RAM-SHELL 12g Nail Gun Blank Cartridge: Less Lethal Self-Defense Round Test

RAM-SHELL System Overview

• 💡 The RAM-SHELL is a reusable cartridge designed for less lethal projectiles, using a nail gun blank to provide propulsion.
• 🎯 The system allows for adjustable power levels, typically ranging from 400 ft/s (brown blanks) to 900 ft/s (yellow blanks), enabling tunable velocities.
• 🛠️ It is compatible with a variety of .68 caliber less lethal projectiles, including round balls, Foster-style slugs, reballs, and even marbles.
• ⚙️ Spent blanks are easily removed with a screwdriver, and projectiles are loaded with simple thumb pressure into the tapered shell.

Performance Testing: Projectile Impact

• 💥 Testing on 18-gauge stainless steel showed increasing dent depth with higher power blanks (brown, green, yellow).
• 🛡️ A rubber-coated steel ball test demonstrated that higher power levels (yellow) yielded greater impact.
• 🧊 Against ballistic gel, the blue ball projectile with yellow blanks achieved significant penetration, indicating substantial power.
• 💨 A prototype aluminum Foster slug showed accuracy issues, flying unstable, while a 3D-printed projectile, surprisingly, held together and was stable in flight.
• 🎯 A copper polymer matrix slug from Grimberg Less Lethal was accurate but unstable, while another rifled projectile resulted in a dud and poor performance.

Fun Rounds and Self-Defense Applications

• 🌶️ Rounds containing chili powder and airsoft BBs were tested, with some chili powder reaching further and causing irritation.
• 🎯 Pure airsoft BB rounds showed some stinging potential, especially against exposed skin, but lacked significant power compared to dedicated airsoft guns.
• ⚠️ The speaker notes that while some rounds might sting, their effectiveness against clothing or as a primary self-defense tool is questionable.
• 🔫 The RAM-SHELL system offers versatility, allowing for a progression from less lethal rounds to more lethal options like buckshot and slugs, a capability lacking in dedicated less lethal launchers.
• 💰 The 12-gauge platform for RAM-SHELL is noted as more affordable ($200) compared to some dedicated less lethal launchers ($600).