Paramilitary Weapons
Disclaimer
This material has been made available for research and reference purposes only. Readers are strongly advised against obtaining or manufacturing any of the weapons referred to herein, as the majority are unlawful to possess. It is not our intent that anyone break the law or wrongfully harm others. Be aware that the majority of the weapons referred to are currently available from numerous sources, and may very well be encountered in the hands of criminals. We feel that it is important to know what one might be facing when confronted by criminals on the street.
Paramilitary Weapons
Military-style weapons are popular amongst members of extremist militant groups (usually with a well-defined, though unrealistic, political, religious, or racial agenda). Such groups are often monitored by the FBI for suspicion of advocating terrorist acts.
These weapons are also highly prized by “armchair commandos” who falsely claim prior attachment to elite military units and require physical “proof” (often in the form of mail order insignia, medals, and berets) to add credibility to their lies.
These weapons are seldom carried on the street, unless the criminal intends to put them to use in the immediate future, however, they are often encountered in residences and clubhouses. Battle, assault, sniper, and anti-material rifles have not been included, nor have the various “heavy weapons.”
TRENCH KNIVES
Trench knives were popular during WWI, and reproductions (of varying quality and style) are available at gun shows as well as through numerous mail-order sources.
Typically, they combine a knucklebow or set of brass knuckles with a large fixed blade (usually either dagger or bowie style). Often, the knuckle protection is equipped with lugs or spikes to maximize the potential damage from a punch. The pommel is usually set with some sort of projection to augment crushing strikes to the skull.
The knuckle protection inhibits one’s ability to shift one’s grip upon the knife, which can be a liability in combat. They are best suited for unskilled fighters who want to be able to inflict injuries simply by flailing away blindly. Due to the fact that metal knuckles are incorporated into the design, they are illegal to possess nearly everywhere (although they are often found stuck in a table or hanging on a wall).
BAYONETS
Bayonets were originally intended to be affixed to the end of a rifle barrel, but are often used for hand-to-hand combat as well as for utilitarian purposes. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, with versions from WWI resembling short swords, and modern ones being more similar to the USMC Ka-Bar combat knife. “Spike” bayonets (which are attached to a hinge under the barrel or inserted directly into the muzzle) will not be discussed here.
Bayonets usually have a single edge (which is often difficult to sharpen) and tend to be extremely durable. Many have undersized grips or mounting hardware which makes them uncomfortable to hold in one’s hand. Being heavy, awkward, and (usually) dull, they tend to make lousy weapons. One would probably be better served by a quality butcher knife.
PILUM BALLISTIC KNIFE
The pilum ballistic knife (also known as a “springblade,” “Florida knife,” or “flying Dutchman”) was originally designed as a spring propelled bayonet intended for limited issue to SPETsNAZ (Soviet special forces) personnel. After a few examples were brought home as war trophies, the “Florida Knife Company” manufactured thousands of reproductions, which were primarily sold mail-order through publications like Solder of Fortune. Shortly thereafter, congress banned it, but a “ballistic mace” and “ballistic grappling hook” are still available. The “ballistic knife” can still be legally purchased, provided the coil spring is not included.
This weapon looks like a short metal baton, which is pulled apart to reveal a small dirk blade. It can be used normally, or a small lever on the hilt can be pressed, firing the blade into a target up to twenty feet away with passable accuracy. The blade is fired via a powerful compressed coil spring, propelling it much harder than a man can throw a knife. A stabilizer tube makes it fly straight and true. It will sink up to the hilt in meat, and will stick in bone. It has no safety, which is not good, as the spring is very strong. The baton-like sheath is the only safety mechanism, preventing it from piercing one’s leg in the event of an accidental discharge. The pilum is illegal in all 50 states.
GRENADES
Hand grenades (as opposed to rifle grenades or grenade cartridges) are small bombs meant to be tossed at one’s enemy. There are many forms of grenade, but the ones we’ll discuss here are: fragmentation, gas, stun, and smoke.
Military fragmentation grenades tend to be heavy, bulky, and difficult to conceal, but they are a favorite weapon of terrorists. A modern fragmentation grenade is powerful enough to flip a small car over, whereas older versions were significantly weaker. Grenades are most effective versus standing targets within an enclosed area. Against prone targets outdoors, they are mostly ineffective. Modern grenades can reasonably be expected to kill everything within a 10 foot radius and injure anyone within 30 feet. The old “pineapple” grenades, as well as most homemade pipe bombs, are far less effective, usually blowing into about a dozen large fragments traveling at about 800 feet per second as opposed to hundreds of steel slivers traveling at well over 10,000 feet per second.
The Dutch “V-40″ was a golf ball sized “mini-grenade” issued in bulk to SOG units during the Vietnam war, but they are seldom seen anymore. While they could potentially kill one’s enemy, they were more typically used to deter pursuit. They could not inflict the same number of casualties as a larger grenade, but you could throw them much further and could store half a dozen in a single pocket. A pipe bomb similar to the mini-grenade could be made from a 1″ X 1″ piece of galvanized steel pipe with two end caps, filled with smokeless powder and fitted with a short length of time fuse (but that would be a felony at both the state and federal level). An inferior version of this device is constructed of a spent CO2 cartridge filled with match head shavings (and plugged with a piece of firecracker fuse taped into place), and is often found in the hands of teenaged hooligans.
Gas grenades are usually either in canister or ball form. They can be either bursting or aerosol fogger type. Typically, they are tear gas (CN, CS, or OC), but other gases exist as well. Nausea gas and mild nerve gases (resulting in temporary disorientation, hallucinations, or paralysis) have been loaded into canister grenades for riot control purposes, but have never been used domestically (officially). The Soviets have been known to make occasional use of poison gas grenades. Cyanide gas grenades can easily be improvised in the home of a terrorist, provided he has the chemicals and instructions. Insecticide foggers have a similar effect to dilute war gases (blistering, convulsions, internal hemorrhaging, etc.), and often share common ingredients. The small fuse-lit gas grenades used for killing woodchucks generate too small a volume of gas to be effective against humans unless ignited en masse within an enclosed area.
Stun grenades fall into two categories: stunball and flash-bang. Stunball grenades are used for crowd control as well as quelling prison riots. They are basically a non-lethal fragmentation grenade using plastic or rubber balls for shrapnel. They leave stinging welts and are unpleasant to be around. Flash- bang grenades are used to disorient barricaded criminals immediately prior to what is known as “explosive entry.” They explode in a blinding flash (or series of explosions and flashes) and are favored by police SWAT teams and military counter-terrorist units. While intended exclusively for law-enforcement use, either type could end up on the black market.
Smoke grenades are used for screening, signaling, and fire simulations. They are available as either military canister grenades or “novelty” fuze-lit grenades. They vary greatly in the amount of smoke generated. Smoke can be colored, white, grey, or black; it can also be wispy or thick. Some smoke grenades can generate well over 100,00 cubic feet of thick grey smoke that will not disperse for hours in the absence of wind. Many smoke grenades generate enough heat to ignite combustible materials. A small plastic container (like a film canister) filled with flash powder and lit with a fuze will explode with a huge cloud of smoke. “Ninja smoke balls” are chemical pellets (usually homemade) that explode into a small cloud of smoke upon impact with a hard surface. Smoke grenades can be used for evading pursuit or camouflaging movement.
Multipart Page: 1 2
