Self Defense Sprays
An effective self defense spray starts with a strong chemical base. The
chemical spray isn't the only factor to consider but it's a major one so let's
start with that. There are basically two types that have been time-tested over
a long period of time. They are Tear Gas and Pepper Spray. A third chemical
known as CS is generally considered for law enforcement use in riot control
situations. Let's review these chemicals.
Tear Gas (CN)
Tear Gas has become an accepted word for the chemical Chloracetophenone
commonly called CN. CN (Chloracetophenone) was discovered by a German
chemist in 1869 and is generally accepted as "tear gas" by law enforcement
and military agencies throughout the world. CN in minute quantities has an
apple blossom odor. In larger quantities, CN causes heavy flow of tears and
mucous. Burning and itching sensation of moist exposed skin occurs. CN will
produce nausea in larger quantities. CN is considered an irritant. It has been
used by law enforcement for riot control for years.
CS
You should at least be aware of a chemical called CS. CS is a chemical known
as ortho-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile. It is a white solid crystalline that has been
used as an anti-pioy agent for many years by police departments. It was
discovered and developed by B.B. Corson and R.W. Stoughton in 1920s. CS
can be disseminated in grenades, projectiles, aerosols, or as a powder. CS is
manufactured here in the United States strictly for law enforcement. It is
generally not suitable for personal defense sprays.
If you would like more detailed information on CS and/or OS,
we refer you to the US Army site and materials safety data sheets:
Military Riot Control Agents: CS and OS
Materials Safety Data Sheet On CN
Materials Safety Data Sheet On CS
Pepper Spray (OC)
Pepper Spray is a chemical compound commonly called OC which stands for
Oleoresin Capsicum. OC is a derivative of Hot Cayenne peppers. OC is the
newest self defense type spray but there are a number of cheap substandard
products on the market. Unlike tear gas, OC is an inflammatory agent. Upon
contact with mucous membranes (e.g., eyes, nose, throat, lungs) it will cause
an instant dilation of the capillaries of the eyes, resulting in temporary blindness
and instant inflammation of the breathing tissues, cutting off all but minimal
breathing to sustain life support. OC is often rated by a percentage content
of the overall chemical such as 5% or 10%. That's important, but what is
even more important is the Scoville heat rating. You could have a 25% OC
base in the chemical but if the heat rating is not high enough, the chemical is
simply not strong enough. You need to look for 1.5 to 2 million Scoville heat
unit rating. Anyone attempting to sell you a Scoville heat unit rating of above
2 million is either lying to you or breaking the federal law because a 2 million
rating is the highest rating allowed by federal law for consumer use.
For more detailed information on OC, we refer you to the
Oleoresin Capsicum Chart Material Safety Data Sheet
The problem with both of the above products (OC and CS) is one is an irritant
agent and one an inflammation agent. When you want the best of both
worlds, you want the effects of both because different people are effected in
different ways. Mace has solved this complex problem by coming up with the
finest mixture of a self defense spray in a formula that uses both CN and OC in
their new Triple Action Formula.
The Chemical Grain
Grains have to do with the tiny size of the actual grains shooting when the
defense spray is fired. Cheap bargain-basement self defense sprays likely don't
contain the fine gains needed to be effective as they need to be. The finer the
grain, the more effective the spray is going to be. All of our self defense spray
products have a very fine gain that work extremely well.
The Actuator
By the actuator, we are talking about the part of the product that holds the
actual chemical. There are several critical issues involved in this. Let's review
them.
Volume: Volume content is the actual content of the chemical. Some people
who sell you single formulated pepper spray use the defense that over time,
CN will go bad. Actually, over time; any product that is in such a can will
eventually go bad. If you have ever picked up a five year old can of shaving
cream left in the back of your bathroom cabinet by mistake, you'll understand
exactly what I am talking about. You hit the button and nothing comes out.
Although the chemical is still in it, the pressure inside the can that makes it
work is gone. The same holds true for any self defense product. The
difference, of course; is that when you get no shaving cream you don't
shave. When you get no self defense spray, your life could be in danger. All
self defense sprays need to be replaced about every five years. It's as simple
as that. There is no such self defense product that can last a lifetime, as some
are sold with a lifetime warranty that is of no use to you. And then there is
the one that says, "if you actually use it, send in the police report and we will
send you another." They only mention in the fine print that there is a
"shipping and handling charge" which amounts to a profit of what it costs to
manufacture another can. Almost any self-defense spray manufacturer will
send you a new one anyway just to get your police report about the use of
their spray whether you send in the "shipping and handling fee" or not.
A good self defense spray will let you test for actual volume content. For
example, Mace Brands let you perform a test by placing the product in a glass
of water with a volume content measurement on the side of the can. Many
cheaper spray products defend themselves by saying that you could simply
weigh the content. That's fine, but do you have a little scale around to do this
every few months and do you know the weight of the container you need to
subtract? Likely not.
Expiration Date
Self defense sprays are really inexpensive. That's a fact! Don't buy one that
doesn't have an expiration date on it--here's why. There are thousands of self
defense spray dealers all over the United States. Most of them are in this
business part time. Many of them, in order to obtain a good wholesale price;
buy enough product to last them several years. By the time your purchase
comes around, that dealer might have purchased three or four year old spray
from another dealer who sold out his part- time business. You want a fresh
product, not something that only has a shelve life left of a few months or even
a year left. The problem is, the cheaper sprays don't have any expiration date
on them. Since they don't have any date of them, you don't know if it was
made last month or eight years ago. Mace Brand Sprays do!
Force
By the force, we are referring to the force at which the spray comes out of
the can. Again, we have just gone over a very important aspect of self
defense sprays when it comes to this factor. Any pressurized canister, over a
period of time; will loss it's force.
Quick Action Fire And Feel
When we say quick action, this is critical. Sometimes a spilt second could
mean the difference between life or death! You need to be able to get the
spray pointed and fired instantly. All these snap tops take time to open.
Granted, they only take a second or two but spilt seconds count. Recently
we've seen a new product called pepper pen. It looks really nice tucked away
in a fancy expensive-looking pen. But you have to actually spend time
unscrewing this top before you could fire the product. Just picture someone
needing to use it telling an attacker to "halt" about fifteen seconds while the
top was unscrewed. A user could have easily been attacked, injured or killed
before the unscrewing of the pen took place. Another recent prototype
sample is pepper spray built into what is supposed to look like a pager. The
pager had a backwards lip on the belt clip which could easily hang when you
attempt to pull the product off of your belt or purse for firing. That would
have been fine if the product was a break-away belt clip but it was not. Again,
think about the quick-action you need to get your self defense product aimed
and fired as quickly as you can. The feel of your self defense spray is also
important. You don't want to have to look at it to fire it. That takes time. If
you are in the dark, you are out of luck. Some of these cheap sprays on the
market are so bad with their feel that in the dark, you have about a fifty
percent change of shooting yourself instead of an attacker.
Overall Carry
There are modern defense sprays built into all kinds of covert objects such as
pens, pagers, cigarette lighters and the likes. That's all fine but it has to be
more than just another attractive gimmick from the outside. It's what's in the
chemical and how fast you can shoot it that really counts. Many products
have attachments for key chains simply because it's the most common type
of way to carry the self defense spray. With a key chain attachment, you
always have your keys with you so it makes sense to keep in on your key
ring. It's also nice to have a belt clip built into the unit. The clip can be
attached to belts, purses or whatever. We prefer easy break-away belt clips.
That is, if you pull on it, the belt clip simply breaks away. No chance of
hanging there! Of course--it's going to be ruined....it's going to be fired silly!
It might save someone's life! After it's over, the spray has it's purpose anyway
and it's time to get a new one. The important thing for you to understand
and consider now is how it's going to be carried after you purchase it. It's not
going to do you any good if you forget it and leave it at home if you need it.
It's not going to do you any good if you lock it in your car. You need it with
you at all times.
Accidental Discharge
You don't want to be near a can of spray that accidentally goes off. It ruins
car interiors. In ruins the inside of purses. It ruins and stains clothing. Anyone
around it, four a half hour or more is going to feel the chemical effects. Many
cheap sprays avoid accidental discharges by having safety switches on them.
The problem is, they have added another setup to the process for actually
using the product and that's not good. Only Mace Brand has the patented
flip-top split-second fire that is very hard to have an accidentally discharge
with.
Dying Chemicals
Many of the better self defense sprays have a dying chemical in them these
days. Some of the cheap ones do not. Dying chemicals shoot a dye into the
attacker along with the spray so if the attacker runs away, he can easily be
identified by the police at a later time. With some so-called self defense sprays,
other than blinding the attacker with paint for a second, that's about all they
do! The best dying agent is an invisible one. That is, the attacker doesn't
know he's been marked. When the attacker knows he's marked, he will tend
to run and hide in a place where he will likely try and wash it off. Some of
these marking chemicals don't come off that easy. Now he's going to lie low
knowing he is a marked man. However, if the attacker doesn't even know
he's been marked, he's more likely to be out in the open where the police can
question him. It's simply a matter of common sense. UV marking dye
provides the very best marking simply because a UV light, which just about
every police department has; will reveal the marks. Mace Brand has the all
important UV dye.
Automobile Sprays
There are a number of companies that make "auto models" and I certainly
understand the reasoning of wanting to keep them in your car. You don't
want to keep a regular formulated pepper spray in the car especially if you live
in the south. In the summer time the inside car heat can go up to over 120
degrees. That's not good for the spray and it could burst. You'll have a huge
mess.
MACE BRAND TRIPLE-ACTION CLOSE UP!
Don't Fall For The Gimmicks
Don't Fall For The Al-Cheapos
Self Defense Sprays Are Cheap Enough Anyway!
Spend The Couple Of Extra Dollars And Invest In The Best
It Could Save Your Life Someday
If You Already Have A Self-Defense Spray That's Over Five Years Old, (no
matter what kind it is)
Throw It Away After You Get Another One.
Make sure your spray has an expiration date.
Make sure your spray has a split-second action fire ability
Make sure you can tell which way your spray is pointed by feel alone.
Make sure your spray isn't prone to accidental discharge.
Get the best of both worlds! Use a blend of OC and CN.
Know the Scoville heat rating before you buy.
Test the volume content of your spray every few months.
Practice getting your hand on the trigger and ready to fire once every
few months.
Consider taking a one to four hour course on basic self defense
Have other self defense products on hand.
Make sure what you have isn't just a can of spray paint.
There isn't any such thing as a "lifetime guarantee" on self-defense spray
and it can actually be quite dangerous to believe this!
If you actually use your spray and send a copy of the police report,
almost any supplier will be willing to send you a new one just to
get your police report about the use of the product even if you don't
send in the "shipping and handling" fee.
With all that said, we recommend Mace Brand Triple Action
As Your First Line Of Self-Defense
Overall Disadvantages Of Self-Defense Spray
A major disadvantage of pepper spray is a wind factor. It doesn't matter what
brand you use. If you have a very strong wind, they aren't going to be
effective unless the attacker is at extremely close range. In very strong wind,
you are going to get spray-back if you have to spray against the wind. In the
overwhelming majority of cases you will be fine but it's important for you to
understand that their is going to be a certain diminishing effectiveness of ANY
self defense spray being sprays against the wind. That's why you will also
want to have a small Stun Gun with you also.
Understanding Stun Gun Technology
Using battery power, a Stun Gun is a self defense product that puts out a high
voltage shock. An attacker can be simply touched with the product and he
will be immobilized for several minutes, with no permanent damage. A very
short two second shock will cause muscle spasms and an extremely dazed
state of mind for about fifteen minutes. Five seconds of the gun will cause one
to feel as though they had been pushed off a two story building. The stun
gun does NOT have to touch exposed skin for it to work at all. You'll get the
same effect through everyday clothing.
A little know fact about Stun Guns is that you have to have a minimum of
about two seconds of contact for them to be effective on the average
person. Some Stun Gun sellers claim that only a split second is needed. This is
a falsehood no matter what brand of stun gun we are talking about. Almost all
sellers know this fact but keep it from you for fear you will not purchase one
from them. In self defense products, there isn't any room for trial and error.
Your life or the life of a loved one could depend on it.
The Pulse Frequency Rate
How the Stun Gun actually works is quite interesting. It has to do with what is
called pulse frequency rate. The electronic shock sends a pulse frequency rate
that tells the muscles to engage in a great deal of work very rapidly. What
then happens is the attacker's blood sugar level is converted into lactic acid.
The end result of this is that the muscular functions become impaired and will
not work. It's like going limp. Nothing moves!
Contrary to popular myth, a Stun Gun does not depend on pain or high
amperage to obtain results. It's the pulse frequency rate that really matters.
The pulse frequency rate takes over the neurological pathways of the nervous
system. Even big guys usually drop right to the ground. The effects are split
second and massive disorientation, loss of balance and limpness occurs. If
you happen to be touching the person or they are touching you, the effects
of the Stun Gun will not effect you but the attacker will almost instantly let go.
Dispelling The Voltage Myth
When manufacturers first starting making stun guns, a 50,000 volt stun gun
was a very high voltage one. Today we are seeing Stun Guns going over the
400,000 volt mark. Although these stun guns do have more voltage power,
the secret to Stun Guns is in the pulse frequency rate, not the voltage.
Therefore, a lot of this high voltage stuff is really nothing more than hype.
Stun Gun Feel And Carry
Like self-defense sprays, Stun Guns need to be designed so you can instantly
grab and feel the way they point and need to have the ability to be fired in an
instant. The trigger button needs to be in a place which can be accessed with
your finger in a split second. One popular Stun Gun has a top cover you
must first take off before you can use it. The problem with this is that it takes
time to get the top off. That's not good. I don't really like the Stun Guns that
have a safety switch on them. I personally prefer the velcro holsters for them.
In a spit second, you can pull them out and fire. Better stun guns come with
a belt clip attachment so they can be easily attached to belts or purses.
New Phase Induction Technology
The very best Stun Guns on the market today are Taltons, here's why. Talton
Stun Guns use a new Phase Induction technology (Patent pending). You can
not only hear the difference, the pulse frequency rate is generally higher and
the batteries tend to last longer. There are some Stun Gun sellers that are
advertising "Talton like power" but there is really only one Talton. Talton Stun
Guns comes with a lifetime guarantee. There is only one Talton Stun Gun
Brand and all of them are clearly marked as Talton.
It's important to test your Stun Gun to make sure it works every week or so.
Stun Guns are made so that you can see the sparks arc across the two
prongs. The typical stun gun has four extending probes, two on each end of
the gun. The inner probes are for testing it and is where the test arc will
happen. The other two probes are the contact probes. It's worth saying that
you don't want to be touching any of the metal probes when you test fire the
Stun Gun. Although it's important to test the Stun Gun once in a while, don't
hold down the button for more than a few seconds. This can burn out the
Stun Gun. It's also important to not play with the Gun making it arc all the
time. Save the Stun Gun power for when you need it. It's also important to
change the batteries about every six months.
Unlike self-defense sprays which are pressurized cans, you don't have to
worry about leaving a Stun Gun in a car in which heat could potentially cause
the unit to accidentally discharge.
The 80,000 Volt Talton is nice of its small size. You will also find bigger higher
voltage Talton Stun Guns but we think the 80,000 Volt product will work just
as well as the 400,000 volt Stun Guns. The difference is price between the
standard voltage Stun Guns and the high voltage stun guns is amazing. The
real high voltage Stun Guns usually run six, six or seven times more. But,
since Stun Guns really depend on pulse frequency rates, it's all just a game to
get you to spend more money. The secret to their effectiveness is not only in
the voltage. You don't need a 400,000 volt Stun Gun that cost ten times the
price because the standard voltage Stun Guns work just fine.
Overall Disadvantage Of Stun Guns
The overall disadvantage of Stun Guns is the fact that you have to be in close
range and make contact with the attacker for them to be effective. Unless, of
course; you choose an Air Taser.
The Air Taser
The disadvantage of Stun Guns is that you have to be right up to someone
for them to work at all. You have to touch them with it. The Air Taser Solves
this problem with the first shooting Stun Gun. The Air Taser works just like a
stun gun but it shoots 15 feet. It uses compressed air that shoots two small
probes at an attacker. The probes are connected by a special Taser wire back
to the main unit. If you miss, you can still use the Taser as a Stun Gun. The
Taser has an optional red dot for aiming and several holster designs. With the
red dot, you can visually aim the taser before you fire seeing the dot on the
body of the attacker. This makes a miss highly unlikely.
Recommendations For A Stun Gun
Forget About the High Voltage Hype
Make Sure You Get A Good One, Don't Rely On Cheap Junk
Check To See If The Stun Gun Is Designed For Quick-Action Feel
Use One With The new Phase Induction Technology
Obtain A Good Holster For Your Stun Gun
Consider How The Stun Gun Is Going To be Carried Before Purchase
Consider The Taser
If You Choose The Taser, Spend The Extra Money And Get The Red Dot!
Body Alarms
Body alarms are an effective add-on self defense product that works well, but
you wouldn't want to depend on an alarm only. Recently, a national
multi-level marketing company hyped the fact that the US Government states
that sound is a strong crime deterrent. They certainly can be, but the remark
was taken out of context. Body alarms need to be used with other self
defense products. Sound can be used as a strong deterrent but it has to be
loud enough and it has to be ear piercing and it needs to be combined with
other products as an overall personal defense system. They should be at least
100 dab. At times, it can be the first action you take if you are attacked. Just
pull the cord, and the alarm goes off. The better ones now include a strobe
light that flashes so you have sound and light. If the attacker keeps coming
get ready with your self defense spray or taser. If other people are around,
you have certainly drawn attention to yourself. Even if no one is in sight,
most people will recognize the alarm sound. If you are going to get one get a
good one! The cheap ones dumped in the US market have weak battery
connections, lower sound ratings and a very high defect rate. The best one
can be used a both a body alarm and door/window alarm for traveling. The
Pro Plus Body Alarm comes with a strobe light that doubles as a handy safety
light, puts off an ear piercing 130 bD siren and has a designer carry pouch,
and can double as a door/window alarm with the extra attachment.
Recommendations For A Body Alarm
Don't Purchase A Real Cheap One-The Defective Rate On Them Is High.
Get One That Can Double As A Door/Window Alarm
Get One That Has A Light Strobe That Can Double As A Safety Light
Make Sure The One You Obtain has A Belt Clip
Get One That Has A Carry Pouch
Diversion Knives
Diversion knives can be used as a last line of defense. By that, I mean
everything else has failed but you are still holding onto your lipstick tube or
pen that hides a cutting edge.
An Overall Self Defense Products Program
When it comes to self-defense products, there are several things you can do
to up the chances of avoiding injury and/or attack. The real secret is to
backup your one product with other effective products. The most effective
non-lethal self defense system should include a good self-defense spray, a
good Stun Gun or taser and an alarm and strobe light. With all that, you
reduce your risk tremendously.
An effective self defense spray starts with a strong chemical base. The
chemical spray isn't the only factor to consider but it's a major one so let's
start with that. There are basically two types that have been time-tested over
a long period of time. They are Tear Gas and Pepper Spray. A third chemical
known as CS is generally considered for law enforcement use in riot control
situations. Let's review these chemicals.
Tear Gas (CN)
Tear Gas has become an accepted word for the chemical Chloracetophenone
commonly called CN. CN (Chloracetophenone) was discovered by a German
chemist in 1869 and is generally accepted as "tear gas" by law enforcement
and military agencies throughout the world. CN in minute quantities has an
apple blossom odor. In larger quantities, CN causes heavy flow of tears and
mucous. Burning and itching sensation of moist exposed skin occurs. CN will
produce nausea in larger quantities. CN is considered an irritant. It has been
used by law enforcement for riot control for years.
CS
You should at least be aware of a chemical called CS. CS is a chemical known
as ortho-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile. It is a white solid crystalline that has been
used as an anti-pioy agent for many years by police departments. It was
discovered and developed by B.B. Corson and R.W. Stoughton in 1920s. CS
can be disseminated in grenades, projectiles, aerosols, or as a powder. CS is
manufactured here in the United States strictly for law enforcement. It is
generally not suitable for personal defense sprays.
If you would like more detailed information on CS and/or OS,
we refer you to the US Army site and materials safety data sheets:
Military Riot Control Agents: CS and OS
Materials Safety Data Sheet On CN
Materials Safety Data Sheet On CS
Pepper Spray (OC)
Pepper Spray is a chemical compound commonly called OC which stands for
Oleoresin Capsicum. OC is a derivative of Hot Cayenne peppers. OC is the
newest self defense type spray but there are a number of cheap substandard
products on the market. Unlike tear gas, OC is an inflammatory agent. Upon
contact with mucous membranes (e.g., eyes, nose, throat, lungs) it will cause
an instant dilation of the capillaries of the eyes, resulting in temporary blindness
and instant inflammation of the breathing tissues, cutting off all but minimal
breathing to sustain life support. OC is often rated by a percentage content
of the overall chemical such as 5% or 10%. That's important, but what is
even more important is the Scoville heat rating. You could have a 25% OC
base in the chemical but if the heat rating is not high enough, the chemical is
simply not strong enough. You need to look for 1.5 to 2 million Scoville heat
unit rating. Anyone attempting to sell you a Scoville heat unit rating of above
2 million is either lying to you or breaking the federal law because a 2 million
rating is the highest rating allowed by federal law for consumer use.
For more detailed information on OC, we refer you to the
Oleoresin Capsicum Chart Material Safety Data Sheet
The problem with both of the above products (OC and CS) is one is an irritant
agent and one an inflammation agent. When you want the best of both
worlds, you want the effects of both because different people are effected in
different ways. Mace has solved this complex problem by coming up with the
finest mixture of a self defense spray in a formula that uses both CN and OC in
their new Triple Action Formula.
The Chemical Grain
Grains have to do with the tiny size of the actual grains shooting when the
defense spray is fired. Cheap bargain-basement self defense sprays likely don't
contain the fine gains needed to be effective as they need to be. The finer the
grain, the more effective the spray is going to be. All of our self defense spray
products have a very fine gain that work extremely well.
The Actuator
By the actuator, we are talking about the part of the product that holds the
actual chemical. There are several critical issues involved in this. Let's review
them.
Volume: Volume content is the actual content of the chemical. Some people
who sell you single formulated pepper spray use the defense that over time,
CN will go bad. Actually, over time; any product that is in such a can will
eventually go bad. If you have ever picked up a five year old can of shaving
cream left in the back of your bathroom cabinet by mistake, you'll understand
exactly what I am talking about. You hit the button and nothing comes out.
Although the chemical is still in it, the pressure inside the can that makes it
work is gone. The same holds true for any self defense product. The
difference, of course; is that when you get no shaving cream you don't
shave. When you get no self defense spray, your life could be in danger. All
self defense sprays need to be replaced about every five years. It's as simple
as that. There is no such self defense product that can last a lifetime, as some
are sold with a lifetime warranty that is of no use to you. And then there is
the one that says, "if you actually use it, send in the police report and we will
send you another." They only mention in the fine print that there is a
"shipping and handling charge" which amounts to a profit of what it costs to
manufacture another can. Almost any self-defense spray manufacturer will
send you a new one anyway just to get your police report about the use of
their spray whether you send in the "shipping and handling fee" or not.
A good self defense spray will let you test for actual volume content. For
example, Mace Brands let you perform a test by placing the product in a glass
of water with a volume content measurement on the side of the can. Many
cheaper spray products defend themselves by saying that you could simply
weigh the content. That's fine, but do you have a little scale around to do this
every few months and do you know the weight of the container you need to
subtract? Likely not.
Expiration Date
Self defense sprays are really inexpensive. That's a fact! Don't buy one that
doesn't have an expiration date on it--here's why. There are thousands of self
defense spray dealers all over the United States. Most of them are in this
business part time. Many of them, in order to obtain a good wholesale price;
buy enough product to last them several years. By the time your purchase
comes around, that dealer might have purchased three or four year old spray
from another dealer who sold out his part- time business. You want a fresh
product, not something that only has a shelve life left of a few months or even
a year left. The problem is, the cheaper sprays don't have any expiration date
on them. Since they don't have any date of them, you don't know if it was
made last month or eight years ago. Mace Brand Sprays do!
Force
By the force, we are referring to the force at which the spray comes out of
the can. Again, we have just gone over a very important aspect of self
defense sprays when it comes to this factor. Any pressurized canister, over a
period of time; will loss it's force.
Quick Action Fire And Feel
When we say quick action, this is critical. Sometimes a spilt second could
mean the difference between life or death! You need to be able to get the
spray pointed and fired instantly. All these snap tops take time to open.
Granted, they only take a second or two but spilt seconds count. Recently
we've seen a new product called pepper pen. It looks really nice tucked away
in a fancy expensive-looking pen. But you have to actually spend time
unscrewing this top before you could fire the product. Just picture someone
needing to use it telling an attacker to "halt" about fifteen seconds while the
top was unscrewed. A user could have easily been attacked, injured or killed
before the unscrewing of the pen took place. Another recent prototype
sample is pepper spray built into what is supposed to look like a pager. The
pager had a backwards lip on the belt clip which could easily hang when you
attempt to pull the product off of your belt or purse for firing. That would
have been fine if the product was a break-away belt clip but it was not. Again,
think about the quick-action you need to get your self defense product aimed
and fired as quickly as you can. The feel of your self defense spray is also
important. You don't want to have to look at it to fire it. That takes time. If
you are in the dark, you are out of luck. Some of these cheap sprays on the
market are so bad with their feel that in the dark, you have about a fifty
percent change of shooting yourself instead of an attacker.
Overall Carry
There are modern defense sprays built into all kinds of covert objects such as
pens, pagers, cigarette lighters and the likes. That's all fine but it has to be
more than just another attractive gimmick from the outside. It's what's in the
chemical and how fast you can shoot it that really counts. Many products
have attachments for key chains simply because it's the most common type
of way to carry the self defense spray. With a key chain attachment, you
always have your keys with you so it makes sense to keep in on your key
ring. It's also nice to have a belt clip built into the unit. The clip can be
attached to belts, purses or whatever. We prefer easy break-away belt clips.
That is, if you pull on it, the belt clip simply breaks away. No chance of
hanging there! Of course--it's going to be ruined....it's going to be fired silly!
It might save someone's life! After it's over, the spray has it's purpose anyway
and it's time to get a new one. The important thing for you to understand
and consider now is how it's going to be carried after you purchase it. It's not
going to do you any good if you forget it and leave it at home if you need it.
It's not going to do you any good if you lock it in your car. You need it with
you at all times.
Accidental Discharge
You don't want to be near a can of spray that accidentally goes off. It ruins
car interiors. In ruins the inside of purses. It ruins and stains clothing. Anyone
around it, four a half hour or more is going to feel the chemical effects. Many
cheap sprays avoid accidental discharges by having safety switches on them.
The problem is, they have added another setup to the process for actually
using the product and that's not good. Only Mace Brand has the patented
flip-top split-second fire that is very hard to have an accidentally discharge
with.
Dying Chemicals
Many of the better self defense sprays have a dying chemical in them these
days. Some of the cheap ones do not. Dying chemicals shoot a dye into the
attacker along with the spray so if the attacker runs away, he can easily be
identified by the police at a later time. With some so-called self defense sprays,
other than blinding the attacker with paint for a second, that's about all they
do! The best dying agent is an invisible one. That is, the attacker doesn't
know he's been marked. When the attacker knows he's marked, he will tend
to run and hide in a place where he will likely try and wash it off. Some of
these marking chemicals don't come off that easy. Now he's going to lie low
knowing he is a marked man. However, if the attacker doesn't even know
he's been marked, he's more likely to be out in the open where the police can
question him. It's simply a matter of common sense. UV marking dye
provides the very best marking simply because a UV light, which just about
every police department has; will reveal the marks. Mace Brand has the all
important UV dye.
Automobile Sprays
There are a number of companies that make "auto models" and I certainly
understand the reasoning of wanting to keep them in your car. You don't
want to keep a regular formulated pepper spray in the car especially if you live
in the south. In the summer time the inside car heat can go up to over 120
degrees. That's not good for the spray and it could burst. You'll have a huge
mess.
MACE BRAND TRIPLE-ACTION CLOSE UP!
Don't Fall For The Gimmicks
Don't Fall For The Al-Cheapos
Self Defense Sprays Are Cheap Enough Anyway!
Spend The Couple Of Extra Dollars And Invest In The Best
It Could Save Your Life Someday
If You Already Have A Self-Defense Spray That's Over Five Years Old, (no
matter what kind it is)
Throw It Away After You Get Another One.
Make sure your spray has an expiration date.
Make sure your spray has a split-second action fire ability
Make sure you can tell which way your spray is pointed by feel alone.
Make sure your spray isn't prone to accidental discharge.
Get the best of both worlds! Use a blend of OC and CN.
Know the Scoville heat rating before you buy.
Test the volume content of your spray every few months.
Practice getting your hand on the trigger and ready to fire once every
few months.
Consider taking a one to four hour course on basic self defense
Have other self defense products on hand.
Make sure what you have isn't just a can of spray paint.
There isn't any such thing as a "lifetime guarantee" on self-defense spray
and it can actually be quite dangerous to believe this!
If you actually use your spray and send a copy of the police report,
almost any supplier will be willing to send you a new one just to
get your police report about the use of the product even if you don't
send in the "shipping and handling" fee.
With all that said, we recommend Mace Brand Triple Action
As Your First Line Of Self-Defense
Overall Disadvantages Of Self-Defense Spray
A major disadvantage of pepper spray is a wind factor. It doesn't matter what
brand you use. If you have a very strong wind, they aren't going to be
effective unless the attacker is at extremely close range. In very strong wind,
you are going to get spray-back if you have to spray against the wind. In the
overwhelming majority of cases you will be fine but it's important for you to
understand that their is going to be a certain diminishing effectiveness of ANY
self defense spray being sprays against the wind. That's why you will also
want to have a small Stun Gun with you also.
Understanding Stun Gun Technology
Using battery power, a Stun Gun is a self defense product that puts out a high
voltage shock. An attacker can be simply touched with the product and he
will be immobilized for several minutes, with no permanent damage. A very
short two second shock will cause muscle spasms and an extremely dazed
state of mind for about fifteen minutes. Five seconds of the gun will cause one
to feel as though they had been pushed off a two story building. The stun
gun does NOT have to touch exposed skin for it to work at all. You'll get the
same effect through everyday clothing.
A little know fact about Stun Guns is that you have to have a minimum of
about two seconds of contact for them to be effective on the average
person. Some Stun Gun sellers claim that only a split second is needed. This is
a falsehood no matter what brand of stun gun we are talking about. Almost all
sellers know this fact but keep it from you for fear you will not purchase one
from them. In self defense products, there isn't any room for trial and error.
Your life or the life of a loved one could depend on it.
The Pulse Frequency Rate
How the Stun Gun actually works is quite interesting. It has to do with what is
called pulse frequency rate. The electronic shock sends a pulse frequency rate
that tells the muscles to engage in a great deal of work very rapidly. What
then happens is the attacker's blood sugar level is converted into lactic acid.
The end result of this is that the muscular functions become impaired and will
not work. It's like going limp. Nothing moves!
Contrary to popular myth, a Stun Gun does not depend on pain or high
amperage to obtain results. It's the pulse frequency rate that really matters.
The pulse frequency rate takes over the neurological pathways of the nervous
system. Even big guys usually drop right to the ground. The effects are split
second and massive disorientation, loss of balance and limpness occurs. If
you happen to be touching the person or they are touching you, the effects
of the Stun Gun will not effect you but the attacker will almost instantly let go.
Dispelling The Voltage Myth
When manufacturers first starting making stun guns, a 50,000 volt stun gun
was a very high voltage one. Today we are seeing Stun Guns going over the
400,000 volt mark. Although these stun guns do have more voltage power,
the secret to Stun Guns is in the pulse frequency rate, not the voltage.
Therefore, a lot of this high voltage stuff is really nothing more than hype.
Stun Gun Feel And Carry
Like self-defense sprays, Stun Guns need to be designed so you can instantly
grab and feel the way they point and need to have the ability to be fired in an
instant. The trigger button needs to be in a place which can be accessed with
your finger in a split second. One popular Stun Gun has a top cover you
must first take off before you can use it. The problem with this is that it takes
time to get the top off. That's not good. I don't really like the Stun Guns that
have a safety switch on them. I personally prefer the velcro holsters for them.
In a spit second, you can pull them out and fire. Better stun guns come with
a belt clip attachment so they can be easily attached to belts or purses.
New Phase Induction Technology
The very best Stun Guns on the market today are Taltons, here's why. Talton
Stun Guns use a new Phase Induction technology (Patent pending). You can
not only hear the difference, the pulse frequency rate is generally higher and
the batteries tend to last longer. There are some Stun Gun sellers that are
advertising "Talton like power" but there is really only one Talton. Talton Stun
Guns comes with a lifetime guarantee. There is only one Talton Stun Gun
Brand and all of them are clearly marked as Talton.
It's important to test your Stun Gun to make sure it works every week or so.
Stun Guns are made so that you can see the sparks arc across the two
prongs. The typical stun gun has four extending probes, two on each end of
the gun. The inner probes are for testing it and is where the test arc will
happen. The other two probes are the contact probes. It's worth saying that
you don't want to be touching any of the metal probes when you test fire the
Stun Gun. Although it's important to test the Stun Gun once in a while, don't
hold down the button for more than a few seconds. This can burn out the
Stun Gun. It's also important to not play with the Gun making it arc all the
time. Save the Stun Gun power for when you need it. It's also important to
change the batteries about every six months.
Unlike self-defense sprays which are pressurized cans, you don't have to
worry about leaving a Stun Gun in a car in which heat could potentially cause
the unit to accidentally discharge.
The 80,000 Volt Talton is nice of its small size. You will also find bigger higher
voltage Talton Stun Guns but we think the 80,000 Volt product will work just
as well as the 400,000 volt Stun Guns. The difference is price between the
standard voltage Stun Guns and the high voltage stun guns is amazing. The
real high voltage Stun Guns usually run six, six or seven times more. But,
since Stun Guns really depend on pulse frequency rates, it's all just a game to
get you to spend more money. The secret to their effectiveness is not only in
the voltage. You don't need a 400,000 volt Stun Gun that cost ten times the
price because the standard voltage Stun Guns work just fine.
Overall Disadvantage Of Stun Guns
The overall disadvantage of Stun Guns is the fact that you have to be in close
range and make contact with the attacker for them to be effective. Unless, of
course; you choose an Air Taser.
The Air Taser
The disadvantage of Stun Guns is that you have to be right up to someone
for them to work at all. You have to touch them with it. The Air Taser Solves
this problem with the first shooting Stun Gun. The Air Taser works just like a
stun gun but it shoots 15 feet. It uses compressed air that shoots two small
probes at an attacker. The probes are connected by a special Taser wire back
to the main unit. If you miss, you can still use the Taser as a Stun Gun. The
Taser has an optional red dot for aiming and several holster designs. With the
red dot, you can visually aim the taser before you fire seeing the dot on the
body of the attacker. This makes a miss highly unlikely.
Recommendations For A Stun Gun
Forget About the High Voltage Hype
Make Sure You Get A Good One, Don't Rely On Cheap Junk
Check To See If The Stun Gun Is Designed For Quick-Action Feel
Use One With The new Phase Induction Technology
Obtain A Good Holster For Your Stun Gun
Consider How The Stun Gun Is Going To be Carried Before Purchase
Consider The Taser
If You Choose The Taser, Spend The Extra Money And Get The Red Dot!
Body Alarms
Body alarms are an effective add-on self defense product that works well, but
you wouldn't want to depend on an alarm only. Recently, a national
multi-level marketing company hyped the fact that the US Government states
that sound is a strong crime deterrent. They certainly can be, but the remark
was taken out of context. Body alarms need to be used with other self
defense products. Sound can be used as a strong deterrent but it has to be
loud enough and it has to be ear piercing and it needs to be combined with
other products as an overall personal defense system. They should be at least
100 dab. At times, it can be the first action you take if you are attacked. Just
pull the cord, and the alarm goes off. The better ones now include a strobe
light that flashes so you have sound and light. If the attacker keeps coming
get ready with your self defense spray or taser. If other people are around,
you have certainly drawn attention to yourself. Even if no one is in sight,
most people will recognize the alarm sound. If you are going to get one get a
good one! The cheap ones dumped in the US market have weak battery
connections, lower sound ratings and a very high defect rate. The best one
can be used a both a body alarm and door/window alarm for traveling. The
Pro Plus Body Alarm comes with a strobe light that doubles as a handy safety
light, puts off an ear piercing 130 bD siren and has a designer carry pouch,
and can double as a door/window alarm with the extra attachment.
Recommendations For A Body Alarm
Don't Purchase A Real Cheap One-The Defective Rate On Them Is High.
Get One That Can Double As A Door/Window Alarm
Get One That Has A Light Strobe That Can Double As A Safety Light
Make Sure The One You Obtain has A Belt Clip
Get One That Has A Carry Pouch
Diversion Knives
Diversion knives can be used as a last line of defense. By that, I mean
everything else has failed but you are still holding onto your lipstick tube or
pen that hides a cutting edge.
An Overall Self Defense Products Program
When it comes to self-defense products, there are several things you can do
to up the chances of avoiding injury and/or attack. The real secret is to
backup your one product with other effective products. The most effective
non-lethal self defense system should include a good self-defense spray, a
good Stun Gun or taser and an alarm and strobe light. With all that, you
reduce your risk tremendously.
| A Guide to Choosing Self Defense and Personal Protection Products |
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| Digital Video Surveillance and Personal Protection Products |
