The Washington Times: A nonlethal firearm alternative?: Self-defense requires certainty, not wishful thinking

For those who hearken to conservative radio and podcast hosts similar to Megyn Kelly, Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, Dana Loesch, Sean Hannity, and others, you’ve seemingly repeatedly heard many commercials selling less-lethal alternate options to firearms from Byrna. 

“For those who carry a gun, the issue with it’s when you take any individual’s life and also you’re fallacious,” Glenn Beck, who had a 52-week promoting marketing campaign throughout 2024 with Byrna, warned his listeners. Beck promotes Byrna pepper and tear fuel projectiles, saying, “For those who don’t know something about [pepper gas], it’s fairly efficient…. It burns, and it will get within your lungs, making you are feeling such as you simply can’t breathe.” Beck’s feedback are echoed by many different hosts.

However Byrna’s claims ignore key realities. The corporate’s adverts assume that utilizing a gun all the time ends in loss of life, however that isn’t remotely correct. In 95% of defensive gun makes use of, merely displaying a firearm stops an assault with out firing a shot. Solely a tiny fraction of 1 % of defensive gun makes use of end in a fatality or wounding. The overwhelming majority of defensive gun makes use of are a less-than-lethal various.

Whereas Byrna notes that legislation enforcement officers are adopting their weapons, police additionally carry firearms for a cause— pepper fuel and Tasers often don’t get the job executed. A Nationwide Institute of Justice examine discovered that pepper fuel works solely 20% of the time when utilized by arresting officers. However few civilians will carry each a Byrna weapon and an actual firearm, and Byrna’s promoting by no means advises folks to hold each one among their weapons and a conventional gun. 

Encouraging folks to rely on Byrna pepper or tear fuel projectiles creates a false sense of safety. A person’s ache tolerance, drug use, or psychological state can have an effect on how they reply to those irritants. As an example, the Virginia Commonwealth College Police division has reported that intoxicated people or these with a excessive ache threshold will not be affected in any respect. Individuals who have beforehand been uncovered to pepper spray can develop some tolerance.

Environmental components can even restrict the efficiency of those weapons. Wind and rain might disperse pepper and tear fuel. In indoor conditions, utilizing pepper and tear fuel might have an effect on defenders as a lot as their attackers.

Police have used Tasers and different non-lethal weapons for many years. However identical to pepper spray and tear fuel, they don’t all the time work. The Police Government Analysis Discussion board finds that, nationwide, Tasers are ineffective about 40% of the time. All the things from the clothes that individuals put on as to whether they’re sporting rubber soled footwear will impact their success. Nor are Tasers all the time non-lethal. An investigation by Reuters recognized over 1,000 circumstances in the USA of people dying following use of a Taser, typically together with different types of drive.

In a podcast the place Byrna CEO Bryan Ganz and Chief Income & Advertising and marketing Officer Luan Pham interviewedme, they acknowledged the constraints of pepper or tear fuel, they usually personally primarily depend on “kinetic” projectiles. Byrna additionally sells strong, hard-shell projectiles which have a painful affect. However these devices might not cease a decided or intoxicated legal. These kinetic projectiles additionally lose effectiveness if the legal wears heavy attire similar to a winter coat or leather-based jacket. As a consequence of variations in velocity, weight, and aerodynamics, climate (wind and rain) additionally impacts the accuracy and velocity of the pictures, probably decreasing effectiveness, rather more so than is true for quicker shifting bullets.

Counting on a Byrna weapon as an alternative of a firearm may depart somebody dangerously unprepared when an attacker isn’t deterred. 

However Byrna’s merchandise do supply simple advantages for some folks. They’re an alternate for many who battle to acquire a hid handgun allow or face strict carry restrictions in states like New York, New Jersey, and California. Some folks merely really feel uncomfortable carrying a firearm, making Byrna’s merchandise a sensible choice, and having a weapon that appears like a gun should still acquire the advantages obtained from brandishing a firearm. They provide some safety for felons who can not legally personal weapons however nonetheless have actual security considerations. Moreover, Byrna’s merchandise can assist deter aggressive animals, particularly since brandishing a gun is ineffective in these conditions. Not like firearms, Byrna provides a non-lethal, intermediate protection device that may forestall assaults with out lethal drive.

Whereas much less deadly than in these circumstances the place a gun must be fired, these projectiles can nonetheless trigger severe damage and even loss of life. Byrna itself warns that its weapons “could cause severe damage or loss of life” when placing delicate areas such because the head, neck, or higher torso.

Self-defense requires certainty, not wishful considering. Whereas non-lethal instruments have their place, they need to complement relatively than change firearms. However few are being suggested to hold each a Byrna weapon and a gun.

John R. Lott, Jr., “A nonlethal firearm various?” Washington Instances, April 2, 2025.