Editing Plastic bullet (section)

== History ==
The plastic baton round was developed in the UK by [[Porton Down#Post-war period|Porton Down]] scientists and intended for use against rioters in Northern Ireland during [[The Troubles]], first used there in 1973.<ref name=ns-rosenhead /><ref name=ns-vines /><ref name=cain-aug1970>{{cite web
| url          = http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#Aug
| title        = A Chronology of the Conflict - August 1970
| last         = Melaugh
| first        = Martin
| date         = 
| website      = CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet)
| publisher    = Ulster University
| access-date  = 2023-03-14
| quote        = The rounds were intended to be fired at the legs of rioters or the ground in front of rioters [...] Often the weapons were fired directly at people [...] These weapons were to result in a number of deaths and serious injuries.
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20221224002627/https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#Aug
| archive-date = 2022-12-24}}</ref>

The first version was the L5 Plastic Baton Round (PBR, commonly called plastic bullet).<ref name="Williams">{{Cite web
 |title       = Less-lethal Ammunition
 |url         = http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/baton.htm
 |author      = Anthony G Williams
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090903200133/http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/baton.htm
 |archive-date = 3 September 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> It was created to replace rubber baton rounds (rubber bullets), which had been used in Northern Ireland since 1970 and which were withdrawn by the end of 1975. Rubber bullets were meant to be fired at the legs of rioters or the ground in front of them. However, they were often fired directly at people from close range and sometimes at the totally innocent. The use of rubber bullets in Northern Ireland resulted in at least three people being killed and many more badly injured.<ref name=ns-rosenhead /><ref name=cain-aug1970 />

The plastic bullet could be fired directly at people and at longer ranges. It was intended to be a projectile of similar effect on its target as the rubber bullet. Officially, its advantage over the rubber bullet was claimed to be greater accuracy.<ref name=ns-rosenhead /><ref name=jenkins-bullets />

The first plastic bullet was made of PVC (some sources say polyurethane),<ref name=jenkins-bullets /><ref name=baton-rounds-omega>{{cite book
 |author=Omega Foundation
 |author-link=
 |date= March 2003
 |title=Baton Rounds 
 |quote = A review of the human rights implications of the introduction and use of the L21A1 baton round in Northern Ireland and proposed alternatives to the baton round
 |url=https://omegaresearchfoundation.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Publications/batonrounds.pdf
 |location=Temple Court, Belfast, BT1 1NA, UK
 |publisher=Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
 |page= <!-- or pages= -->
 |isbn=1-903681-33-2
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916164419/https://omegaresearchfoundation.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Publications/batonrounds.pdf
 |archive-date=2021-09-16
}}</ref><ref name=sar-batonrounds>{{cite web
| url          = https://smallarmsreview.com/british-37mm-baton-rounds/
| title        = British 37 mm baton rounds
| last         = Williams
| first        = Anthony G.
| date         = 2022-08-02
| website      = Small Arms Review
| publisher    = Chipotle Publishing
| access-date  = 2023-03-25
| quote        = The obvious difference is that the baton is flat-nosed and made from polyurethane polymer. The L5 remained in service for a long time and went through several marks, the last being the L5A7. The baton is 98mm long, weighs 131g and is fired at 63 m/s.
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230325005603/https://smallarmsreview.com/british-37mm-baton-rounds/
| archive-date = 2023-03-25
| url-status = live}}
</ref> weighed {{convert|4.75|oz|order=flip|abbr=on}}, was {{convert|1.5|in|order=flip|abbr=on}} diameter and 'rather over' {{convert|4|inch|order=flip|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} long. The new plastic bullet was a similar size to but lighter than the {{convert|5.25|oz|order=flip|abbr=on}} rubber bullet, but the considerably longer range of the plastic bullet—{{convert|36|-|72|yards|abbr=on|order=flip}} against {{convert|25|-|50|yards|abbr=on|order=flip}}—implies an appreciably higher muzzle velocity. An analysis made in 1976 concluded that the plastic bullet would prove to be more dangerous than the rubber bullet it replaced, especially if used abusively at short distances.<ref name=ns-rosenhead /><ref name=ns-vines />

In [[The Troubles|Northern Ireland]] between their first use in February 1973 and February 1983, plastic bullets killed four times as many people round for round as the rubber bullets they replaced.<ref name=ns-vines>{{cite news
| last         = Vines
| first        = Gail
| date         = 1983-02-03
| title        = New plastic bullets squirts noxious chemicals
| url          = https://books.google.com/books?id=ASbEHcRgGosC&q=rubber%20bullet&pg=PA292
| url-status   = live
| work         = New Scientist
| location     = 
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230314070513/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ASbEHcRgGosC&lpg=PA292&vq=rubber%20bullet&pg=PA292#v=onepage&q=rubber%20bullet&f=false
| archive-date = 2023-03-14
| access-date  = 2023-03-14
| quote        = Plastic bullets were invented by Porton Down scientists for use in Northern Ireland.
| issn = 0262-4079
| volume = 97
| issue = 1343
| publisher = Reed Business Information
}}</ref>

The final variant of the L5 plastic bullet—the L5A7—was introduced in 1994.{{citation needed|reason=Source?|date=March 2023}} The L5 was replaced by the L21A1 in 2001. The L21 plastic bullet was fired from a new launcher, the [[Heckler & Koch|HK]] L104A1 [[riot gun]], a rifled weapon which gives greater accuracy when used with an optical sight than the smooth bore weapons used to fire the earlier L5 rounds.<ref name="Williams" />

A 2003 study for the [[Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission]] found that the new L21 round was 'potentially more lethal' since it was inaccurate and 2.5 times more likely to penetrate body tissue than the older L5 round. One in three L21 rounds missed their target, while 10% of the L21 rounds fired caused injury compared to 1.14% of the L5 rounds.{{R|baton-rounds-omega|p=8-9}}  The [[Defence Scientific Advisory Council]] found that the L21 round hitting end on could penetrate a human skull and lodge in the brain, killing the victim; also that the L21 round posed more risk to innocent bystanders than the L5 due to its greater potential ricochet.{{R|baton-rounds-omega|p=8}}

The L21 was replaced by the L60A1 Attenuated Energy Projectile in June 2005 due to tests showing that the L21 was more dangerous than earlier rounds especially when striking the head.<ref>{{cite report
 | date        = 2006-02-28
 | title       = The work of the Committee in 2005, Second Report of Session 2005–06
 | url         = https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmniaf/928/928.pdf
 | publisher   = House of Commons: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
 | others      = HC 928
 | location    = London
 | chapter     = Appendix 1
 | page        = 10
 | access-date = 2023-03-15
 | quote       = The Attenuated Energy Projectile (AEP) became operational on 21 June 2005 and replaced the previous L21 Baton Round.
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170225022129/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmniaf/928/928.pdf
 | archive-date = 2017-02-25
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url          = https://talesfromthesupplydepot.blog/2020/01/13/l21a1-baton-round-cartridge/
| title        = L21A1 Baton Round Cartridge
| last         = Hallett
| first        = Edward
| date         = 2020-01-13
| website      = Tales from the Supply Depot; Collecting British Militaria
| publisher    = hatchfive
| access-date  = 2023-03-23
| quote        = "The L21A1 round only lasted in service for a very short time. The Defence Scientific Advisory Committee tested the round and concluded that whilst it had similar kinetic impact energies to its predecessors, it could be slightly more dangerous if it struck someone in the head."
| archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220930233225/https://talesfromthesupplydepot.blog/2020/01/13/l21a1-baton-round-cartridge/
| archive-date = 2022-09-30
| url-status = live}}
</ref>