Russian ballistic knife?

[Farmer17]

I was watching that show on TV where they have mock battles between different types of warriors and they had the U.S. Green Berrets against the Russian Spetznatz. I had heard about the spring loaded Russian knife but didn't think it would have any power, but it was pretty impressive during the testing. The high-speed photography showed the blade flying through three "fleshy" targets then sticking in a wood plank. Does anyone know anything about these knives?

[straightshooter1]

They were a big deal in the late 80s or a little earlier. Florida has a statute forbidding them.

Never actually saw one.

Bob

[Erich]

They used to sell them in the back of gun mags. Seemed kind of stupid. Now they're destructive devices or somesuch, banned by Leviathan for some stupid reason.

[GatorFarmer]

They've been banned from import for a long time. They were sort of a gimmick item, though they will penetrate body armor. There was a media hysteria about them 20 odd years back.

[Farmer17]

How do they get a spring to shoot a blade that far with that much power. Is it just a coil spring?

[NFrameFred]

I examined one at a gun show and I was dubious that it actually had enough power from the meager coil spring to do much "flying" after a foot or two.

The physics of a spring strong enough and large enough to move the mass of the knife suitably verses the need to contain it in the handle of the knife should make obvious that it was an overly-hyped much ado about nothing. A gimmick and a sound bite for empty headed news people and pandering politicians.

[Andy Taylor]

banned by Leviathan for some stupid reason.

My rottwieller never banned anything, except the nieghbor's cat from his backyard.

[n4zov]

It goes in the same idiotic category with the Wasp Injector Knife that injects compressed gas into the target/victim.

http://www.waspknife.com/