NationStates Jolt Archive

'Enforcer' Shockmace – Protectorate of Lyras

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/2821090/Shockmace.jpg

Specifications
Overall length: 540mm
Shaft length: 185mm
Shaft diameter: 30mm
Head length: 120mm
Head diameter: 55mm
Head cross-section: Circular
Handle composition: Screw-fastened, matte-finished kraton polyamide
Guard: Short-circular anhedral
Weight: 2120g

Background
Lyran maintenance of internal law and order has, over the four centuries of the Protectorate's existence, become well known. Not a single riot or major civil disturbance has been recorded over the two hundred years that Lyras has endured. Which, almost as one would expect, made Lyran personnel tremendously ill-equipped and ill-prepared for the widescale civil disturbances that followed their annexation of western Fehnmar during the First Lyro-Fehnmari War. Combat troops, belonging to the 6401st battalion of the 19th Order, stationed in Dexter, were called in to quell looting and aggressive civil disobedience. Unused to police work, and taking casualties from rocks and molotov cocktails, the 6401st eventually resorted to firing into the crowd, resulting in the St Patrick's Day Massacre. 92 people were killed, several times that wounded. While the inquest held at the direction of the Warmarshal exonerated the Lyran personnel and their commanders of wrongdoing, the situation was far from acceptable. As a side note, the perception of dishonour lingered to the extent that, three years later, the officer that commanded the 6401st battalion during the incident committed suicide.

With this, the need to bring forceful but non-lethal order to unruly mobs, in mind (and the possibly lucrative export markets), the Protectorate Research and Development Commission was directed to develop the most effective forms of crowd-control and policing equipment that it could. Specifically of interest were means and equipment with which personnel could deploy in response to disturbances, engage with hostile lightly armed or unarmed civilians, and render the situation pacified.

One of the items developed for the purpose was the 'Enforcer' shockmace. The weapon is a synthesis of a cattleprod and baton, and they have become standard issue to embassies, military police units and other formations within Lyras, and are also used by a growing number of non-Lyran units throughout the world.

Design
The shockmace is, for all intents and purposes, a police baton wrapped around a cattleprod. A high density rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery bank in the handle provides power when turned on, and the head of the mace has five pairs of electrodes, with the circuitry running in parallel along the inside of the weapon's shaft. High voltage (~20,000V) is mixed with a relatively low amplitude, which provides for a debilitating but rarely fatal electric shock upon contact. One pair of electrodes is situated at the tip, as in a cattleprod, with the remaining four situated symetrically around the mace's head. The internal electrics are isolated from each other to prevent short circuiting, and a triple-redundant fuse system is located adjacent to the battery packs for easy fuse changing. Should the batteries run dry, or the electrodes fail completely, then the shockmace doubles as a conventional baton with no loss of performance or function. Similarly, the weapon can be used while in the 'off' mode, in an identical fashion to any blunt weapon.

The weapon's psychological impact has been maximised by the use of an initiator switch, which causes the weapon to visibly produce an electric arc and loud crackling, a feature which, in testing, has been shown to generate considerable morale and psychological effect.

The handle is an ergonomic, ambidextrous kraton polyamide. The kraton, a synthetic substitute for rubber, features notably higher grip, chemical-, heat- and corrosion-resistance and ease of manufacture, when compared to rubber, plastic, wood or leather. Kraton is elastometric, allowing the handle to return to shape after being subjected to deformative force. The handle assembly is screwed into the full tang haft of the mace, and can (using an allen key and considerable effort) be removed in case of damage or wear. At the base of the handle is a glass-breaker, which also doubles as a lanyard loop.

Just below the guard (above the handgrip and immediately adjacent to the power toggle) is a small digital readout which indicates how much power remains in the battery pack. At full power, there exists sufficient energy in the batteries for nearly half an hour of continuous discharge, and many times longer in stand-by (on, but not discharging) mode. The rechargers (which come with the shockmace as standard) are compatible with the 240V AC outlet common to most Lyran and many Lamonian and Yanitarian vehicles, as well as the TPFian 'Barghest' HIFV. The pouch, designed to hold the rechargers and allen key, is fitted with plasticised straps and velcro adaptors to allow it to be mounted onto the load bearing systems common to armour-wearing groups as well as conventional utility-belt style equipment holders.

Export
Upon purchase of a shockmace, the purchaser will receive;
1 x 'Enforcer' shockmace
1 x belt loop
2 x lanyard
2 x rechargers (240V AC)
1 x allen key
1 x utility pouch

The 'Enforcer' shockmace is available from Lyran Arms (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541320) at a total cost of NS$120
DPRs can be purchased at NS$900m

((OOC: 20,000v isn't too much, that's actually considered a low-powered tazer, which sometimes doesn't work too good in keeping them down for a while.))

(OOC: It's on a baton... so you've also hit them with it, most likely. They'll get the message. And it's a fraction higher amplitude than a tazer as well, so the difference is less than you'd expect. But hey.)

(OOC: It's on a baton... so you've also hit them with it, most likely. They'll get the message. And it's a fraction higher amplitude than a tazer as well, so the difference is less than you'd expect. But hey.)

((OOC: True, this baton would work, but I honestly wouldn't rely fully on the thing. For example, the Electrobatons my Civilian Control uses has adjustable voltage from 100,000v to 950,000v, and I've seen tazers in RL with my own eyes that go well past a million. Not saying your design is bad, just putting in a note.))

(OOC: Noted... this is a crowd-control device. Not a portable electric chair. The people you hit aren't supposed to stay down for good... well, unless you keep hitting them, but that could apply to anything.)

OOC: GWO, that's not entirely accurate. It would really depend on the electric current, and Lyras has stated that the shockmace uses a low-amp current to deliver a shock. That being said, though, the human body (i.e., the skin) has a resistance of around 95,000 - 110,000 ohms when it's dry, and the maximum allowable current before death is roughly 100 milliamps (or half that for fibrillation) so you'd need a voltage of about 1000 V to keep it non-lethal under perfect conditions -- however, air breaks down 3,000,000 V per meter, so that value would also depend on how far apart the electrodes are spaced. 20,000 V might kill whoever is being shocked if the electrodes are spaced very close together.

On the flip side, if your electrodes are, say, 1cm apart, you'd need 31,000 - 41,000 V to deliver an adequate shock to debilitate but not kill, and also not dissipate in the air.

To: Lyran Arms
From: Belkaland Civil Police Force

Greetings, after a review of your product, the Belkaland Civil Police Force would like to aquire 1,000,000 'Enforcer' shockmace kits for $120,000,000 USD.

TO: Belkaland Civil Police Force
FROM: Lyran Governmental Trade Department

RE: 'Enforcer' Shockmace

The lodged order for 1,000,000 examples of the 'Enforcer' Shockmace, at the given price of NS$120m, is accepted. Delivery should have been completed within 6 NS months.

If there are questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Regards

General Aleksandr
Director
Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Bredubar
Protectorate of Lyras

OOC: Do you sell to Griffincrest? You have all the cool stuff I want!

OOC to BC: Most stuff would be a little dubious, but this particular article would sell just fine. It's probably a case-by-case thing, more or less.

OOC to BC: Most stuff would be a little dubious, but this particular article would sell just fine. It's probably a case-by-case thing, more or less.

OOC: That's what I wanted to hear! I am mostly interested in the little things nobody else thinks to sell (boots, gloves, etc.) and have been dying to place an order for some time. Expect a rather large request soon.