Flash-ball

Flash-Ball
Flash-Ball
	A flash-ball being fired by a French policeman
Type	Less-lethal launcher
Place of origin	France
Production history
Manufacturer	Verney-Carron
Variants	Side-by-side, over-under
Specifications
Cartridge	44×83mm
Caliber	44mm
Barrels	2
Action	Striker fired
Rate of fire	Double-action
Sights	Iron

Flash-Ball is a registered trademark for a less-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.

Characteristics[]

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 square centimeter, 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]

Safety concerns[]

Numerous eye losses, comas, and brain traumas as well as major bone breakages^[2]^[3] and one death due to cardiac arrest have been attributed to the use of "Flash-Ball".^[4]

France: Police
Macau: Grupo de Operações Especiais (Special Operations Group) of Macau Police
Portugal: Public Security Police