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does anybody have information on the use of pepper spray for self defense? pros and cons, legal use of, ect.
Some Pointers
Pros:
-legal in most states (better check your state)
-permit may not be required to carry them (permit not required in my state)
-simple and cheap (depends on the type)
-available in stream (longer range) or fog type (useful for multiple assailants/has wider dispersion)
-more legally defensible than a gun or knife
-non-lethal option (no long-term effects or damage)
-easily hidden, especially when in your hand, which increases element of surprise
-effective in incapacitating an attacker (pain in eyes and face/temporary blindness/affects breathing/lots of coughing)Cons:
-civilian brands are not as potent or highly concentrated as the ones sold to law enforcement/security (need to do some research)
-might not work on some assailants with high pain tolerances (i recall one trainer sprayed it on his tacos), this means you are gonna have to go to plan B (H2H, baton, knife, gun or just run like hell)
-wind might blow the spray back in your face (never spray against the wind’s direction)
-rain can also inhibit its effectiveness as well as exposing the canister to higher temperature
-some minimum training required for familiarization in its use and tactics
-not effective against a gun
-must have adequate distance from attacker/must use angular retreat when employing using short controlled bursts/only efective enough to buy you time to get away from the dangerous situation
-it’s nothing more than Oleoricin Capsicum or Cayenne Pepper mixed with oilPS:I recommend those who carry firearms that also use pepper spray to always employ it in the non-firing hand. That way you can deploy the firearm with your dominant hand should circumstances require you do so. Hope this helps. Good luck! Be safe.
There’s a great book called Pepper Sprays by Doug Lamb thats one of the best resources. My advice- get OC not CS or CN (both of which are hard to find anyway- they are old formulas and OC is much more effective). If you can, try to handle the type you want before buying it. This wil give you an idea if its what you really want and if its something you can see yourself carrying all the time. This is true for any weapon, especially knives.
People say that you need a lot of specialized training to use sprays effectively. I don’t agree. If you have any combatives training, you should be able to work it out (but you’ll still need some practice).
Personally, I like the ASP line that look like kubatons, specifically the palm defender. Its a small size and doesn’t have skull and crossbones warnings and such all over it like most sprays. The downsize is that it has a small capacity (three one half second bursts) and I’ll bet I’d empty the whole thing onto one person and not leave any for any other potential attackers.The taco thing by the Marine Cadre trainer was what I heard in class as stated by the certified instructor who works for the DOD police. I don’t know if it’s true. Truthfully, I don’t want to get sprayed again to get requalified so I keep my cert. card in a safe place.
I went to the academy with a guy who sprayed it on his burritos…Like mentioned above, it’s just peppers and some other non-flammable liquid used as a propellant (alot of brands went to lemon juice).
Re:
quote \”CLFMak\:There’s a great book called Pepper Sprays by Doug Lamb thats one of the best resources. My advice- get OC not CS or CN (both of which are hard to find anyway- they are old formulas and OC is much more effective). If you can, try to handle the type you want before buying it. This wil give you an idea if its what you really want and if its something you can see yourself carrying all the time. This is true for any weapon, especially knives.
People say that you need a lot of specialized training to use sprays effectively. I don’t agree. If you have any combatives training, you should be able to work it out (but you’ll still need some practice).
Personally, I like the ASP line that look like kubatons, specifically the palm defender. Its a small size and doesn’t have skull and crossbones warnings and such all over it like most sprays. The downsize is that it has a small capacity (three one half second bursts) and I’ll bet I’d empty the whole thing onto one person and not leave any for any other potential attackers.ASP makes larger Defenders as well, harder to carry but more sprays.
ASP does make bigger versions, but I like the small size of the palm defender. Another plus is that you can buy separate cartridges, and test cartridges without the OC, so you can practice with them.
Funny story- I was talking to a guy on new years eve who told me that he accidentally sprayed himself in thr mouth with pepper spray. Someone asked him to hold their pen unit (the spray that looks like a pen). He pulled the top off and saw that it had a spray nozzle. He figured it was binacca, so he sprayed some in his mouth, much to his surprise. I think that particular spray was actually a CS spray, which has different properties than OC (for one thing, its effects last longer).
I also recommend using pepper spray before resorting to unarmed combat and deadly force, unless necessary since it is considered a nonlethal weapon that is more court defensible unless the state you are living in makes it illegal. I also recommend carrying it in your hand at all times whenever you walk to and from your car. And if you also carry a handgun, I prefer using the weak hand. It would also be helpful to use a pepperspray, which you can clip to your belt or attaches to your key. When choosing pepperspray, the percentage, such as 10%, is not a concern. What matters is its heat intensity, usually measured in ScUs or Scoville Units. For effectiveness, any pepperspray will do as long as it not any less than 2,000,000 Scoville Units. Just another thing to add. This should narrow down your criteria for choosing which is effective.
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