pepper spray

[jstert]

please school me. i don’t have pepper spray, haven’t been disposed to getting it, yet. if the threat poses an imminently lethal danger from which i can’t safely disengage, i would rely on a handgun. i’m just thinking of whether or not to expand the range of self defense tools at my disposal.

my concerns:
1. getting enough practice to be confident, safe, proficient.
2. blowback and effectiveness.
3. decision to employ. choosing pepper spray over a firearm may not allow enough time to escalate to the latter if the former doesn’t work. or, would relying on an intermediate defensive tool stupidly escalate the confrontation?
4. brand, size, cost, etc.
5. legality in various places.
6. other concerns that are masked by my ignorance.

would appreciate comments from folks who carry both pepper spray and a handgun. thanks in advance.

 

[herrwalther]

I carry pepper spray, in addition to a handgun. The large benefit is I have been exposed (live hit certified) on 4 different brands of the stuff between corrections and the military.

1. Practice. Spray doesn't really lose its effectiveness over time. The propellant starts to breakdown and might produce less sprays or distance. So you can use trainer cartridges, and older expired cans to maintain proficiency with the spray pattern and usage. Plus any collateral exposure because of wind, poor deployment etc.
2. I have found pepper spray to be very effective against dogs while doing gig delivery work. On people, it can be hit or miss because some people are more vulnerable to it than others. That was part of the crapshoot I had in corrections: using a Taser or spray might not work. And those were all I had. No firearm to fall back on.
3. Pepper spray can buy you time to get away or get your firearm ready if it works. The OPJ determines that Pepper Spray is useful in deescalating or stopping aggressive behavior 85% of the time it is used. This number is based on a 1994 study so it could be higher or lower. Take the information with a grain of salt.
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/195739.pdf
4. I personally like Freeze +p in the flip top 2 oz. Freeze uses a combination of CS and OC. Two of the most common ingredients in sprays, but most only use one of them at a time. The flip top makes it less likely to be engaged in a pocket, compared to a twist top in my experience. About $25 on Amazon
5. Check your state laws. In some places, spray is just as controlled in public as a handgun. Meaning, the sign at your courthouse says no guns, pepper spray is good right? Wrong. It will get you in just as much trouble.

As with anything there is give and take. I prefer to have non lethal choices leading up to lethal force. I can shoot an aggressive dog but I would rather have the option of spraying it first. I can shoot an aggressive drunk guy, but I would rather spray first. Carrying a small can in my pocket gives me that option over going to lethal force.

 

[hso]

Theres an entire stickied thread on OC. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/pepper-spray-the-truth.768705/