Stunning rod for animal stunner

A method of using a stunning rod in a pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal, the stunner having an inner chamber and a catch for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod, comprising:

• providing a stunning rod with an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, the elongated body having a forward end and an opposite rearward end, the forward end being sized for striking an animal's head, and the opposite rearward end having an outwardly extending lip meant for engagement with a catch, a mounting portion between the forward and rearward ends having outwardly extending flanges to permit a piston to be slideably received against the flanges, the stunning rod between the mounting portion and forward end having a first pair of opposite sides having a first radius and a first width, and a second pair of opposite sides having a second radius and a second width, the radius of the second pair of opposite sides being different from the radius of the first pair of opposite sides, and the first width between the first pair of opposite sides being smaller than the second width between the second pair of opposite sides;
• providing on the stunning rod a piston moveable within an inner chamber of the stunner;
• providing on the stunner a housing nose having a bore, the bore in the outer housing nose being slightly larger than and conforming to the first radius and first diameter and the second radius and second diameter of the stunning rod;
• mounting the stunning rod and piston in the stunner inner chamber, with the stunning rod extending through the bore of the stunner housing nose;
• supplying a pressurized fluid to a rearward end of the inner chamber to move the piston forward;
• sliding the rod along the longitudinal axis within the inner chamber through the bore of the outer housing nose to drive the stunning rod forward to stun an animal;
• retracting the stunning rod rearward along the longitudinal axis;
• and
• holding the stunning rod within the inner chamber by engagement of the catch with the outwardly extending lip at rearward end of the rod.

A pneumatic animal stunner for stunning an animal comprising:

• a housing having a front end;
• an inner chamber in the housing having a forward end and a rearward end;
• a piston slideable within the inner chamber;
• a stunning rod within the housing having an elongated body, the stunning rod capable of being driven by the piston forward and rearward towards and away from the front end of the housing, the elongated body having a forward end and an opposite rearward end, the forward end being sized for striking an animal's head, and the opposite rearward end having an outwardly extending lip meant for engagement with the catch, the elongated body having along at least a portion of the length a first pair of opposite sides having a first radius and a first width, and a second pair of opposite sides having a second radius and a second width, the radius of the second pair of opposite sides being different from the radius of the first pair of opposite sides, and the first width between the first pair of opposite sides being smaller than the second width between the second pair of opposite sides;
• and
• a catch for alternately holding and releasing the stunning rod.