Drones are in the news every day. Sometimes it is good, like when they drop supplies on impoverished areas that are otherwise inaccessible. Sometimes it’s bad, like when they block emergency vehicles from getting to fires. The fact is, drones are becoming more and more a part of every day life.
This doesn’t sit well with many people. The chance of a person remotely spying on you or your family can get pretty creepy pretty quick. Snake River Shooting Products has developed what they think to be a perfect solution; drone specific ammunition. The product, called Dronemunition carries a “ferromagnetic payload” which should completely incapacitate a drone when hit. Further details on the construction of the shells was unavailable.
However, Snake River may encounter some issues with this product, as shooting a drone out of the air is a federal offense.
Whoever willfully—
places or causes to be placed a destructive device or substance in, upon, or in proximity to, or otherwise makes or causes to be made unworkable or unusable or hazardous to work or use, any such aircraft, or any part or other materials used or intended to be used in connection with the operation of such aircraft, if such placing or causing to be placed or such making or causing to be made is likely to endanger the safety of any such aircraft;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years or both.
Currently, their site for the drone ammunition is under construction so there isn’t much to look at. If you have questions though, you can go to Snake River’s site.
Update: We reached out to Snake River to ask about the construction and legality of the ammunition. President,Casey Betzold, elaborated a bit.
We came up with the Drone Munition concept for a couple reasons. It started in a discussion with some friends of ours who have an aerial based flying target solution (similar to a Quad-copter/drone). They have been looking for a dedicated ammo product line that will work well for their training program and recreational shooting experience. We applied the Drone Munition name with the marketing spin both to hit this target market, as well as to bring a discussion to light on the growing drone market. Being former military it is important to us to always view things through the lens of potential or evolving threat. We are catching a lot of flak from pro-drone/gun owners on this product calling it irresponsible, however they should also know that a shotgun isn’t a reliable defensive solution for drones due to speed they fly and how they might be used to cause harm. That said, there may be LE applications as we have had law enforcement inquiries due to greater infringement of drone use during investigation at a crime scene, and by fireman as drones have impeded their efforts in many cases. We see irresponsible drone use as the greatest threat to responsible drone users period.
The ammo at present, is really a high end goose or turkey load. Lead free, in a 2 shot and BB variant. This is because the most likely use of the product is for hunting or self defense. We are looking at some interesting technology at present that may be out soon, but again, is geared toward training and utilization hunting, or on aerial targets at the range. The self defense portion of firearm use is what covers a real threatening drone situation and we expect regulations to come down focused specifically on drones in the near future (expected by 2017). Federal, State, and local laws dictate when, where, and in what situations a firearm can be discharged. We are in no way condoning or suggesting the use of our product in an illegal manner. We are fervent supporters of the 2nd Amendment, and believe that the vast majority of gun owners clearly understand the responsibilities that come from freedom and thus will not utilize this shot shell any more than they would shotshell they have in their home today in an illegal or irresponsible manner.
[via Petapixel]
32 thoughts on “These Shotgun Shells Are Made for Shooting Down Drones”
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Not to mention, you may find the drone owner is also armed, and un-amused. You’ve fired first. He may decide he’s under threat and return fire in a more direct manner.
In several states if you fly over someones house with a drone you have the right as the homeowner to shoot it down. Woolies I shoot it? Probably not but I know people who would.
The problem with states claiming that you can shoot them down is the pesky issue that airspace is controlled by federal law, not state law. Shoot down the wrong drone and you may well find yourself getting a vacation in a federal penitentiary. And then being a convicted felon losing the right to own firearms.
Contrary to paranoid popular opinion, one does NOT own the airspace above their property – you have no legal right to interfere with the use of such airspace. You have no more right to shoot down a drone that you would to shoot down a police helicopter hovering over your property.
A: The FAA has said that shooting at a drone is the same as shooting at an aircraft, you can’t do it. State law be damned, the Feds say that’s no go.
B: in every case of drone shoot-down I’ve seen the drone was NOT over the shooter’s property, but the drooling idiot thought it MIGHT be able to peep on him.
C: Those things aside, having the “right” to destroy someone’s property isn’t going to be much good to you if your head is turned into a fine pink mist because your use of a firearm makes them perceive you as a threat.
Get some. I’ll own them like a two dollar hooker.
Ha, instead of legal repercussions or common sense, I’m much more interested in scrutinizing that little tidbit, “ferromagnetic payload”
“ferromagnetic payload” So it’s just steel shot?
A good way to make money from paranoid people I guess.
Haha, yeah. Hopefully people won’t start shooting down (more) X-copters, but I have to admit, it’s pretty genius marketing.
Right. On the box it states #2 and BB size steel shot. Big stuff. I suspect a load of Dacron fibers would be more effective and would only down the drone, not destroy it. Soon we will see barrage balloons floating above houses to prevent airspace invasion.
I like it. I may do that. Don’t really care much about drones flying around, but a barrage balloon at each corner of the look would look cool.
begun the drone wars has
Yes & why? Because the stupid general public insists on calling quad copters “drones” which pisses off the FFA/FCC/etc. as its “their” term!
The muzzle velocity of a 12-gauge is in the neighborhood of 1200 fps. I really doubt that the contents of these shells can to anything to “completely incapacitate” a drone at a speed like that short of making a bunch of holes that rip through it. Unless they’ve found a way to generate a focused EMP pulse, or it expands into some large netting, this is likely bogus and it’s just normal steel shot with creative marketing.
Just like the ZombieMax “certified zombie ammunition” 9mm ammo – which just have green inserts rather than the usual red. :P
Makezin, a bastion of well researched articles i’m sure….
Better get a real lawyer to weigh in on whether a UAV/model aircraft is a real aircraft under federal law. By your stretched argument a kid can get 20 years in federal pen for stomping on his little brother’s balsa wood glider.
The average “drone” quad/hex/octocopter actually is FOD for the FAA’s Aircraft. While commercial FAA piloting laws apply to “drones” used for commercial use, I’d have to see it proved in a court of law that the thing they’re piloting is an aircraft in the same context.
It already is law, they are aircraft.
Quote the law which states this please. I am not talking about a judges ruling, I am talking about an actual law passed by Congress as required by the Constitution. If you can’t quote one, then it is not actual law, it is a judge legislating from the bench.
We need autonomous anti-drone drones which can lay in perpetual wait to attack any drones intruding upon its territory. And far better to shoot something like kevlar strings to foul the blades than steel balls which could kill a neighbor’s child.
I thought of that once i saw a video on you tube of a dronex copter landing on an RC airplane. thought i could do two type for my place one for security to see who is on my property and one for taking down drones that come onto my property.
I’m surprised more people haven’t begun utilizing this software (http://samy.pl/skyjack/). One drone runs the software that temporarily disconnects the pilot’s controls and while disconnected, becomes the new pilot. I feel like this could be run just off an antenna on a roof.
The law quoted in this article does not apply it is meant for actual aircraft not model aircraft or “drones” that the public can buy don’t try and shoot down a military “drone” that would probably fall under this law but hobby drones do NOT
It would seem that they are considered aircraft under federal law.
NTSB ruling: http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/alj/Documents/5730.pdf
some othe stuff: http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2014/12/02/are-drones-always-considered-aircraft
the definitions for the code list “Aircraft” as “(1)
Aircraft.—
The term “aircraft” means a civil,
military, or public contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate,
fly, or travel in the air.” so at a stretch it could apply to this situation.
saying that, i am British, so American law baffles me.
Wrong. Drones or Quad Copters are aircraft. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently ruled that a UAS operated by a hobbyist was an aircraft, subject to regulations regarding the manner of operation, after an incident at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. [Huerta v. Pirker]
So if they’re aircraft, then you have to have a pilot’s license to fly one right?
Perhaps I need to clarify my previous comment. I do not oppose sport or defensive firearm use as I have a CHL and own numerous firearms. But to risk shooting down a drone in a populous area is not only risky to innocent bystanders it also maybe illegal. Please use firearms responsibly and don’t give law-abiding and responsible a bad image. Some folks just don’t use common sense with our second amendment rights
I’m all for it,shoot’em high-shoot’em all!!!WHY do the people who use these drones, have the right to invade someone’s privacy.But,the preson who is invaded don’t have the right to protect he/she privacy.And if you have to bring up gun control,well than lets see you come up with something else!!!.People are so fast to cry about guns & gun control when something like this comes out.And it’s a good product for all (those who use it the right way)Let me tell you, there are more honest, law abiding and OF THEIR RIGHT MIND people out there who own,carry or keep a firearm.They keep it at their home,car,work or carry it on them at all times. But,because the news & newspapers choose to find the bad apple.And chooses to only tell the news about guns and shootings.It makes it look like gun crime is off the charts.With is canny to me because,I noticed when the news went from talk about one or maybe two shooting a night.To 3 or 4 news stories a night.And this started after the shooting at that elementary school up in the northeast (I forget the name)it was one of the big news stories a few years ago.But after that,it’s all you heard about gun this,control that.Than the next big stories.After a few weeks of that news storie.They kept coming with the 3or4 shooting a night and on and on.What I’m saying is between those big news stories about shootings.Those little one have always been there.And a lot more than you’ll ever know about (unless you look it up your self)The only thing that had changed between the big shooting news stories is the amount of little stories that the news & papers & radio chooses to report on.And chooses to tell you about.How about cars?!?!?!…And the people who don’t drive well or can’t handle the car when it out of control & they don’t know what to do?Or the drunk driver, or the criminal trying to get away from the police in a chase.Better yet the teenager & the mighty cell phone &texting.Or the guy that falls off the deep end &is not right in his mind.But,he still gets behind the wheel.All of these have KILLED their share of people with a car over and over again.And each one of these scenario are still killing to this day.And over the years there has been some really big & bad crashes and deaths.With little ones in between.And there are also a lot more of them that happen that you’ll never hear about , unless you look it up for your self.Your only going to hear what they choose to tell you.Just like guns don’t you think we should do something about these cars?!?!?! They are killing a lot of people!Women & children too!!!!!!I’m just saying ,I know a lot of good people own cars.But,their so e-mail to get or buy that people who shouldn’t have them are getting them.I see on the news every night that someone with a car kill somebody. OK !I know that this is for shells to shoot drones.But if they say we can’t shoot these drones to protect are privacy.Then they can say we can’t protect are home & family.Than they’ll say,”we’ll protect you,your home,your family”!!!!And their goes are guns.And this is how it starts,with something small like drone shoots.And it starts ‘m up out how it’s not safe.And that people might misuse it to hurt or kill others(just like cars)…And a dozen or two more things that one can make the same reason why we should ban or put under some kind of hard control to keep it from hurting or killing..And let me tell you all this.One of the biggest reason that this is up on the chopping block (guns & gun control) And something like cars or doctors,I know.?????what doctors !?!? Just think about and do the same with doctors& guns as I did with cars.You’ll see)They are all in the same boat but!!!,Guns or I should say firearms is ARE RIGHT and unlike any thing else you come up with .They can’t just take it away.Now if it got to the point that cars couldn’t be handled and controlled. They just take them away.And only a select few would have them.And those who want to take are rights from us.Or think we shouldn’t have any rights (and yes there are a lot of scrum sucker,high up that think like that) want to do just that.Because,once they take that RIGHT,THE 2ND AMENDMENT away.It all down hill from there.The only thing that gun control and or ban on gun is going to do is-….Leave the honest,law abiding Preston or family unarmed and left wide open for those who don’t care about the law to come and do ,take ,rape,kill anyone or family they want.And it makes no difference to them at all.And or it will take a person who has done the right thing all of their life.Who has followed the law,works hard everyday,who has done nothing but good things to all.Who has a family to take care of and makes or turn them in to a criminal because they won’t give up their protection.Who won’t leave their family open to those bad apples who don’t care anyways. There going to have a gun no matter what the law is.And even if it wasn’t against the law to have a gun.They are still going to commit a crime braking other laws anyways. So guess what ? control or no control,ban or no ban.They are going to get their hand on a gun.And do what ever it is they want to do.And if any one out there thinks (lol) for one minute that gun control or bans will stop them from getting a gun and or stop shootings you are in another world. And mom & dad’s don’t hide gun knowledge from your kids.Teach them the right way.Show them what could happen if used wrongly. Teach them that it can protect if used the right way,that it NOT a video game,it’s NOT a toy.Kids are curious about everything.If you have a gun in your home …Don’t hide it from them ….take the curiosity out of the equation.So that then or if they ever come across a gun or your gun when your not around .They will KNOW what it is,what it can do,what it is for.They will KNOW how it works,how it is, and they will KNOW it NOT a toy or to be played with.And with the curiosity gone they will have no reason to do anything but, make sure it lock up ,to leave it aloan…Of courses it’s up to you to know your child and to know if he or she is. old enough and or mature enough to handle learn about firearm safety and use. Hope this long ass comment finds you all well.It not meant to upset anyone, I put it up to maybe open the mind a bit more to help understand why it important to be able to have firearm legally
Expect a Boeing contract for public service laser drone interdiction. The FAA won’t be considering drones that are interfering with emergency service aircraft to be “aircraft” in the same context when they’re essentially FOD for legitimate operations.
Wrong, by law they are aircraft.
Drone Radio Frequency Jammers works great at dropping these drones.
The federal law should not apply to drones. It is blatantly obvious to anyone with a modicum of sense that the law applies to military or passenger aircraft where the interference with it could cause a catastrophic loss of life and cause millions in damages. Shooting down a $200 remote controlled drone does neither of these things.