Exploring The Full Range Of Byrna Launcher Projectiles

When something goes sideways, you don’t magically become a hero. You fall back on what you’ve practiced and the options you’ve chosen ahead of time. We sit down with Patrick Cranston of Paratus Self-Defense to make “less lethal” feel concrete by breaking down the real differences between Byrna projectiles, what each one is built to do, and how to train so you’re not guessing under stress.

We start with the basics people search for but rarely get explained clearly: 68 caliber vs 61 caliber Byrna rounds, why the compact Byrna CL uses a smaller projectile, and why speed and design can matter as much as size. Then we dig into the lineup of ammo types. You’ll learn how kinetic impact rounds deter through pain compliance and why they’re also a low-cost training option because they can be reused with the right backstop. We also explain pepper ball rounds that burst on impact to create an irritant powder cloud, plus the Max round that adds CS tear gas for a stronger respiratory effect.

Finally, we get practical about responsible use. We talk training rounds filled with inert powder, eco-kinetic options for outdoor practice, and how you can mix and match rounds in a magazine to build a self-defense loadout that fits your comfort level. We close with a clear discussion of pain compliance without permanent damage, why heavier steel rounds can cross the line into greater injury risk, and how that choice can affect safety and legal defensibility. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s shopping for non-lethal self-defense, and leave a review with your biggest question for the next conversation.

To learn more about Paratus Self-Defense LLC visit:
https://www.ParatusSelfDefense.com
Paratus Self-Defense LLC 
115 Perry Hwy Ste 138 
Harmony, Pennsylvania 16037-9205 
724-453-4030 

Transcript

Designed To Stop, Not Kill

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Self-Defense When It Matters, brought to you by Paratus, a premier burna dealer. Hosted by Patrick Cranston, co-founder of Paratus Self-Defense. Here's the truth. When a moment goes sideways, you don't rise to the occasion, you fall back on your preparation. That's why today we're talking about self-defense tools designed to stop, not kill. No Hollywood heroics, just smart, effective protection when it matters most.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Burda launchers are not one size fits all. Each projectile type serves a different purpose from compliance to deterrence to training. And today, Patrick breaks down what every responsible user should know. Welcome. Patrick, it's a pleasure to be back with you.

SPEAKER_02 0:52

Thank you, Julie. It's good to be here. Thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Yeah, we're excited to learn from you again.

Berna Projectile Sizes And Launchers

SPEAKER_00 0:57

If we could dive into today's question, what are the different types of projectiles that Berna launchers use?

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Yeah, that's a great question. And there are a few different types of projectiles. Um kind of to start things off, there's two different sizes actually. Um, and most of the projectiles are available in both sizes. Um, there is, I'll hold these up here. This one is a 68 caliber projectile versus a 61 caliber. It's a little hard to see on the the screen, but the 68 is obviously just a little bit bigger than the 61 caliber. And the two different sizes basically depend on what type of burno launcher you're using. So up until they released the CL last year, all the Berna launchers, whether it's the SD, the LE, or their rifles, all use the 68 caliber projectile. Uh last year, when they um released the Berna C L, that was a more compact launcher. And one of the things they made it, they made it much thinner so that it's easier to carry either in a waistband holster or even in a purse or a bag. Um and to make that thinner, uh, they had to reduce the size of the uh projectile. So they're using a 61 caliber projectile. Uh practically, it doesn't really make much of a difference. Um they, like I said, they have all the same types of projectiles. Um, and the CLs actually are shooting uh faster than the uh other uh launchers. So the fact that the projectile is a little bit smaller, it's actually going faster when it's fired out of the uh launcher, and so it hits just as hard, if not harder, than the other uh launchers

Kinetic Rounds For Defense And Training

SPEAKER_02 2:42

that they have. So um, but aside from the size, there are different types. And the standard type of round um and is a kinetic round. Now, kinetic's just a fancy word for solid, hard, uh, in this case, plastic round. And Berna uses these kinetic rounds. Like I said, they're available in both sizes. Um, and the kinetic rounds are serve two purposes. One, they are designed for uh self-defense as an impact round that's going to leave a it's gonna work as a deterrent. Um, it leaves a big bruise. I'd like to say it's like getting hit with one of the hardest punches you've ever felt. So it allows uh, you know, in a self-defense situation, it's going to temporarily stun the person. Just that impact is gonna, you know, make them pause uh and you know consider what's going on. Also, it's going it's kind of a pain compliance too, because it's gonna hurt. So if you're in a situation where that person is thinking they have an easy target, just hitting them with the kinetic round may be enough to uh deter them and make them think twice about you know uh continuing their assault on you. Um so that's the kinetic round. The other advantage to the kinetic round versus for more than just self-defense, it's also a great round to use for training. Because it's a hard plastic round, it is uh reusable. So when you use them, uh we use them here on our range. We shoot into like a heavy tart material that kind of catches the rounds, they bounce off of it and then land on the floor, and then we just pick them up and reuse them. So you can do the same at home if you're practicing. We sell little target tents that you can shoot into that kind of collect the rounds for you. Uh, you can also just shoot them into any kind of soft, heavy background, like a um sleeping bag or a uh moving, heavy moving blanket. You can kind of drape that over some chairs or maybe hang them from like a clothesline and shoot into those. And those make great backstops for these kinetic rounds, and you can just pick them up and reuse them. So they're a great, uh they make a great low-cost alternative for uh practice. Um, the the other thing I will say, no matter what type of round you're using, they all fire the same, they all fire out of the the launchers the same. So it doesn't really matter what you practice with, it's gonna give you a good uh you'll get you know comfortable using the launcher regardless of what rounds you're using for self-defense, they're gonna function pretty much the same

Pepper And Tear Gas Rounds Explained

SPEAKER_02 5:14

way. Uh the next type of round we have are the burna, the pepper ball rounds. So uh we ship them in uh little tubes like this. This has a package with a five round uh tube that holds five rounds in them. We keep them sealed here in the store because they are an impact round. And the way the pepper ball round works, it's like a hard plastic shell, and it looks similar to this. It's a hard plastic shell that when it hits, it's going to break on impact. And the powder inside is filled with either a pepper spray or tear gas powder, and those deploy out on impact and create up to a six-foot cloud of powder, which affects someone, like hitting them with a you know, a stream of pepper spray. Um, the two types of rounds we have these ones, these look are red and black, and they're the pepper ball round. Um, they're filled with an OC powder that is just you know, like a typical pepper spray, which is really nothing more than very hot, ground up uh uh hot peppers. And so just like the you know, the kind you'd you'd eat, except these are so hot you you wouldn't even really eat these, obviously. Um, but they create the the pepper spray is gonna create that temporary blindness because you get it in your eyes and it reacts to the moisture, basically it's reacting to the moisture on your skin and in your eyes and your your mouth and your nose and creates that burning sensation. Um and it is which causes your eyes to uh involuntarily shut. So you you want to, you know, your eyes are forced closed, so that's so you can't you can't open your eyes. So that's what they refer to as a temporary temporary blindness because you're just not able to open your eyes. Um, it causes you know lots of mucus, watery, and like I said, and that real burning sensation. So very distracting, can be debilitating for uh to people. Um and that's the pepper spray round. Um Berna also has a max round, which the max round has the pepper spray, but it also adds in a CS gas. And CS gas is a man-made chemical. Um, it's not uh is designed specifically to incapacitate people without killing them. So it was designed actually around World War I. They were using lots of chemical warfare, um, but the chemicals they were using uh had the bad effect, obviously, of killing people. Um, and that was in a in a war situation, it was uh detrimental because if the wind changed, you could actually end up gassing your own troops and everything. Um, so they actually developed the CS gas around that same time to have those debilitating effects, but that they're only temporary and they don't cause long-term damage. They're not going to, you know, kill, uh they're not designed to kill someone. So the CS gas, what that does is that affects the lungs. So it's it kind of acts like a paralytic to your lungs when it's inhaled. Uh it feels like your lungs are on fire. Every time you try to breathe, you just get a real hard breathing sensation. Your lungs don't want to work right. And so when you're when you're uh in a self-defense situation deploying that tear gas round, you get all the effects of the pepper spray and that inability to breathe properly and you know, to catch your breath. And so that's the round that Berna says, you know, can incapacitate someone for up to 30 minutes because anytime you try to move or anything, you just feel like you can't. You just have to focus on just trying to catch your breath. Um, so those rounds are uh the two, you know, those are used strictly for self-defense, obviously, the pepper spray and the tear gas round.

Training Sim Rounds And Eco Options

SPEAKER_02 8:50

The the other type of round we have is this round, which is a black and white uh round. And this simulates the pepper spray round. It is a hard plastic shell, but instead of being filled with pepper spray or tear gas, it's just filled with a white inert powder. And so these are nice for uh training to give you an idea of how the pepper spray is gonna work. When they hit, they're gonna break on impact and deploy the powder. And so you can kind of get a feel for how the pepper spray would work without having to use a pepper spray round, you know, and deploy pepper spray. Um they are a single-use round, so once you shoot them, they're gonna break open, you're not gonna be able to reuse them. And then the final type of round that we have is called an eco-kinetic round. Now, the eco-inetic round is only available in the larger 68 caliber, they don't make it in 61. Um, and it's a solid green round like this, and it is basically a compressed powder. Um, and it's actually a sugar-based powder, so it's kind of funny because they're non-toxic. If you were to eat one, they would taste kind of sweet. I don't recommend eating them, but you're if you're around them and you're shooting them, they kind of burst into a powder just when they break, and you get it in the you can kind of feel it in the air, and it'll it'll taste, you'll taste kind of like a sweet taste. And there have been pets and things that have gotten into these. They will eat them because they taste good, but they do dissolve and they're non-toxic, so it's not a hazard really, other than it's an expensive treat for your pet. Um, so those will um those fire and they're used primarily outdoors when you want to be able to shoot uh around for practicing, um, and you don't want to have to worry about picking it up or collecting the hard kinetic rounds or leaving plastic laying around from the from the other rounds. Uh, these will uh they just burst on impact. There you'll see like a green residue, but as soon as it rains, it dissolves and and goes away. Um, and so you don't have to worry about cleanup. So those are all the different types of rounds that Berna has. Like I said, some are like the kinetic rounds are the dual use, so you can use them for training and self-uh protection. Uh the pepper ball rounds are only going to be used for uh self-defense. And then the training, the pro training round, uh, which simulates the pepper round is just for training. And that eco-kinetic round is also uh just for uh a more uh friendly, you know, environmentally friendly uh training round for using outside. Um the last thing I will mention on these rounds is all the all the rounds uh function the same way out of the launcher. So that means in a magazine, a burno will hold five to seven rounds in the magazine. You can mix and match these. So you can use some kinetic, some pepper rounds, uh, some tear gas rounds. You can kind of structure those in the magazine, place them in the magazine in whatever kind of configuration you like uh to come up with the most optimum uh self-defense uh solution for you.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Well, Patrick, thank you so much for that thorough um you know description of all the different projectiles. I really appreciate that. It was very clear. I had a quick

Pain Compliance Without Penetration

SPEAKER_00 11:58

question for you. We just have like a moment, a minute here left, but um, can you expand on the pain compliance, how they're effective um with can with pain compliance but not causing permanent damage? And then the last one for you is have you experienced the pain of any of these rounds?

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Yeah. So the so the answer to the first question, the way the pain compliance works is that Berna actually has these, these are weighted to about a three gram weight. Um and that, as they've determined, is kind of the sweet spot for it's gonna leave a it's gonna leave a mark, it's gonna leave an impact, um, a bruise, a welt, um, and and and really hurt uh without actually penetrating because to be considered less lethal, it can't penetrate into the body. So uh there are companies out there that sell rounds that you could certainly use in a burner, they're the same caliber that are like a steel, look more like a steel ball bearing that might be six or nine grams. But the problem with those is even though they'll functionally work fine coming out of the burner, is that those uh are much more likely to penetrate because of just the heavier weight. Um you know, the heavier the weight at the speed these are shooting, uh, that's gonna be more likely to penetrate. And then it becomes uh not a it becomes a lethal weapon, not a less lethal weapon. And you know, for these less lethal self-defense, you're you're not looking to harm someone or kill someone. That's not the point of them. And if you later end up in a court of law and have to prove that you were defending yourself in a less lethal manner, if you're using this heavier ammunition, uh the heavier projectiles, you know, that can end up uh coming back to you know to work against you to say, well, no, you really you had these extra, you know, these heavier rounds, so you knew they could do more damage than less lethal. And you know, your intent wasn't to just uh dissuade the person, your intent was to kill them. So, which, you know, or severely injure them, which you know can have, once again, there's there's pros and cons to that, but for this, for less lethal self-defense, we want to keep it in that, you know, that lighter weight, uh, so that they they do hurt a lot, uh, but they're not going to penetrate and they're not going to, you know, cause severe bodily injury to somebody.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Well, um, Patrick, I want to thank you again for breaking this down so clearly. And this is such an interesting conversation. I'm excited to continue this chat with you in episode seven about the projectiles and um what's the most popular and your experiences with it. So thanks again, Patrick.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Thank you.

Mix And Match Loads And Closing

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Thanks for spending time with us today on self-defense when it matters. At Paratis Self-Defense, we believe confidence comes from being prepared and from having options that protect lives without taking them. That's why we proudly offer Berna non-lethal launchers. They're not firearms, but they are incredibly powerful, effective, and easy to use when seconds count. If you'd like to learn more, visit Paratiss Selfdefense.com. We ship to the lower 48 states because safety shouldn't be limited by geography. Until next time, stay aware, stay prepared, and remember designed to stop, not kill.