Say hello to SALT, the gun that aims to try and take out the bad guy without actually hurting him. Because we wouldn’t want that. Hmm.
First, watch the video above. I’ll wait.
Here’s the concept:
This gun shoots a ball filled with a toxic mix of elements that cause problems for the recipient such as temporary blindness, breathing troubles, etc. The goal of the company is to offer a non-lethal self-defense alternative to traditional firearms to keep families safe.
Here’s big idea #1.
My first immediate thought with big idea #1 is that the majority of times where a person needs to draw a gun is when they are in close proximity of the bad guy. Say within 10 feet. If we now introduce a toxic mix of chemicals into the air, how are we not going to be affected by that?
Now we’re both incapacitated and what if bad guy #1 has his buddy bad guy #2 right around the corner? Do you see the problem?
But wait. There’s more. According to their Indiegogo campaign, the effects gradually diminish over 15-30 minutes. Given the fact that the average police response time is in that same area, you’d better hope they’re getting there quicker on the day you need them. If your intruder is able to get back on his feet in 15 minutes, where does that leave your safety now?
Their goal, in their own words, is to “keep the people you love safe” (and also keep the bad guy safe).
Let’s move on to big idea #2
In theory, this may sound like a nice idea. It seems to me, though, that this cloud won’t be lingering around forever. If someone is truly breaking into your home, they’re usually in a hurry. Running through a diminishing cloud of toxins and making it out seems plausible to me, and now you’re left to defend yourself with a glorified paintball gun. Better not miss.
Ok, big idea #3
This is plausible, as some people are definitely afraid of a traditional gun. There will certainly be a market for it, but I don’t think that it should be a first line of defense for anyone serious about keeping their home and their family safe.
Ready for the next part?
SALT is more than just a product. It is a belief that there is a better way to keep the people we love safe. In doing so, we can also help stop the senseless gun violence plaguing our country. Every single dollar we raise goes directly towards furthering that fight for a better way to keep all of us safe.
Hang on. Stop right there. This product is trying to stop the senseless gun violence plaguing our country? Remember that this product is used to stop a threat. If a bad guy comes into my home at 3am and I shoot him, that’s not gun violence. That’s self-defense.
I know what they really mean. They want to have this in a home so that, come a potential domestic disturbance, a real gun isn’t around. It’s the same old story, really. If someone wants to do harm, they’ll do harm. If they really want a gun, they’ll get a gun. If they want a bat, they’ll use the bat. Hell if they want, they can use this SALT gun and then take care of business in any number of ways without any fighting back since their victim is now incapacitated.
My point is, it goes both ways and I don’t see this product slowing down domestic violence, suicides or anything else in that category.
Right off the bat, I began to think of the police and their beanbag guns that they use to stop the bad guy and thought; is this a practical application for a civilian? It’s the same concept, really. The goal is to slow down the suspect in order to make yourself safer without seriously injuring the suspect, but the inventors of SALT are forgetting something… who is going to truly remove the threat if it’s just you and your SALT gun? Once you pull the trigger and ruin the bad guy’s day, how do you make yourself safe? The bad guy is still there, still alive, still moving and still able to potentially do something.
What if he gets up and starts in your direction? I’ve seen videos of people barreling through being pepper sprayed while your typical person would be down for the count. The point is, not everyone reacts to things in the same manner.
This is a hard PASS for me. I want criminals to know that their line of work comes with a certain degree of potentially deadly hazards. Why do people continuously try and look out for the bad guy? They made the choice, not you.
