Ballistic knife

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A ballistic knife is a knife with a detachable blade that can be expelled from the handle/frame as a projectile commonly propelled by a spring-operated mechanism. These knives are banned almost universally in the United States, for virtually the same reasons as a switchblade. Ballistic knives are not considered to be particularly effective weapons, especially as when compared to a firearm of similar availability. Indeed, the main advantage of a ballistic knife is its ability to surprise a target, since most inexperienced fighters consider a knife to be a solely hand-to-hand weapon.

Ballistic knives, manufactured by the USSR company Ostblock, were supplied in large numbers to the Soviet special forces group Spetsnaz throughout the 1980s.

This weapon is also a favoured tactical weapon utilised by the fictional vigilante, The Punisher.

Ballistic knives are used as covert "stealth" weapons when a firearm is not appropriate. The Russian Spetznaz ballistic knife is a metal tube with a powerful spring to deploy the blade. The blade can be deployed and remain attached to the handle or, by pulling out a stop pin, actually propel the blade effectively about 20 feet. The spring in these knives is powerful enough that the knife can be placed against a person and fired and it will penetrate clothing and flesh.

There is another, little known, ballistic knife made for special forces that fires a pointed triangular "dart" with three sharp edges. This version is powered by a small, but powerful, smokeless and relatively quiet explosive charge. This version is purported to be made of polycarbonate or some other very hard polymer and have no metallic signature so it cannot be detected by metal detectors.

Unlike conventional switchblade automatic knives, which are legal to possess in 29 states[1] by regular citizens and by specially qualified individuals in all 50 states, Ballistic knives are highly regulated for all but a very few special military personnel and illegal nationwide.


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