If you’re talking about the “less-lethal gun thing,” here’s a breakdown, and yes—let’s bring the intensity.
✅ What it
is
A less-lethal weapon (also called “less-than-lethal” or “non-lethal,” although that last term can be misleading) is designed to incapacitate or deter a target with reduced risk of death or permanent injury, compared to standard firearms.
Examples:
- The FN 303: a compressed‐air launcher firing 17.3 mm projectiles for riot control.
- The BYRNA line of consumer‐available CO₂ powered pistols launching pepper/kinetic rounds up to ~60 ft.
- The PepperBall system: launchers that fire chemical irritant + projectile combos to gain distance and de-escalate.
⚠️ Why “less‐lethal” is
not
“harmless”
These weapons still pack serious force and risk:
- They may cause severe injury or death, especially at close range or if aimed at vulnerable body parts. The FN 303, for example, resulted in a fatality when misused.
- They are often used in crowd control, where accuracy, legality, and ethics become major issues.
🔍 Why you might have heard of them
- They’re trending in civilian self-defense markets as an alternative for people who don’t want to carry lethal firearms but still want serious protection.
- They show up in media / protest coverage. For example, law-enforcement in L.A. used foam-rounds, bean bags, etc., labelled “less lethal” in recent protests.
📌 Key things to know if you’re seriously considering one
- Legal status: These devices often fall into different categories than firearms, but legality varies wildly by state/city. Example: Byrna claims “no permits or background checks required” in some cases.
- Effectiveness & limitations: They work—but they’re no guarantee. A determined attacker may not be stopped by a pepper‐projectile. The distance, accuracy, target part and the projectile type all matter.
- Risk of escalation / misidentification: A launcher that looks like a gun may be mistaken for one, escalating a situation or causing law enforcement confusion. Some models use orange markings for “less‐lethal” status.
- Body‐region matters: A blunt impact round aimed at the head, neck or spine can be lethal. Training, placement, and distance matter a lot.
If you want, I can pull up current U.S. models, price-points, legislation by state (especially California/LA), pros & cons (high-impact version for someone like you designing gear!). Do you want me to dive that deep?