It is better than nothing.In a private discussion, it has been suggested that I throw this at the assembled multitude here, so-
What's the prevailing opinion on boltguns for home defense?
Please keep all responses under a thousand words, and please no rock throwing.
Denis
Range won’t ever hold up as self defense.
Velocity goes through people and walls.
Actually, that is called a "captive bolt gun". It is fired with blanks like those used for power hammers. I worked in a slaughterhouse for 3 years and saw millions of cattle "knocked" with a captive bolt gun. The "bolt" in question is approximately 8" long and has a large head on one end to keep it "captive" inside the "gun" portion. A substantial spring slows the bolt in the last inch or so of travel to keep it from breaking out of the gun. The end of the bolt penetrates about 2"-3" into the animal's head, stunning it. The animal is then killed by "sticking" it, using a knife to open the neck and sever the aortic trunk in the upper thoracic area of the animal. It is quite amazing to watch (for the first few hundred times) 5-10 gallons of blood dump out of an animal all at once.Actually a "bolt gun" is a device used for stunning animals during slaughter and must be in contact with the victim's skull.
They'll work fine, as long as you don't get mobbed by more than 5 people.