In today’s world and going back a couple decades in the law enforcement profession, less lethal and non-lethal tools are vital Use of Force options. A long-time player in the non-lethal industry is PepperBall® and we recently had opportunity to examine and field test one of their launchers: The TAC-SA PRO™.
This article appeared in the May/June issue of OFFICER Magazine. Click Here to subscribe to OFFICER Magazine.
PepperBall describes the TAC-SA PRO as “a robust semi-automatic launcher, tailored for high-intensity situations such as daily patrol, crowd management, and riot-control scenarios.” The launcher is further described as “a powerhouse in operational efficiency and effectiveness.” We received a test unit and took it to a private range area to set it up, load it up, and see how well it could perform.
The test unit we received was delivered with a reflex optic as well as a set of hard sights all of which we mounted prior to testing the unit. The unit came with a sling, cleaning kit and carry/storage bag that is well designed and durable. The TAC-SA PRO fit inside the bag just right and was secured by two hook-and-loop straps: one for the fore end and one for the stock. There is a large, zippered pocket on the outside of the weapon bag that is plenty big enough to carry a variety of accessories, allen wrenches and other items that you might need for maintenance or deployment.
Before we get farther into the test report, let’s take a quick look at a few other of the specifications. The TAC-SA PRO has a length of MIL-STD-1913 (picatinny) rail that runs atop the receiver. It’s handy to mount the hard sites and the reflex optic, but it can be used to mount any such accessories, not necessarily any proprietary to the design. There is a cross-bolt safety that is very familiar and easy to use, helping ensure safe operation, transportation, and storage. The unit weighs 7.5 pounds (empty) and is just under 2.5 feet long (28”). It is a semi-automatic system capable of up to 10-shots per second with the right hopper and a fast trigger finger.
When we received the unit for testing, we assembled it and took the tank to a local shop to be filled. The agency fill station was too far away, but the versatility of the product is such that any safe air tank fill facility can accomplish the same task. The 30 cubic inch high pressure air system (HPA) can be easily filled, and a full tank provides enough air to fire well over 100 shots or more.
We mounted the optic, the sights, the sling, and the hopper. Removing and replacing the air tank was very easy but does require one provided allen wrench to loosen the tank/barrel brace, but it is not required to remove the tank to fill it. There is a small pressure meter on the side of the air tank mount piece that shows you how much pressure you have left in that installed tank. Given that the PepperBall hopper holds anywhere from 75-180 balls (we averaged about 75 per load using the test hopper provided), a tank of air is more than enough to launch a hopper full of ammo.
With everything assembled, we filled the hopper and engaged targets starting at 15 feet and moving out well past 50 feet. The website says that maximum range for the unit is 100’, and at max distance, we were able to deploy with accuracy and sufficient energy to engage our target without a problem.
For fun we engaged targets at well past the 100-foot mark and even managed to hit a small building (shed) that was almost 200 feet away.
Throughout testing, we had no failures from the weapon at all. No misfeeds, fail to feeds, etc. The PepperBall TAC-SA PRO easily earned the OFFICER Media Group Tested—Field Rated seal of approval.
