Armored Combat:Equipment standards - Missiles - Combat archery ammunition - Light ammunition

Light ammunition

General requirements

1. Light ammunition can only be used in light handbows and light crossbows.
2. Light ammunition must have a fiberglass shaft, a blunt (either commercially manufactured or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW)) and an anti-penetration device (APD) (either commercially manufactured or high-density polyethylene (HDPE)).

Fiberglass ammunition shafts

1. Fiberglass used in ammunition must be:
   1. Solid pultruded fiberglass of between 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) and 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) diameter.
   2. Able to withstand significant "bending" pressure without breaking.
2. The shaft must be covered with a sturdy tear-resistant tape, such as strapping, electrical, or duct tape, from behind the blunt to the front of the anti-penetration device (APD).

Anti-penetration devices (APDs)

General requirements

1. All arrows and bolts must have an anti-penetration device (APD) designed to prevent the back end of the arrow or bolt from penetrating a legal face guard of a helm.
2. APDs must be attached no further than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) from the end of the arrow or bolt (including nock).
3. APDs must be attached securely using tape, glue, cable ties, etc. The method does not matter as long as it is securely attached and will not come off during normal use.
4. Attachment is tested by grabbing and pulling on the APD with moderate force while twisting it slightly. If it detaches or moves lengthwise along the shaft, then it fails.
5. APDs must not have major cuts or cracks in them. If anything can be inserted into a crack, then the APD fails.

HDPE (High-density polyethylene) APDs

1. The APD must be constructed of HDPE pipe from materials meeting ASTM D2239 (minimum of 1 inch (25.4 mm) inner diameter), or ASTM D2737 (minimum of 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) outer diameter) and manufactured of PE3408, PE3608, PE3710 or PE4710 resin, or equivalent. 100 PSI up to 160 PSI is approved.
2. The length of the top edge of the APD must be at least 1 1/4 inches (31.8 mm) if the front is cut square, or 5/8 inch (15.9 mm) if the front is cut at a 45-degree angle.
3. The APD is allowed to have a channel routed in the bottom, and/or cuts made in the front and back edges for helping tape attachment.
4. All sharp edges must be eased.

Asgard APDs

1. Asgard APDs can only be modified by:
   1. Cutting the nock off flush for use on a crossbow.
   2. Making small holes for helping attachment.
   3. Roughing the interior surfaces for gluing.

Other APD designs

1. All other designs or manufacturing techniques for APDs must be approved in writing by the Society Marshal's office before use. Contact the Deputy Society Marshal for Combat Archery for details for submission and testing of experimental combat archery missiles.

Blunts

General requirements

1. All arrows and bolts must have a blunt designed to prevent the front end of the arrow or bolt from penetrating a legal face guard of a helm.
2. All blunts must be securely attached using tape, glue, cable ties, etc. The method does not matter as long as it is securely attached.
3. One piece of sturdy tear-resistant tape, such as strapping, electrical, or duct tape, must extend over the blunt and be securely attached to the shaft on both sides.
4. Attachment of the blunt is tested by grabbing and pulling on the blunt with moderate force while twisting it slightly. If it detaches or moves lengthwise along the shaft, then it fails. (Twisting around the shaft is okay.)

UHMW (Ultra-high molecular weight) polyethylene blunts

1. UHMW polyethylene cores are constructed of at least 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) diameter UHMW polyethylene rod with a hole drilled in it to accept the shaft.
2. The shaft hole must be at least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) deep, and there must be at least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) of polyethylene in front of the shaft.
3. At least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) and at most 1 1/4 inch (31.8 mm) of padding must be added in front of the UHMW core. This padding must have progressively resistant give and be at least the same diameter as the blunt after taping.
4. The side of the head must also have padding that provides progressively resistant give that extends from the tip of the padding to at least 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) over the UHMW core that brings the total diameter of the head to at least 1 1/2 inch (38.1 mm) after taping.
5. The front edges of the blunt must be rounded over.
6. All sharp edges must be eased.
7. As long as all other requirements are met, the blunt is allowed to have material removed for aerodynamic or weight-reducing purposes.

Commercially manufactured blunts

1. Commercially manufactured blunts must:
   1. Be designed for use with fiberglass shafts, with a 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) shaft acceptor.
   2. Only be used with 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) shafts.
2. The only commercial blunts allowed are:
   • Baldar (2-piece mold only)
   • Fathead
   • Fathead 2
   • Star
3. Commercial blunts are not allowed to be modified.
4. The parting line on Baldar blunts:
   1. Must be visible. If no parting line is seen the blunt cannot be used.
   2. Have no delamination along the parting line.
   3. Is tested by attempting to insert a fingernail with light force into the parting line. If the fingernail can penetrate the blunt, then it fails.

Other blunt designs

1. All other designs or manufacturing techniques for blunts must be approved in writing by the Society Marshal's office before use. Contact the Deputy Society Marshal for Combat Archery for technical details for submission and testing of experimental combat archery missiles.