Less lethal firearm

Is it legal to carry a modified less lethal up to 30 joules and if i can is there any legal issues i should be aware of?

Welcome aboard.
Just out of curiosity, what exactly are you attempting to modify and carry ( we need details, lots of details ) and what do you plan to accomplish during a deadly force encounter?

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I think this is too vague to answer. Are you talking about a stun gun, pepper spray, bean bag shooter, baseball bat? You need to explain more.

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This is too vague to answer.

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Welcome to the Community @Miguel41. Looking forward to your input. So far you’ve not even mentioned a firearm at all.

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Welcome @Miguel41!

Did you really mean 30 joules? I think I read somewhere that a police taser output is less than 2 joules.

It’s best to check your local laws & regulations, but most regulations will probably have the word “non-lethal” in there somewhere. The question is going to be whether you modified the weapon to be more than non-lethal.

I have a few pistols and an AR 15 but im also investing in less leathal options. I recently got an umarex HDP50 modified to 25 joules. Is there any legality issues i should be concerned with.
Thank You
Miguel

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Anything can and will be used against you.
If you modified it from factory specs. Yes.
If you use it and seriously wound someone. Yes.
That’s a pretty hefty gain in foot pounds.
Just my thoughts on the matter. And welcome. :slightly_smiling_face:

From-
Convert units

Energy
11

8.11318363

Joule

Foot pound

To-
Energy
25

18.4390537

Joule

Foot pound

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I’m not a lawyer and have no familiarity with pepper ball pistols so my advice probably isn’t worth all that much. But I could see a prosecutor or especially a civil suit lawyer using that against you if the target suffers a physical injury that might be linked to the added force.

I’d also be concerned that bumping up the force significantly might cause a pepper ball to break open before or as it leaves the barrel. I remember this happening from time to time using paint ball guns and it seemed to happen more often in the more powerful guns.

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The usual disclaimer. I am not a lawyer. I don’t play one on TV and I did not sleep :zzz: in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

The fact that you have modified what, I am supposing, is a non lethal pepper gun that has been modified to be 2.25 times higher than the Manufacturer’s product. I would guess that it could cause you to have issues if anything went wrong when you used it. When you modify a firearm, even if it makes the firearm more effective you or your attorney can argue that lethal is lethal.

But when you modify a non lethal weapon. I would guess that the Prosecutor could say you had the intent to injure/kill someone by making it more powerful. Just my opinion.

The fact that it has been modified it to produce a higher level of force

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Hello and welcome @Miguel41
Modify could be a trial word.

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@Miguel41 while this may not have been the response you were looking or hoping to receive; somehow, I believe you know you needed to hear some of this.

When you seek to modify a patented, licensed, and manufactured product; you put yourself in the position of copyright infringement, an unlicensed remanufacturer, and a violator of US Patent laws. Not good, and it’s not worth it, and it’s dangerous. Very dangerous. This is not youtube, IG, or TikTok, etc,; cool points will not eclipse what is lawful; we’re going to keep it real with you, for your safety as well as for others. Best wishes to you. Again, welcome.

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I am not a lawyer, I cannot interpret the law and this is not legal advice.

I would expect any use of any “firearm” on another person to be considered lethal force.

I have also never heard of anything that I can think of that fits the description given in the OP, I can’t even begin to guess at what we might actually be discussing here

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Dug into it further, not a pepper ball gun.
Walther Home Defense pistol RAM T4E HDP 50 11.0 Joule - cal. 50 - Tactical24 e-Store

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Defense Innovation Umarex T4E TR50 .50 Caliber Home Defense Revolver HDR 11 Joules Power Factory Production Version, Black https://a.co/d/7R17Hr3
:sunglasses:

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This looks like it was specifically designed for pepper balls but may prossibly shoot the .50 caliber rubber and steel projectiles as well??

I don’t really see the utility in using either the pepper, steel or rubber pellets for self defense. I could maybe see it being useful for law enforcement members who are backed up by partners with real firearms at the ready in the quite likely event the pellets don’t have the desired effect. But if you up the velocity of the projectiles significantly (especially solid rubber or steel) then you may have a hard time arguing that it is a less than lethal option.

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I also wouldn’t be surprised if some local jurisdictions have regulations against carrying or possibly even owning these.

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Good question.

Some ordinances occur not only by state, but by county and or city. If you are comfortable sharing, which state?

Modifying any weapon is a slippery slope and risky legally, as opposed to if it kept its factory settings. Even the manufacturer might not be held liable if it was tampered with.

I regret I’m unfamiliar with the joules aspect. You are referring to the pepper balls it shoots out, correct? I could be wrong, but the factory settings in terms of speed, seems like it does its job. Maybe talk with the manufacturer about why you would want to change the settings?

Any faster, could be risky. IDK.

I admire your studying non lethal ideas. Last week, my own employer developed a flyer, handed out to all our employees on safety tips, especially around car jacking. This is real and supported.

Good luck friend.

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One thing to keep in mind, criminals don’t carry less lethal firearms. I know and understand what you’re implementing, but out there in this jungle of life we’re faced with, we don’t know how we’ll be approached when a predator chooses their prey, and how far they’re willing to go with their intentions.

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Yeah, good look. But even it states in the scroll down description that it’s for training purposes. So, there is that.

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