Do flexible baton rounds work in t3h str33t?

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 10:24am

How effective are flexible baton rounds fired from a shotgun? When I was reading about them on the internet they sounded all effective and cool. That they could be deadly if fired from within a certain distance. That operators were often trained to fire them at limbs instead of center mass because that reduced the risk of accidental fatalities. That the rounds themselves hit so hard and disrupted physiology such that they would cause gigantic muscle spasms in the person being hit by them; in the video game SWAT 4 they actually have a "giant spasm" animation that suspects and hostages enter after you peg them with a flexible baton round.

However, when I see footage on YouTube, it looks like they don't do anything at all, and it looks like they're easy to shrug off, and I don't see any gigantic muscle spasms.

YouTube - Chuck gets shot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVvrca_P7FI

**IMightBeWrong** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 12:51pm

Against somebody unarmed at the right distance, it may be useful for a LEO. For personal defense in a ****-to-fan situation, I'd rather have a .40 or .45 and a CCW.

**elipson** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 2:24pm

The second video didn't make much sense. Looks like they were tazering him. And that they suck at teh grapple.

In the first one buddy was wearing a firemans rubber jacket, and we didn't get to see what kind of round was being fired, or from how far away.

Both videos are inconclusive to this discussion.

**elipson** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 2:31pm

YouTube - LAPD(Foothill) Beanbag Takedown

**Colby** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 4:35pm

My step dad knocked a perp out with a sap once. This was way back when LEOs could carry those. I used to carry an asp occasionally, and those are pretty nice to have...

**IMightBeWrong** · Posted On: 1/24/2009 4:44pm

Originally Posted by Colby

My step dad knocked a perp out with a sap once. This was way back when LEOs could carry those. I used to carry an asp occasionally, and those are pretty nice to have...

I love my ASP.