Characterization of Weapons Used in Stab Attacks - Phase II: Surrogate Development, Final Report

• NCJ Number: 249551
• Date Published: March 2014
• Author(s): Nicholas Shewchenko; Doug Baines
• Length: 98 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-DE-BX-K003
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Test/Measurement; Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This project developed four exemplar weapons likely to be used in stab attacks on correctional personnel, with the expectation that body armor performance standards will take into account protection from such weapons.

Abstract

Based on the features of these four exemplar weapons, the project developed a stab weapon typology and taxonomy that identifies possible aggressive threats. Quasi-static performance tests were developed to characterize tip, edge, and system performance for initial down-selection of stab weapons; however, additional work is needed to establish confidence levels and potential for quality-control measures of the exemplars. The exemplar weapons consisted of two bladed and two spiked weapons developed from the geometric and performance characteristics of stabbing weapons obtained from the collections of U.S. correctional facilities. The weapon exemplars require a lesser number of armor layers to meet the current penetration limits of the NIJ 0115.00 standard for body armor, compared to the P1/A and S1/G exemplars. This report recommends obtaining input from corrections practitioners regarding possible attacks from weapons similar to the exemplars, in order to provide a fuller understanding of their implications for armor design, relevancy, and test variability. 38 figures, 30 tables, 18 references, and appended exemplar threats engineering drawings, push-through testing guidelines, stab weapon measurement guide, and weapon data entry table