'I wanted to even the playing field': Man creates genius trap that sets off 12-guage shotgun blanks, terrifies thieves and stops them stealing his expensive packages (13 Pics)

Thieves kept stealing Jaireme Barrow’s Jeep Wrangler parts right off his front porch, so the Tacoma, Washington native fought back by building a trap that sets off a 12-gauge shotgun blank and scares the living bejesus out of idiot burglars. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt anyone, but it’s the last noise any would-be thief wants to hear.

(Note: We do not encourage you to do this. Someone could get hurt.)

He told  he’s caught package-snatchers in the act four times with his video camera, and that he just “wanted to even the playing field.”

Jaireme Barrow, from Tacoma Washington, was tired of people stealing his expensive Jeep parts and decided he 'wanted to even the playing field'

So he built the contraption you see above, which is fully contained in an ordinary cardboard box that he places on his front porch. The aluminum part in the picture holds the 12 gauge blank shell, and there’s also a small plate (not seen in the photo) holding down the firing pin. Fishing line is attached to that plate on one end and to the front door handle inside the house on the other. He explains how this all works, saying:

When [the fishing line] is pulled the plate is moved releasing the pin and firing the blank.

The bricks shown in the picture below are there to add weight to the package, and wood acts to prevent the device from shifting around, Barrow told.

He created one of the earliest models trap - using 12-gauge shotgun blanks, fishing line, bricks, a wooden box-like, a small box, aluminum carrying vessel for the blanks, a small plate, and a cardbox box - and has filmed numerous wannabe thieves

Sneaky: One unsuspecting man tries to take the postage box off the front porch

Karma: As he looks at the box, it explodes and he immediately drops the box and tries to run off 

Oops! But as he tries to run, the wannabe crook falls to the ground, fearing being caught 

YELP! In an earlier video from the year before, a woman can be heard screaming when she is frightened by the loud sudden noise

From that, Barrow decided to launch The Blank Box, revising his old box method for something much simpler and sell-able. For roughly $50-$70, people can get their own safety boxes

They can even buy extra blanks for an additional $2.99

Barrow also sells shirts that say 'don't touch my package!' 

It’s not a perfect system, though, as he admits to needing a sign on his front door reading “package armed” to make sure he doesn’t accidentally set off his own trap on accident.

 

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Still, he sees this rig as a good solution to his problem, and maybe even a way to make a bit of coin, telling me: “I’m going to re-engineer it to make it marketable to possible sale to the public.” He did add he has to make sure that’s legal first.

So when some miscreant tries stealing his parts, here’s what happens, as it did for one would-be thief:

And here’s a clip of a different burglar scurrying for his life after hearing the thunderous explosion from Jaireme’s trap: