Byrna LE – Kinetic Ultimate Bundle | Less-Lethal Self-Defense & Home Defense Device

well made – looks and feels legit
This is not a toy, when loaded with pepper balls or tear gas it will disable an attacker- I tried them against a tree at 30 feet and at about 5 feet from the tree my eyes were burning and my lungs hurt. That was with a slight breeze that helped dissipate the mist and after I walked the 25 feet toward the tree. I can only imagine that if it had been fired at me and the powder remained on my clothes that I would be completely disabled. I don’t think much of using the grey kinetics to stop an attack as they may just get a drug addled threat even more upset but they are useful for practice of course.I looked at 5 other makes but the Byrna LE seemed the best from the Byrna line.I have since ordered 5 units for the family for their self defense some from Amazon, some from Byrna and one from Stunster.The ones from Amazon came with two 5 ball magazines but you can actually put 6 in the first time by loading one into the breech before inserting the magazine holding the 5.I have seen some sites selling Byrna that seem to offer 7 ball magazines and some pepperballs but the amazon ones come with only kinetic and eco balls and two 5 ball mags.The 12 gram cartridge will shoot both mags but that is about it, I have fired four magazines with one co2 cartridge but the last 10 balls were decidedly weaker. They claim one co2 cartridge will fire 30 balls but the last 10 seemed at too low power to be able to burst the pepper filled pellets.Having said that, I can’t imagine a scenario where you need more than 10 pepperball shots.This is not a paint ball gun although it may take 68 caliber paint balls I have been told by my paintball friends.I am not a military professional and I have friends that scoff at using a air gun for defense but I think in some cases it may be better that a firearm for us novices who are reluctant or uncertain to address a threat with deadly force. I can imagine a situation where I am paralyzed between being attacked and pulling the trigger and ending some ones life so I get beaten with my own gun.The argument that a co2 powered weapon could not be trusted to have pressure when needed is largely answered with the pull-pierce trigger, it can sit in the drawer for years and still be expected to fire when needed just remember that the first ball shot is not at full power so I suggest putting a kinetic on top in the magazine. I have discovered that a pepperball doesn’t always burst when it is shot with the first trigger pull.Mine is good for 40-50 feet with little drop and strong power but past that I am not confident the pepperballs would have enough velocity to burst.I highly recommend the crimson trace in green- fantastic! In a dark area, target acquisition would be difficult but the laser makes it a simple point and shoot from the hip if necessary. It is even visible in daylight. No need to hold the launcher up to your eyes to line up the attached iron sights, which by the way are a very nice improvement over the previous black sights. There is also a light available with a green dot from another vendor which bolts right on but is difficult to toggle on with small hands- the ct that Byrna sells works perfect although they ought to offer one that is specifically designed for the LE and not a universal one that has 5 different adapters included. Very pleased overall with Byrna but I only considered the LE not the sd, hd,or xl. those have significantly lower fps in my research, have 8 gram co2 cartridges, don’t have safeties, and don’t have the bright white sights.As to it looking too much like a real pistol I am not understanding the controversy on that matter. I did not buy these to be an offensive weapon, it is for self defense. If police are around I suggest you don’t remove it from the holster – let them handle the matter. If you have subdued an attacker and police arrive, drop it on the ground or put it away- don’t stand over the attacker with it in your hand like Rambo. Don’t carry it conspicuously and if the attacker believes it is a real firearm so much the better- maybe you won’t have to use it, especially if they have a laser dot on their chest. If you pull a launcher that looks like a toy, they may think it is one and force you to prove it isn’t. Just my opinion.Here is an update to the above. I have now purchased 7 of these- no, not for myself. One of them was on Amazon sale day since it was 100 dollars cheaper. It was advertised as an LE but they sent an SD which is already 100 dollars cheaper when not on sale. As stated above, I only regard the LE highly, not the SD or HD or XL because of the power issue. I had no intention of overpaying for an item especially since I didn’t want it in the first place. Well, come to find out you can’t return Byrna items, so I had to contact Amazon and after considerable and multiple conversations I was able to convince Amazon to send out a return receipt. I took pictures and packaged it back up and about a week later I was informed by Amazon that they received my return but weren’t going to issue a refund. Again, back on the phone and long conversations to customer service which seemed like it was overseas to a village with poor phone reception. At this moment I am not sure whether I am getting my money back ( I would have preferred a correct replacement) but Amazon has usually done right by me. So far.Not sure what the lesson there is but I doubt that the mix up is Amazons fault so perhaps not buying direct from Byrna might be a good idea, few companies have as good customer service as Amazon. Sorry to say.

Does not disappoint.
I am a citizen who has been very limited, for many years now, with options for self defense both for my family and myself. Byrna has thankfully changed that forever. I had watched countless videos encompassing non-lethal options for defense and decided Byrna was a great theoretical fit for me.After receiving my LE bundle, I was akin to a kid on Christmas day getting exactly what they had wished for.It has impressed me thus far in every aspect : ease of use and setup, performance, quality, safety and value. I already ordered and received a tactical holster for carrying.I would recommend to anyone that is limited in their self defense options, a good solid choice. My wife will be next to get one.Thanks Byrna!!