Grandma got an Un-gunn'

Byrna is a brand of “less-lethal” firearm that is so easy to use that even a women in her 80s could do it.

That's according to Lorie Johnson, who co-owns Live Safe New Mexico with her husband, Larry. It's the first Byrna store in New Mexico and opened on Nov. 30 at 8234 Menaul NE.

Lorie Johnson, 62, spent her career as an English teacher and is receiving her doctorate this month.

She could be retiring. But instead, she started a new business.

“This is something we can do to help people protect themselves, ” Johnson said.

Inside the store, there's a shooting range so customers can try out the Byrnas.

“I’ve had some 80-year-old ladies come in and they freaked out when they could actually handle it,” Johnson said.

True to Johnson's claim, the gun was easy to fire and aim, especially with a laser sight, and had no kickback, according to Journal staff who shot the gun. The experience was similar to firing a handheld paintball gun.

“They’re fun to shoot and we wanted it that way because we don't want people to be intimidated,” Johnson said.

The shop has only been open a couple of weeks. Johnson said she she has seen all sorts of customers: little old ladies, Realtors and even people experiencing homelessness.

“(A customer) said, ‘I have to make myself safe,’” Johnson said.

Her husband first got the idea to open a Byrna store after seeing a report on the cable news network Newsmax.

They drove out to Las Vegas, Nevada, to visit family and figured while they were there they should check out the local Byrna store.

“We left with over $1,000 worth of stuff,” Johnson said.

The appeal of using a Byrna rather than a more classic pepper spray is range. The Bad Guy Repellent they sell has a range of 20 feet and their weakest handgun has a range of 50 feet.

They have a photo in the shop of the nasty bruise the projectile leaves behind but if someone is looking to leave more than a bruise the store sells pepper spray rounds or max rounds, “which is basically tear gas,” Johnson said.

The gun is powered by carbon dioxide cartridges, and the Byrna SD can fire a projectile 230 miles per hour and has a range of 50 feet.

The store has handguns but also models of guns based on the M-14 and AR-15.

Anybody over the age of 18 can purchase a Byrna with no training or paperwork.

“We’d love to get some of our local police officers in to try them out,’ Johnson said.