs him. “He’ll live,†he announces. In fact, the criminal isn’t hurt at all.
He’s just been zapped by a ShockRound, the latest addition to a growing armoury of “non-lethal†weapons being developed for the law enforcement industry, the military, and border control and anti-terrorism initiatives.
ShockRounds rubber bullets can incapacitate a target at 100 metres
ShockRounds are specialised bullets - fully compatible with standard ammunition calibres - that discharge an electrical shock upon impact and disrupt the nervous system. They incapacitate a living target in an instant - reportedly without risk of injury or death.
US-based MDM Group say their product will make law enforcement safer and more certain, save lives and reduce injuries, ensure less “collateral damageâ€, enhance security in aircraft and public places, and reduce legal liability. Oh, and it also promises to revolutionise the munitions industry.
Unlike stun guns and similar weapons, they say, ShockRounds rubber bullets can incapacitate a target at 100 metres, “whereas traditional rubber bullets are largely ineffective at their maximum range of about 40 metresâ€. Unlike the Taser, their bullets aren’t restricted to close range use, and don’t require a direct wire link to the target.
MDM Group estimate the worldwide market for metal bullets at over R30-billion, and the rubber bullet category at a more modest (but rapidly growing) R975-million.
ShockRounds employ the “piezoelectric effect†to generate a high-voltage charge from PZT ceramic crystals.
Are they about to corner this new market? It depends on whom you believe. Taser, manufacturers of the celebrated stun devices, have already announced a “non-lethal†electrically charged bullet with a capacitor that discharges on impact (known as the Extended Range Electronic Projectile). Jaycor’s “Sticky Shocker†works on a similar principle. MDM reckons its product beats these opponents in terms of flexibility and capability.
Rubber bullets are an increasingly common method of incapacitation and er… “behaviour modificationâ€. They are usually effective and generally non-lethal, but much depends on the point of impact.
According to Professor Michael Krausz and colleagues at the Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa, Israel, who analysed the medical records of casualties admitted to hospital during Israeli-Arab riots in October 2000, firing the types of rubber bullets that are currently used on civilians makes it impossible to avoid severe injuries to vulnerable body regions such as the head, neck and upper torso, leading to “substantial mortality, morbidity and disabilityâ€.
His conclusion: “New types of ammunition with less force of impact than those currently in use are urgently needed.â€
The problem with current rubber bullets is that they all depend on momentum to deliver a sufficiently strong impact to disable the target. Because this decreases across distance, currently available rubber bullets are fired at a high (and rapidly decreasing) velocity. They generally have insufficient impact at long range and excessive impact at close range.
A healthy man could probably throw a 250-gram rock, Molotov cocktail or other harmful missile about 60 m. Rubber bullets, however, have a maximum effective range of only 30m. So, to use these rubber bullets, law enforcement authorities need to enter well within striking range of these rocks and other harmful missiles.
Consequently, they are often unable (or unwilling) to use rubber bullets for controlling violent crowds, and opt for more lethal solutions.
Whereas ShockRounds require a certain degree of momentum to actuate their electric charge, they do not rely primarily on high-velocity kinetics. Instead, the bullets are designed to discharge a high enough voltage to stop a criminal without doing real damage. The MDM Group claim an effective range of anything from 1 m to 130m.
Comments a spokesperson: “Because of the potential harm from threat personnel, police doctrine calls for the engagement of the threat until the target is ‘downed’ (on the ground). As was seen in a highly publicised case in New York a few years ago, an individual reaching for his wallet in a doorway - in response to police orders - was shot over 40 times before he fell to the ground dead, ending the engagement. A ShockRounds bullet would have achieved this with one shot.â€
There is a well-recognised need for a less lethal alternative that equals or increases current levels of stopping power, insists the company. Military and law enforcement are not only under the constant pressure from public relations, politics, litigation, and personal ethics to save as many lives a possible, but may also have tactical reasons for non-lethal incapacitation - for example in anti-terrorism operations, where live captives are more useful than the dead variety.
Then there’s airline security. Shock-Rounds can ensure that one shot takes the threat down. MDM says they’ve begun development of a frangible (breakable) round that would not penetrate the aircraft wall.
Could ShockRounds work in South Africa? MDM spokesman Trevor Ruehs says they would “definitely†consider selling their product here once development work is complete – probably some time next year.
The South African Police Services declined to comment, but a ballistics expert was adamant there was no such thing as an effective yet non-lethal round. “Can the round penetrate several layers of clothing to do its work? What if it hits an artery, or an eye? The infra-orbital bone behind the eye is paper-thin -– and then there’s the brain.â€
A working ShockRounds prototype will be ready by early 2005, says MDM, and a fully tested product will be available by the end of that year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s harmless. No, really
If you thought ShockRounds represented the last word in advanced “non-lethal†weapons systems, you need to know about the StunStrike CQSR (Close Quarters Shock Rifle), developed by US firm Xtreme Alternative Defence Systems.
Intent on producing a non-lethal, neuromuscular disruptor that required no direct contact between weapon and target, they’ve come up with a rifle – frankly, it looks more like a bazooka – purportedly capable of “stopping and dropping any person or group of people with no long-term harm doneâ€.
The company claims the weapon can also immobilise a car by disrupting its electronic ignition system. Apparently it works by projecting a stream of ionised gas at the target, producing a conducting channel for a powerful jolt of electricity. Test results have not been made public, so it’s not clear whether or not the StunStrike will do nasty things to people in poor health.
This article originally appeared in the August 2004 issue of the South African edition of Popular Mechanics magazine.
