When it comes to door breaching tools, the two most popular options are probably the breaching/battering ram which thanks to its mass and operator’s physical strength simply kicks the doors open or the breaching shotgun that shoots the hinges and locks off. However, there is a device, the Kinetic Breaching Tool by Kinetic Breaching Technology, which is sort of a hybrid of these two methods. Let’s take a closer look.

The Kinetic Breaching Tool utilizes the energy of proprietary .45 caliber blank cartridges to push the hardened steel ram resulting in a punch that delivers 850 ft*lb of energy. The blank cartridges are fed from an 8 round swing out cylinder making it possible to use the tool repeatedly if the first impact didn’t do the job or if multiple doors must be breached in a building.

To use the Kinetic Breaching Tool, the operator must simply push the ram against the lock and pull the trigger. Here is a video published on the Facebook page of Aardvark Tactical (KBT’s distributor) showing how this device works.

Thanks to the use of blank cartridges and the overall design of this device, it is totally safe for the operator. As the company notes: “no projectile or explosive energy leaves the device except for the force of the ram which is permanently captured in the tool“. The generated recoil is mitigated by the shock reduction handle system and the overall weight of the tool (28 lbs) making repetitive use by a single person possible. At an overall length of 36”, this tool is also compact enough to be used in confined spaces.

As you’ve probably guessed, the Kinetic Breaching Tool is sold only to law enforcement agencies and the military. According to the company, “Kinetic Breaching Tools are actively deployed with dozens of State, Local and Federal agencies throughout North America with outstanding results“.

Images from www.kineticbreaching.com, www.aardvarktactical.com