Baton rounds, also known as kinetic impact projectiles (KIPs), are a
less lethal
Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than conventional ...
alternative to traditional bullets. Baton rounds are designed to impact rather than to penetrate and are typically used for
riot control
Riot control measures are used by law enforcement, military, paramilitary or security forces to control, disperse, and arrest people who are involved in a riot, unlawful demonstration or unlawful protest.
If a riot is spontaneous and irration ...
.
Common types of baton round have included the:
*
Bean bag round
A bean bag round, also known by its trademarked name flexible baton round, is a type of baton round, fired from a shotgun, and used for less lethal apprehension of suspects.
Description
The bean bag round consists of a small fabric "pillow" fi ...
, a less-lethal projectile fired from a normal 12-gauge shotgun
* Plastic baton round or
plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round (PBR) is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon, they have caused a number of deaths when used incorrectly.
Plastic bullets are generally used for ...
, a less-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun
* Rubber baton round, commonly called the
rubber bullet
Rubber bullets (also called rubber baton rounds) are a type of baton round. Despite the name, rubber bullets typically have either a metal core with a rubber coating, or are a homogeneous admixture with rubber being a minority component. Altho ...
, 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
Wooden bullets are wooden projectiles designed to be fired from a gun. They are intended to be used as less lethal weapons for crowd control by enforcing pain compliance at a distance. They have been known to raise large welts or bruises on thei ...
(a bullet is a direct impact round).
* Foam baton round, also called a
sponge grenade
A sponge grenade is a riot control weapon, intended to be non-lethal, which is fired from a 40 mm grenade launcher to cause confusion, or otherwise temporarily disable its target. As a single blunt force object, it is best used when aimed at ...
Such munitions are meant to cause pain and incapacitation but not penetrate flesh.
However, baton rounds can cause serious injuries such as damage to internal organs, permanent disabilities including
blindness
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition