An improvised weapon is an object that was not designed to be used as a
weapon but can be put to that use. They are generally used for
self-defence or if the person is otherwise unarmed. In some cases, improvised weapons are commonly used by attackers in
street fights,
muggings,
murders,
gang warfare, during
riots, or even during
insurgencies, usually when
conventional weapons such as
firearms are unavailable or inappropriate.
Improvised weapons are common everyday objects that can be used in a variety of defensive applications. The objects are generally used in their normal state;[1] they are not physically altered in any way to make them more functional as weapons.[2]
Examples
Other than items designed as weapons, any object that can be used to cause bodily harm can be considered an improvised weapon. Examples of items that have been used as improvised weapons include:
Throughout history, common tools were used so often as weapons in self-defense that many of them evolved specifically into weapons or were adapted with the secondary purpose of being used in self-defense, usually by adding modifications to its design. Well-known examples include the Irish
shillelagh, which was originally used as a
walking stick; the Japanese
bō, which may have originally been used to carry buckets and baskets; and the Buddhist
monk's spade, a shovel monks used for burying corpses, which often had sharpened edges to help defend against
bandits.[citation needed]
Because of the use of common objects as weapons in violent crimes, many countries have laws that prevent the use of some tools and other non-weapon objects to be used for causing harm. It is possible for a person to be detained or even arrested by a law enforcement official or
security personnel for carrying a potentially-harmful object if there is no reasonable use for it. For example, it is legal and perfectly understandable for someone to possess a kitchen knife or a hammer and keep it for use in one's home, but it could be judged suspicious for someone to carry a kitchen knife or a hammer concealed on their person or in plain sight when walking down a city street.[citation needed]
There are places that prohibit people from entering with objects that may be used as weapons. Most public schools in North America do not allow their students to bring
pocket knives,
butter knives[59] or
chain-wallets,[59] sometimes with harsh
zero tolerance policies.
Airports typically prohibit objects that could be used as weapons from being carried as a carry-on or in a carry-on bag into the aircraft cabin. The
security repercussions after the
September 11 attacks saw restrictions widely extended to cover even objects like
nail clippers and spiked wristbands.[60][61]
Makeshift weapons
A makeshift weapon is an everyday object that has been physically altered to enhance its potential as a weapon.[62] It can also be used to refer to common classes of weapons such as
guns,
knives, and
bombs made from commonly available items.[1]
Improvised artillery is used by multiple factions in the
Syrian Civil War. They include the Jahannam cannon, Jahim cannon, thunder cannon, mortar cannon and compressed air cannon.
The improvised
Molotov cocktail was used with great success by the heavily outnumbered Finnish forces in the
Winter War against the
Soviet Union.[citation needed] The mixture of flammable petroleum, often thickened with soap or tar, was so effective against the Soviet tanks that the Finns began mass producing Molotov cocktails, and issuing them to their troops. While the first documented use of such improvised incendiary devices was in the
Spanish Civil War, their use in the Winter War was much more prevalent, and it was at that time they were named after the
Soviet Foreign MinisterVyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, to match the
Molotov bread baskets.[64]
^Improvised Weapons & Munitions – U.S. Army Ultimate Handbook: How to Create Explosive Devices & Weapons from Available Materials: Propellants, Mines, Grenades, ... Fuses, Detonators and Delay Mechanisms by U.S. Department of the Army, Madison & Adams Press, ASIN: B06WGP4FJZ