Editing Plastic bullet (section)

{{short description|Less-lethal projectile}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
[[File:37mm plastic baton round.jpg|thumb|300px|Left and right: composite plastic/aluminium plastic baton round projectile from L21 round<ref name="L21">{{cite book|title=Advanced Book Search The future of non-lethal weapons: technologies, operations, ethics and law|year=2002|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=0-7146-8265-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jierjBPfZKMC&pg=PA8|author=Nick Lewer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Written Answers to Questions [7 Jun 2004]|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040607/text/40607w02.htm|access-date=22 December 2010|date=7 June 2004}}</ref><ref name="Secretarian riots 2001">{{cite web|title=Sectarian riots in Northern Ireland|url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jun2001/ire-j26.shtml|publisher=World Socialist Web Site|access-date=17 December 2010|author=Chris Talbot|date=26 June 2001|quote=who retaliated by firing rounds of a new type of plastic bullets, L21 A1,}}</ref><ref name="2001 CAIN">{{cite web|title=A Draft Chronology of the Conflict -2001|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch01.htm|access-date=17 December 2010|quote=During the riots the RUC fired a number of the new 'L21 A1' plastic baton rounds.}}</ref><ref name="rep. news">{{cite web|title=Victims and their families take action |url=http://republican-news.org/archive/2002/July11/11vict.html|access-date=22 December 2010|author=LAURA FRIEL|date=11 July 2002}}</ref> and case of L5 round.]]

'''Plastic bullet''' can refer to:

* Plastic [[baton round]]: a large, blunt, low-velocity projectile fired from a specialized gun, intended as a [[less-lethal weapon]] for [[riot control]].<ref name="Convention">{{cite book|title=Yearbook of the European Convention on Human Rights |year=1989 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn=0-7923-0207-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N99u5dk7uAoC&pg=PA133|page=133}}</ref><ref name=ns-rosenhead />
* Plastic [[bullet]]: a conventionally sized and shaped bullet made from a composite material including plastic, fired from a conventional rifle and capable of penetrating human tissue, intended as a less lethal weapon for riot control.<ref name=yellin-pbwounds>{{cite journal
| last1      = Yellin
| first1     = Alon
| last2      = Golan
| first2     = Michael
| last3      = Klein
| first3     = Ehud
| last4      = Avigad
| first4     = Hamar
| last5      = Rosenman
| first5     = Judith
| last6      = Lieberman
| first6     = Yair
| date       = February 1992
| title      = Penetrating thoracic wounds caused by plastic bullets
| url        = https://www.jtcvs.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0022-5223%2819%2935042-1
| url-status = live
| format     = pdf
| journal    = Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
| volume     = 103
| issue      = 2
| pages      = 381–385
| doi        = 10.1016/S0022-5223(19)35042-1
| pmid = 1736005
| access-date = 2023-03-15
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230315104520/https://www.jtcvs.org/article/S0022-5223%2819%2935042-1/pdf
| archive-date = 2023-03-15
| quote      = The plastic bullet (Fig. I) is a 5.62 mm missile, 1.5 cm long, weighing 0.85 gm, and composed of metal particles sustained in a plastic (polyvinylchloride) substance. The bullet is shot by conventional military weapons, usually the M-16 rifle.
| doi-access= free
}}</ref><ref name="Plastic Bullet DH" />

* Plastic bullet (target shooting): a blunt, lightweight [[handgun cartridge|handgun bullet]] intended for short-range target practice, not intended for use as a weapon.<ref name=speerbullets />

Both types of plastic bullet intended for riot control have caused deaths.<ref name=cainbullets /><ref name=jta-pv1988>{{cite web
| url          = https://www.jta.org/archive/israel-defends-plastic-bullets-in-face-of-growing-criticism
| title        = Israel Defends Plastic Bullets in Face of Growing Criticism
| last         = 
| first        = 
| date         = 1988-09-30
| website      = Jewish Telegraphic Agency
| publisher    = 
| access-date  = 2023-03-15
| quote        = eight Palestinians have been killed by plastic bullets in the month since they were first employed
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230315135931/https://www.jta.org/archive/israel-defends-plastic-bullets-in-face-of-growing-criticism
| archive-date = 2023-03-15
| url-status = live}}</ref>

Plastic bullets are generally used for [[riot control]]. Some plastic bullets are intended to be aimed at the ground so as to ricochet into the target; others are intended to be fired directly at a person.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Plastic baton rounds were invented by British researchers to provide a more accurate alternative to [[rubber bullet]]s, and were intended to be fired directly at rioters in [[Northern Ireland]] during [[The Troubles]].<ref name=ns-rosenhead>{{cite news
| last         = Rosenhead
| first        = Jonathan
| date         = 1976-12-16
| title        = A new look at 'less lethal' weapons
| url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=WIbyn2jxGhoC&q=%22Plastic+bullet%22&pg=PA674
| url-status   = live
| work         = New Scientist
| location     = 
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230314075541/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WIbyn2jxGhoC&q=%22Plastic+bullet%22&pg=PA674#v=snippet&q=%22Plastic%20bullet%22&f=false
| archive-date = 2023-03-14
| access-date  = 2023-03-14
| quote        = Thirteen year old Brian Stewart died in October from a fractured skull after being hit by a plastic bullet fired by the Army.
| issn = 0262-4079
| volume = 72
| issue = 1031
| publisher = Reed Business Information
}}</ref><ref name=jenkins-bullets>{{cite Hansard
 |jurisdiction=UK
 |title=Bullets
 |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1976/nov/30/bullets#S5CV0921P0_19761130_CWA_55
 |house=House of Commons
 |date=1976-12-30
 |column_start=78W
 |column_end=79W
 |volume=921
 |speaker=Mr Hugh Jenkins
 |position=MP for Wandsworth Putney
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230314090432/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1976/nov/30/bullets
 |archive-date = 2023-03-14
 |quote = The rubber baton round was withdrawn from Northern Ireland towards the end of 1975 by which time it had been replaced by the plastic (PVC) round which is inherently more accurate, particularly at longer ranges. 
}}</ref>

An unrelated blunt, low velocity, small-calibre handgun bullet made of hollow plastic is sometimes used for short-range target practice (see [[#Recreational use|recreational use]]).