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Flash-Ball
Flashball - French Police 01
A Flash-ball being fired by a French policeman
Type Less-Lethal Launcher
Place of origin Flag of France France
Service history
Used by French Police
Production history
Manufacturer Verney-Carron
Variants Side-By-Side
Over-Under
Specifications
Cartridge 44x83mm
Caliber 44mm
Barrels 2
Action Striker Fired
Rate of fire Double-Action
Sights Iron

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 firearms, baton rounds, and plastic bullets. 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 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 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.[1]

Serious eye injuries[2][3] and one death due to cardiac arrest[4] have been attributed to the use of "Flash-Ball".

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All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Flash-ball and the edit history here.
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