To Carry Or Not To Carry...OC/Mace

[thexrayboy]

Better to have an option to deadly force and not need it then need it and not have it. OC containers are just not that big, heavy and unwieldy to say
" I can't be bothered with this, it's too much to carry". As for a tactical light?
Surefire makes a very good one. Streamlight also. Other makers exist. One of my favorites is a Brinkman that I bought at WallyWorld for less than $20. It is every bit as bright, sturdy and effective as the higher priced ones I have.

 

[#shooter]

What would a jury think? If you use the spray and then your pistol you can say "I tried deterrence with the spray and it did not work I used my pistol as a last resort”. But you may not have time to use both and you use the pistol first. The DA or lawyer in the civil suit will argue you are negligent because you used the lethal means first and not the non-lethal means first.

you may not have the time to draw both and you all know the saying ….don’t bring pepper spray to a gun fight.

 

[Geno]

Yes.

I do carry pepper spray along with pistols. My first line of defense is my TKD. My second line of defense is my pepper spray. My third, and last resort, is my firearms. It just makes sense to keep matters to a minimum.

 

[xsquidgator]

Absolutely - if you have room, bring some sort of pepper spray (and a flashlight). You don't have to use it (may or may not be appropriate) but in my case, not being able to fight H2H, it gives me at least an option of exercising non-lethal force before resorting to deadly force. I'll use the spray, if I have time and I'm unsure as to whether we've crossed the line into needing deadly self-defense force.

I have a Spitfire that I like, very small and supposed to be safe against accidental discharges. I keep that on a keychain with a tiny AAA battery LED flashlight. Keychain goes on my beltloop with a "D" ring, and trails down into a pant pocket, works well even in fairly dressy clothes. At least for the spitfire you can also order practice refills, so you can practice deploying it without peppering yourself.

 

[ogivemeplat]

Which type

There are at least three types, fog, stream and foam.
The fog can be a little indiscriminate, and you risk getting some of it yourself.
That said, there are some very good ones, and they are fairly directional.
They involve the recipient's breathing, which the other two don't.
Think I'd carry "fog" style spray for bear or similar.
The foam works, but from personal experience you have to apply quite a bit of it, which might be tough to do with an angry, mobile adversary.
And it just seems to take a little longer.

The pepper "stream" is probably my favorite, a concentrated stream of liquid that is very directional, has decent range, and does not get in the air nearly to the extent of the "fog" style.
Can be used indoors without involving everyone else.
Does dreadful things to people's eyes though, you'll almost feel sorry for them after you've sprayed them.
No risk of respiratory distress.

The "fog" ones are handy if you are having trouble with someone following you in a vehicle, leave a cloud for them to drive through.
Would work in the same manner indoors, or in somewhat enclosed environment such as a parking garage. Fog the air, and let them walk through the cloud. Just keep in mind that it'll hang around some, and can leave oily residue on walls and floor if you use a lot.
You'll be very unpopular if you get it into a building's AC system!

Cautionary tale, thanks to a friend of mine's experiences. Don't leave them in your car on a hot day. He returned to his car to find the windows pink, from the can he'd left on the dashboard.
Took a little airing out and wiping before it was driveable.

Now if I could only get some OC that was mixed with the volatile oil in the skin of the durian fruit.............