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face de la pub
flux tendu
Jul 11, 2008 10:45
15 yrs ago
French term

balle a bout portant

French to English Other Military / Defense weapons
This is a type of bullet. From the context, I think it is a rubber-tipped bullet, but I would rather not guess. Is anyone familar with this term?
Proposed translations (English)
2 +3 at point-blank range
4 +1 Point black bullet

Discussion

Tony M Jul 11, 2008:
Can you give an example of that latter usage?
Joan Berglund (asker) Jul 11, 2008:
context A women was shot in the behind with it, allegedly by members of an opposition political party, the party currently in power. Indeed it probably was at point blank range, but the term is often used as something used by police.
Tony M Jul 11, 2008:
Please give more context, so we can see how the term is being used.

Proposed translations

+3
5 mins
French term (edited): à bout portant
Selected

at point-blank range

It seems odd, I don't know why it should be rubber-tipped bullet, since the usual meaning is 'at point-blank range'.

It would undoubtedly help to have the entire context in which it appears, in case maybe you are parsing it wrongly? For example, might it be something like"...tué par balle à bout portant"?

Please give us enough context (and anything that leads you to conclude it might be rubber bullet) so that we can help you properly!

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Note added at 6 mins (2008-07-11 10:51:53 GMT)
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I have a weapons expert friend, I'll ask him for you this evening.
Peer comment(s):
agree Lori Cirefice : agreed - on all points :)
3 mins
Thanks, Lori!
agree L.J.Wessel van Leeuwen : why only 2 confidence level when it should be 5? I am talking of the translation of the term of course.
20 mins
Thanks, Wessel! Well, the way Joan asked her question, it seemed as if she had other info that had made her already reject the immediately obvious dictionary anwser!
agree David Goward : I too think that Joan is parsing her sentence incorrectly.
29 mins
Thanks, David! Seems likely... but of course, it would help to see it for ourselves ;-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I think you are right now that I look at the news stories more closely, in many cases people were shot at point blank range with rubber bullets, so I was conflating the two ideas."
+1
7 mins

Point black bullet

Bullet short from a small distance.


Point Blank Body Armor | Body Armor 101
NIJ 0101.04 STANDARD FOR BULLET-RESISTANCE Point Blank Bullet Chart Enlarge Image.
In the United States, body armor levels are certified by the National ...
www.pointblankarmor.com/101.asp - 14k - Similar pages
If You Purchased a PACA, Point Blank or Galls Brand Bullet ...
You are a Class Member if you purchased a PACA or Point. Blank bullet-resistant
vest made with any Zylon, including. and any of the models listed above. ...
acjc.state.az.us/pio/Zylon/Point_Blank_Short_Form_Notice.pdf - Similar pages

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Note added at 8 mins (2008-07-11 10:53:26 GMT)
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Sorry **Point blank** of course!!**

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Note added at 9 mins (2008-07-11 10:54:15 GMT)
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**Bullet shot and not short** - I am a typo-master today!

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Note added at 10 mins (2008-07-11 10:55:26 GMT)
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Rubber bullets? is it the police dispersing a riot?

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Note added at 13 mins (2008-07-11 10:58:37 GMT)
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wikipedia (below) and other Google hits say shot at point-blank range:

Point-blank range - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In external ballistics, point-blank range is the distance between a firearm ...
This caused the shot to rise above the natural line of sight very soon after ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-blank_range - 31k - Similar pages


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Note added at 28 mins (2008-07-11 11:13:41 GMT)
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Read this for example:

IPI (International Press Institute) :: Venezuela
Fernando Malavé, a photographer with the Caracas daily 2001, was shot at point-blank
range with a rubber bullet. Although he was wearing a bullet-proof vest ...
www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=/KW000... - 27k - Similar pages
Statewatch News Online: Spain/Morocco: Migrants shot dead at the ...
Sep 28, 2005 ... Spain/Morocco: Migrants shot dead at the border fence, Spain deploys army ...
that rubber bullets were fired at him at point-blank range, ...
www.statewatch.org/news/2005/oct/01spain-morocco.htm - 8k - Similar pages

Peer comment(s):
agree Pierre POUSSIN
5 mins
Merci. Mais il faut plus de contexte pour etre 100% sur dans ce cas.
neutral Tony M : We certainly talk about 'a bullet at point-blank range', but I think 'a point-blank bullet' is a rather less common collocation
24 mins
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