Bang Stick Techniques and Safety Precautions

Any Bang Stick with an internal firing pin has a "minimum length" requirement. Any modification, including shortening the Bang Stick from its original length may be considered a "weapon" and needs to be registered with your local Police Department. Some Bang Stick manufacturers enable relatively simple modifications realizing the "minimum length" may still be cumbersome in handling and storage in some situations. Be advised that any modification may require licensing.

Upon positioning the safety in the armed and ready position the user is required to press the Bang Stick meaningfully and purposefully with force against an object to momentarily engage the firing pin to the round due to a secondary safety feature. A spring in the head requires a specific amount of pressure to engage the firing pin to aid in the event of mishandling the Bang Stick, such as causing it to fall to the ground or to the deck of a boat without discharging the round.

A Bang Stick's effectiveness is due to the close proximity of the muzzle to the intended subject. A Bang Stick doesn't have a trigger and is not intended to be fired at distance. Discharge the Bang Stick by aggressively gabbing into the subject allows the percussion of the exploding gasses to cause significant and often sufficient stopping power without a projectile. For this reason "blank" rounds may be used as a safer alternative to a bullet. The intended use for a Bang Stick is to dispatch Marine animals for safety. Some commercial uses have also been noted for safety. Use of a Bang Stick above water/on land is not recommended, may be hazardous to the individual using the Bang Stick and/or people and/or property, may cause damage to the Bang Stick and will void any warranty.

A “blank” round may not be as effective as a regular “projectile” round. Many blank rounds are made with a lighter/less power powder load than a regular round. Inquire with your local firearms dealer about your specific use and for special powder load blank rounds. Due to the lack of the “projectile bullet” in a blank the effectiveness resides in the explosive gasses, therefore, the more “explosive” the gasses are the more damage will result upon detonation.

Ultimately, the “effectiveness” of a Bang Stick is in the placement rather then the size of the round or the use of a “blank” or regular “projectile” round. The minimum result caused by hitting the intended subject will undoubtedly be an immediate departure, severe injury and/or eventual death to the subject.

Bang sticks in .357 and .44 caliber are offered for your choice and convenience. Generally speaking, the larger round (.44) will create more damage, but as stated before, the placement of the shot is ultimately most important. The general consensus is for the most “stopping power” one might use the larger round, .44 Bang Stick and a .44 Mag. round with a “regular to high” powder load intended to cause the most damage or immediate death to the intended subject. The .357 Bang Stick can fit .38, .38 Special, .357, and .357 Magnum rounds. If the idea is to “dispatch with finesse” to preserve the flesh of a quality game fish than a “smaller or lighter” round should be used.

Waterproofing a round is done by applying a thin layer of nail polish to the rim (ONLY) of the round. The rim is the small gap between the connection of the projectile (bullet) to the shell. Wipe any excess nail polish off of the round to avoid build-up on the inside of the Bang Stick chamber. Build-up of nail polish or any other foreign substance or object may jam the shell in the chamber and cause difficulty in discharging the spent shell and reloading another round.

To reload another round, turn safety screw into the safety position, simply unscrew the head, remove the spent shell and securely position a new round onto the base and ready position. Secure the head back into its original position and remove safety. It is recommended to hold the Bang Stick at-length and look in the direction of what you're firing at. Do not turn your ear into the percussion.

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