Patent ID: 8726895

Claim:
A method of launching a projectile from a non-lethal pistol, the method comprising the steps of: providing a non-lethal pistol with a valve assembly configured to vent gas to propel projectiles out of a barrel; inserting an unused canister of compressed gas into the non-lethal pistol; making an initial trigger pull of a trigger on the non-lethal pistol to release a supply of compressed gas from the unused canister to the valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly does not include a supply of compressed gas to vent responsive to the initial trigger pull; and making a subsequent trigger pull on the non-lethal pistol to vent compressed gas supplied to the valve assembly responsive to the initial trigger pull to propel a projectile from the non-lethal pistol; wherein the initial trigger pull moves a piercing pin to pierce a seal covering a mouth of the canister; and wherein a cam surface of the trigger moves the piercing pin toward the canister of compressed gas during at least the initial trigger pull.