r/interesting • u/IKIR115 • May 29 '26

Intriguing Arrows vs riot shields

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u/stryker511 May 29 '26

The blunt one surprised me I thought it would have bounced off - went through completely.

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u/SidewinderSerpent May 29 '26

That arrow wasn't blunt, it was concave. The shape allowed the edges of the tip to punch a hole through the shield.

31

u/lemmin9 May 29 '26

So the result is a blunt object filled with armor debris and slowed down by the initial impact on the shield impacting on the body. It goes "boink"?

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u/Zeekr0n May 29 '26

It goes "boink" and the person holding the shield shits themselves because I can guarantee they were not expecting an arrow to go through the shield.

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u/Akimotoh May 29 '26

Are riot shields typically made of cheap metal like that? i dont think so

24

u/idiotcommend May 29 '26

Riot shields are designed to stop bat's, bottles, rocks and human bodies not legitimate projectiles.

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u/ABHOR_pod May 29 '26

The way to stop legitimate projectiles is for the police to start shooting first. Which is what will happen very quickly if people start shooting arrows at them. That's true basically anywhere in the world, not just in police states like China or the US.

2

u/Wooden_Rabbit_ May 29 '26

Right? This post is so funny to me. Like yeah, there’s ways to get through a riot shield, that’s not exactly the point. We have plenty of modern examples to look to of what happens when the protestors start actually killing the police/military.

1

u/Vaporlocke May 30 '26

Depends on if you run out of police or protesters first. If things keep going the way they have been there are going to be a lot more protesters than usual.

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u/Fel_Eclipse May 30 '26

This, it probably isn't a ballistic rated shield.

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u/Lazy_Total_6742 Jun 02 '26

Are bats different where you live? Here they’re small, light and furry. They’re quite fast, but don’t usually attack riot police.

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u/idiotcommend Jun 02 '26

Think sports.

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u/Lazy_Total_6742 Jun 02 '26

Racing bats?

1

u/idiotcommend Jun 02 '26

Nah, football bats.

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u/PassiveMenis88M May 29 '26

They're normally made of of cheap plastic. These "cheap" metal ones are used when shits actually hitting the fan. And the ones penetrating are heads using very old designs made to defeat armored knights.

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u/ZealousidealChair900 May 30 '26

It's amusing how heads designed for armor/shields can defeat armor/shields. Perhaps older shield designs could be effectively used to block current 'less lethal' projectiles. Probably some lethal ones as well, let's be fair

9

u/BobaFapp69 May 29 '26

Most are made of 3-5,5mm polycarbonate. They are for stopping thrown objects like rocks and bottles, nothing else.

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u/CpnStumpy May 29 '26

Honestly though: polycarbonate would deflect these arrows far better. This whole test is silly because the typical riot shield's flexibile material makes it not weaken on slight deformation like metal does so puncturing metal is far easier than puncturing polycarbonate

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u/Zwischenzug32 May 29 '26

Yes. Something that size gets heavy when you make it thick

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u/kronicpimpin May 29 '26

Yea that shield looks a little flimsy