Recommend a Pepper Spray?

[doc540]

I've seen "X2" recommended here, but I've only seen it offered for sale to law enforcement. Anyone know where a Texas civilian (with CWP) can purchase it?

Online stores are awash in many different products, so I need help in navigating to what is most effective.

What do you recommend for personal, purse/car carry?

Thanks

 

[CoRoMo]

There was an NRA Instructor-Trainer that recommended this product to me in a training class I took last summer. Kimber makes it, so I would put all my faith in it. I've never heard of anything better.

Life-Act

Enjoy.

 

[hoji]

The X2 is available to Security Officers as well at GT Distributors.

 

[dawg23]

I'd be very leery of any OC manufacturer who doesn't list product info (such as SHU) for its pepper spray.

Do a search here, or at Glock Talk, or at The firing Line, or anywhere else, and you'll get an overwhelming indication that Fox Labs (5.3 Million SCU) is hard to beat.

 

[DC300a]

Sabre-Red ain't Bad.

Three things to consider:

Be less worried about the Scoville Rating and look more at the %'s of the solution.
- First check the % of Capsasin in the OleoresinCapsicum.
That number represents the concentration of capsaicinoids(the proteins that contain capsasin) in the oleoresin itself. This number should be between 0.675%-1.2%.
- Second the next number is the % of OleoresinCapsicum.
That number is the % of OleoresinCapsicum that is in the soulution. Everything else in the can is just a carrying agent, usually water. (Used to be alcohol until the advent of the Tazer) The number is listed at either 5% or 10%.

Take all of this into consideration and look for one that is around 1% at 10%. That is a 10% solution of Oleoresincapsicum and carrier with the Capsicum containing about 1% capsaicinoids. Very hot and effective.

Both of these numbers will effect the final SHU. Like dawg23 said, any company worth their salt will list these percentages on the can.

 

[dawg23]

Actually I was trying to keep it simple. But if you are inclined to do your own calculations, here's some info from Paul Gomez' primer on OC:

'How Hot is Hot?' has to be the eternal question and subject of a surprising amount of bad information in regards to pepper spray.

There are several different methods in common use to discuss the 'hotness' or pungency of OC sprays.

SHU or Scovile Heat Units

SHUs are a measurement of heat, as perceived from the burn sensation when a product is placed on the tongue. SHUs are the measurements derived from the Scoville Organoleptic Test, which was a taste test devised by Scoville while working as a pharmacologist for Parke Davis in 1912. The SOT devised a measurement scale that ran from 0 for the Bell Pepper & Banana Pepper to over 200,000 for the various Habanero Peppers and up to 16 Million for Pure Capsaicin. The SOT has been replaced by a method known as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]. Knowing the SHUs of a given product provides us with one number in the equation. Which is hotter, a 2 Million SHU product or 5.3 Million SHU product?

Percentage of OC

The percentage of OC only provides one number in the equation that is used to determine the actual 'hotness' of a given product. For instance, knowing that 'Spice A' is 5% and 'Spice B' is 10% really gives us no usable information. Is 'Spice B' twice as hot as 'Spice A'?

Capsaicinoid Concentration

This is a determination of active components in Oleoresin Capsicum. Capsaicinoids are the group of compounds that cause the burning sensation. There are three main compounds that make up about 95% of the capsicinoids: Capsaicin, Dihydrocapsaicin and Nordihydrocapsaicin. The Capsaicinoid Concentration is the amoung of these compounds in a given solution. By measuring the capsaicinoids, an accurate level of pungency can be determined. 'Major Capsaicinoid Content' is the measurement that the EPA uses when approving OC products for use as animal repellants [such as BEAR]. Capsaicinoid Cencentration is reflected as a small percentage.

Scoville Content or Scoville Value

This figure is one that I have used for years when evaluating OC products, but until recently, it had no catchy name. I referred to obtaining this number as 'doing the math'. If you multiply the SHU number and the percentage you will have a number that is indicative of the pungency of each application of a given product [each release from the can, ie how hot the total product being expelled from the can is].

As was mentioned in an earlier post, every canned OC product has three components in the can: OC, Carrier & Propellant. The actual quantity of OC in the can is relatively minor. The vast majority of space is occupied by carrier and propellant.

A 5% 2 million SHU has a Scoville Content of 100,000 & 0.62% CC
A 10% 2 million SHU product has a SC of 200,000 & 1.25% CC
A 2% 5.3 million SHU product has a SC of 106,000 & 0.66% CC

In my opinion, the lowest acceptable Scoville Content rating for a defensive spray is 100,000.

Here's a link to Gomez' entire essay:
http://totalprotectioninteractive.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2545&highlight=pepper

I still recommend Fox Labs. With the stream nozzle.

 

[Shaolin]

I'm going with the Fox Labs.

 

[savageoneseven]

I don't know much about the numbers, but experience tells me that Fox Labs is pretty darn uncomfortable.

 

[sdj]

Opening up a can o'...

"Whoop Ass"; yes, oddly enough that is the brand that my local firearms store carries.

From the label: "4 Million scoville heat units derivative"; "17% Pepper Spray"; "Made in USA."

 

[ryan b]

As a law enforcement officer and instructor fox and topcop is the meanest stuff i have used top cop is currently what i carry and would highly recommend it