Bean Bag shots

[Justang]

Can civilians buy these? If so, where?

 

[whm1974]

Try online. Legality depends on the state you live in. Some classify this as burglay tools.

-Bill

 

[Plinkerton]

This place has some crazy shotshells. I think there's a beanbag in there somewhere.

http://www.hi-vel.com/Catalog__18/Specialized_Shotshell_Ammuniti/specialized_shotshell_ammuniti.html

 

[Justang]

Will any shotgun shoot bean bags? Say a Mossberg 500A?

 

[mete]

They will all fire them but some of the autos may not cycle with them.

 

[BluesBear]

Cheaper Than Dirt usually carries them.

 

[bernie]

WARNING- If you buy some, shoot a fair sized sample. I have a bud that is a "fugitive recovery specialist", I think that they used to be called bounty hunters. Anyway, he bought a box for his riot gun. One day at my range, he thought he would try one of them. After shooting the whole box, half of them did not clear the choke, i.e.-come out of the barrel. He had actually carried them in his shotgun prior to testing. As always, test whatever you use thoroughly. I have no idea where he got them, but the "bean bags" were lead shot loosely placed in crudely sewn bags.

 

[444]

Also realize that these CAN and HAVE killed humans. They are only USUALLY less than lethal. I have seen the pictures.
I also took a class at Gunsite with a guy from LAPD that put out a suspects eye with a bean bag round and went through a hellish legal battle.
One other warning. Law Enforcement has gone to shooting bean bag rounds out of one specific shotgun that is painted orange. Regular shotshells are NEVER fired out of the orange gun. Obviously the idea is so that you are not firing buckshot or slugs when you intended to fire a bean bag.

By the way, I love your quote at the bottom. Note mine.

 

[Justang]

Yeah, I've heard of them killing people also. But I figure I'm atleast trying to be nice.

I still haven't found any. And for that matter, I've had my shotgun for over a month now and haven't gotten to shoot it yet. 500 shells are just sitting next to my gun waiting to be used.

I almost put that exact quote in my sig! I love that movie.

 

[444]

You know, back in '82 I could throw a pig skin a quarter mile.

 

[Justang]

Bet I could throw a football over those mountains.

 

[dfariswheel]

The other side of the coin is, bean bag and other "less than lethal" specialty ammunition may fail ENTIRELY to stop or dissuade someone.

That's why less than lethal munitions are used by police ONLY where they think it's safe to do so, AND where the user is backed up by lethal weapons if the less lethal round fails, which they DO in a fairly high percentage of times.

This is why you wouldn't want to try to use this in a home defense situation.

Another factor is, any situation where you're legally and morally OK in shooting someone, it doesn't matter legally whether you use a bean bag, or a load of buckshot.

If you're not legally OK with shooting someone with buckshot, you're NOT OK in using a less lethal round either.
As far as the law is concerned these days, there's no such thing as shooting someone "just a little", and it doesn't matter if you used a load of buck or a bean bag, you still SHOT someone.

As for a moral case of "giving the Bad Guy a break", he won't be giving you any.
Second, NEVER figure on getting multiple shots.
Consider what happens if the ONLY shot you get is a less then lethal round.......and it FAILS to stop him.

 

[BluesBear]

AmmoBank has it.
But they're way overpriced.

PMC makes variety of LL ammo. Cheaper Than Dirt often carries it.

CTD also carries Sellier & BellotRubber Ball and Rubber Buckshot.

 

[Zach S]

I've seen them in sportsman's guide too.

 

[Jeff White]

Before you decide to buy beanbag or any other less lethal ammunition for defensive use, read this thread I started a couple years ago.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=596&highlight=lethal

Jeff

 

[CRUSHER]

ALS tech has bean bags that are extreamely accurate
They are called penprvent (penatration preventive)
They resemble a sperm
But as has been stated they are less lethael not non leathel

 

[Plinkerton]

I think real sperm can be considered Less Lethal also... Or maybe more lethal... I'm not sure...

 

[Coronach]

Using 'less lethal' rounds in a defensive application will probably backfire on you legally. Plus it might not get the job done in terms of 'stopping'.

I've seen a guy with a knife take three beanbag rounds to the chest before he stopped.

The chances of that happeneing with 00 buck are pretty slim.

Mike

 

[Teufelhunden]

AND where the user is backed up by lethal weapons if the less lethal round fails,

This is vital in the application in any deployment of less-lethal weapons from OC to the TASER to alternative SG rounds.

Remember, incapacitation weapons are just before lethal on the force continuum--if they don't work, you've got to move on.

-Teuf