Who has been pepper sprayed?

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aliasneo07

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Okay. Question.

I'm going to start carrying a small can of pepper spray and my fiancee agreed to do the same. Here is our plan:

I ordered a few keychain units/personal units of Fox Labs pepper spray. I ordered one or two extra ones so that we can shoot it at bottles or something to get an idea of how it patterns. Also, we said we were going to spray ourselves with it to get an idea of how it works. We want to do this because:
1. I feel like it would give us a healthy respect for the tool
2. We should know what it feels like in case wind blows it back at us
3. We should know what it feels like in case someone steals it from us and sprays us with it.

Are we insane? How bad is this stuff? If it's really just pain, then we'll just have to deal with it. My concern is that its so bad that it might prevent us from breathing and we might pass out, lol. Is this a realistic concern? What about for someone that's older, out of shape, and overweight? Concern then?

Thanks for your opinions!

PS: I bought some antidote wipes just in case.
 
Been sprayed plenty of times. Yep, it hurts. Water and time is what makes it go away. It may burn for the next day or two when you shower, especially around the eyes.
 
This idea makes me nervous. Having been maced, pepper-sprayed, and gas chambered a few times, I can tell you that you're going to want at least one other person standing by, someone who actually knows what they're doing. While it is true that the only way to know what its like is to go ahead and do it, this is going to suck a thousand times more than you can expect.

Wear clothes you don't like, and have no qualms with tossing. I have a ute shirt from RTC in '06 that still smells like CS after all these years. Don't wear your glasses or contacts if you have them. Don't rub your eyes. Don't even put your hands anywhere near your face. Grab your belt and hang the hell on.

I've heard differing opinions on what to use to wash out mace. Antidote wipes are okay, lots of water works better because it gets into all the little nooks, I've heard rumors that milk also works well, and vinegar can do the trick, but really, the best thing is to just have a garden hose standing by, and keep cool water running over your head for about 15 minutes.

Mace, in general, is one of my least favorite tools. Even if you don't intend to mace yourself, you can mace yourself. You have to be close to use it effectively, and the closer you get, the more harm you invite. Some people can fight through mace, some people it only pisses them off, some people get one wiff of it and completely shut down.

If you're going to do this, and I have to recommend you don't, but I can't say do not, do it one at a time, leave a couple hours in between each of you, and have the person spraying you keep their phone handy to call 911. If after 15 minutes you still can't see, or you're having trouble breathing, call 911 immediately.

Mace sucks. Seriously. Its worse than being tazed. The thought of being maced makes my nose water slightly.
 
You probably won't die but you won't like the stuff much either. Have a bucket of cool water handy, or a running hose, to wash it off with and you should be fine in 20 minutes or so. Standing in the wind to blow the fumes away helps a lot too. Worst permanent result I ever seen from pepper spray was an officer whose eyebrow turned grey. Workman's Comp actually paid off to the tune of a few hundred bucks.
 
I've been sprayed a couple of times. I wouldn't describe it as "painful," but definitely as "extremely uncomfortable." I also would suggest that you stand outside, hopefully in a light breeze. DON'T RUB IT. You'll make it worse. I don't know how it would affect someone who is older or out of shape. Good luck.
 
Twice by accident.
First time when I was young by my mother.
Second time when a little can of pepper spray was leaking and I rubbed it in my eyes by accident.
Probably the most annoying sensation I've ever felt.
 
I have been sprayed several times. I recommend that before you spray each other, that you also purchase a large container of "No More Tears" type baby shampoo, a large container full of water for each of you that you can submerge your whole head in (five gallon buckets or igloo type coolers work well) and buttloads of absorbent tissues for blotting, not rubbing.

Keep several things in mind. OC can incapacitate the average person for up to 45 minutes in most cases. Once sprayed, your eyes will involuntarily close, you will have severe difficulty breathing through both your mouth and nose, and your mucous membranes will produce more snot in five minutes than they will in the rest of your lives. For comparison, Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce generates about 30,000 SHUs (Scovill Heat Units, unit of measurement for heat) and 10% OC Pepperspray will produce about 2 million SHUs. The first time I got sprayed it was with 10% OC Foam (like shaving cream sticking to your face) and my face was the same color as Pepto-Bismol from the burning and reaction.

It works on about 99% of the population, except for maximum custody prison inmates who get sprayed almost everyday, and heavy duty drug addicts who don't ever feel anything anymore.

If you have any more questions, please PM me and I will try to answer any questions you have. I have about 20 years experience with the stuff (Corrections and LE).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
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DO IT OUTSIDE!

We were drinking one night in college, my roommates girlfriend dropped her can of mace by accident out of her purse....

6-7 coors lights later and we finally talked my friend into letting us mace him in the bathroom. You couldnt breath inside the entire apartment for over an hour. It was miserable.

If I was you, I would just trust us all when we tell you this stuff works, and is no fun at all.
 
I've been sprayed twice. Once as a boot augment to the MPs aboard Camp Pendleton, and once when I went through the Green Belt Instructor Course in Marine-Fu. Both times involved physical exertion (defending myself against assailants), and while they sucked, it was relatively benign. Having to do physical activities right afterward made things worse, but it wasn't that bad overall.
 
I got sprayed.... No fun! Have you ever got liquid soap in your eye before? It's worse! The stuff that I got sprayed with seemed to be oily and it was very difficult to get neutralized.
 
Yeah, it sucks. Been in a gas chamber too with the incendiary tear gas. The pepper spray hurts worse, but in my opinion, the tear gas is more incapacitating. I couldn't keep my eyes open for long or breathe well because I had snot three feet long hanging from my face. On the other hand, the pepper seems to work faster. Played around with pepper as a kid, been hit with it, shot my buddy in the face with it (an entire can, nonstop, over twenty shots) used it on sunglasses to deter a thief, and secretly blew it into an occupied room through a window fan at night. By buddy, sitting on the porch, took it all, then fell off backwards. He got up and was speechless, burning and in pain, but he could keep his eyes open. It was a chore though, and he spent the next hour under a garden hose. The guys occupying the room, that was funny. Cough. Choke, sneeze. What's that smell... Then pandemonium. Wish we had those phones back then... A kid my friend watched when we were kids ourselves decieded he wanted to be a thief when he was 11 or 12. Instead of telling his grandmother, we put a little dab of pepperspray on the bridge of the nose of some irresistable sunglasses left out, and some on the ear tabs as well, and left him in the room alone. A few minutes later we heard screaming and saw him tearing up the street. He apologized and returned the stolen items he had been stonewalling us about. Another kid diverted from a life of crime!

Do a search for images of "soldier exiting gas chamber" and you'll probably find some interesting and funny pictures. Pepper spray alone doesn't do this, not to this degree. The effects are similar, but not the same. You COULD fight through CS if you could keep your eyes open or breathe normally. With the pepper spray it is similar, but it hurts worse, and if your attacker has a low pain threshold this is important. The pepper spray burns, like a torch on your face, the CS makes it impossible to maintain the attack, and if you can find a combination of the two, that stuff works like magic. Better on bears than any shoulder fired firearm is.

Kimber makes a ballistic pepper gun. Has two cartridges in it and it fires the stuff using some type of blank pepper round I guess. Says you can't dodge it and it blows right around glasses and forces it into the skin. If I had to carry one and not my pistol, this would probably be the one. Don't know if it uses both pepper and CS though. Try this thing out if you can, maybe look for youtube videos. I've only seen the ad in their catalog, and it looks nice, but I'd want to see someone shot with it first, hence youtube.

If you go with a spray (and regardless of firearms, I think the stuff belongs in every car, purse, desk, backpack, and back of junk drawer or bathroom) just make sure to get the combination CS and pepper. Oh yeah, there is another tear gas, CN, not sure which comes in the can or which is better. Probably not that important as long as you have both. At any rate, get the highest concentration of both ingredients in the biggest can you can handle, fire extinguisher types for car and desk, the little pocket ones for pockets. The gel sticks better and blinds better, but the liquid will form a choking "cloud" if you will, that helps if, say, they hold up their arms and you get a bad shot.

Definitely shoot yourself if you plan on carrying it, so buy a couple (once you shoot it, use it all up... The pressure dies after you fire it and it won't work when you need it to). You can't do this with most defensive weapons, so knock yourself out. Do it outside, definitely, and having a buddy to assist in hosing off your face is helpful. The buddy will also be helpful if you find out you are allergic to any of the components or you have a stronger than average reaction. Note the pepper spray and the CS are greasy, not a true liquid, and it doesn't come off the easiest. Make sure to change your clothes and wash them good too.

Thanks for bringing up the memories! Definitely look into that Kimber device though for the pocket or purse, and combination sprays in the big cans for the car. Whether or not you have a pistol, they are good in the car.
 
don't spray yourself, you really won't gain anything from it. you won't pass out if you do. understand that some people have a very high tolerance for pain. i have personally witnessed complete psychopaths sprayed with oc and continue to function as if nothing happened. it is hard to fathom this when you know how it feels to be sprayed with oc. these people are walking the streets and you would be doing yourself a disservice if you believe that you are adequately armed with oc. it is better than nothing but not better than a firearm. you would be better served to spray an object to determine optimal distance for deployment. i believe that this would be far better training than spraying oneself. it is also worthy to consider the fact that you could potentially incapacitate yourself while trying to deploy oc in a defensive situation. just my thoughts.
 
Not a horrible idea.....

but not the best either. I was sprayed multiple times while in the Marines. I can tell you it isn't fun but really not that bad. I will second that you do not wear contacts and buy baby shampoo it is about the only thing that will really stop it. Just smear it on your face after being sprayed and then have someone spray you with a hose for a couple minutes. Also don’t shave that morning cause any tiny cut will really burn. That being said it actually has little effect on me and had varying effects on others from nothing to severe so be extremely careful. I also would tell you to try to do anything after being sprayed before washing it off so that if it is blown on you in a self defense scenario you will know how you perform while being affected by it.
 
I think M-Cameron's video hits the nail on the head. You don't need to be a victim of the tool to appreciate its power. If you don't need to be shot with a gun to respect the gun, you don't need to be sprayed with OC to respect it. Just treat it the same way you would with any weapon and don't use it frivolously. I do think it makes sense to buy an extra bottle for practice shooting though.
 
1. I have been.
2. Water doesn't do crap, other than alleviate the nuclear sensation which occurs on every pore it becomes lodged in - it's oil based.

3. On your neck + facial pores, it feels like a very bad ( beyond 2nd degree) sunburn. In your eyes - worse. I don't think it actually "goes away" for a few hours, it's just that after 20+ minutes of burning, you become accustomed to an 'uncomfortable' feeling.

4. I agree with the 'do it outside' suggestion, if at all. I'm thinking if you let the girlfriend do it to you first, you won't want to return the 'favor'.

5. I too, have witnessed some dust-heads not seem to be bothered by it - that's what the Tazer is for...


If you do give it the old college try, could you do us all a favor and video + YouTube it?
 
In any discussion of OC spray, mace, etc., we see a consistent pattern.

Always, without fail, a bunch of people arrive and weigh in saying, "it doesn't work. people just laugh it off. it has no effect. it is useless. I have been sprayed and it did nothing."

My general sense is that all of those reports can be discounted as pure fabrication. These are people who deeply, powerfully, want to believe that OC has no effect, so they lie.

Am I making a serious claim, calling these people liars? Yes, I am.

So there is only one way to verify my remarks here. Take your OC spray and have a friend hose you down with it. See how it goes.

If the people I call liars are correct, you'll laugh and have a field day. It will have zero effect and you'll be happy and content.

If I am incorrect, you'll be extremely unhappy.
 
Been OC'd and CS'd. OC hurt worse for me. That being said, I have SEEN people that are not affected at all by OC. Others were merely annoyed. OC is a person by person thing.

If you really feel the need to spray yourself, I'd listen to dc.fireman and LeonCarr.....
 
it sucks but not terribly bad. if you had to you could easily fight thru it. when i got sprayed it just really pi ssed me off
 
I went through a training course on utilizing OC spray. The ENTIRE course was all about building a resistance to OC, at least to the point where you could perform various tasks while having been sprayed. Finding your phone, dialing 911, and other such things, just as an example.

At the end of the course, I had been convinced that I didn't want to carry OC spray.
 
you would be doing yourself a disservice if you believe that you are adequately armed with oc.
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree with this statement. I haven't witnessed any coked-up meth heads getting sprayed, as I am not law enforcement. However, I've been sprayed, and it was very uncomfortable. But I could have done anything that I wanted immediately after getting sprayed. Not tryin to sound like a tough guy, I'm just relating my experience.
 
I have been sprayed with a 1/8th second blast of Fox labs. It was MISERABLE and nearly 100% debilitating. It was for training. We were allowed to close our eyes, take a deep breath, and then wipe with towels afterward.

15 min after the event, we had to go through a tough paint ball course, totally just on the defensive getting pegged. The effects went gradually from 100% to 0% debilitating over the course of a few hours. For a short time, I couldn't open my eyes and keep them open to save my life. It was that hot and painful.

(We were also tasered at the same course on a different day - that's much more intense, but a shorter duration).

Overall, it was good training and certification. But I would not volunteer to do it again.

There IS some minor risk of permanent injury. I would NOT mess around with testing this on yourselves. Why risk permanent eye injury? At best, if you let the effects wear off like they should, it will take a 1/2 day to feel okay again.

If you do, take your contacts out if you wear them. And shower with dawn dishsoap.
 
I had a small can go off in my pocket when I squated down in a tight pair of blue jeans. I was unaware until it had totaly soaked my dangly parts. I spent the rest of that day in the shower.
 
there are various concentrations. Civilian legal OC spray (typically 10% max in most states) isnt too bad. Having been sprayed with various intensities I can tell you that the riot control LE/military 20% stuff really really really sucks. Different people have different reaction though. some people have finer pores and are less affected by the OC.
Water and baby shampoo simply help get the particles out of your eyes, they do not alleviate the pain and the pepper oil is not water soluble. scientific tests revealed that milk, water, baby shampoo etc did not reduce the pain or irritation levels by any measurable degree.
I can tell you that if I get sprayed with anything less than 20% I will be very very unhappy but not very greatly hindered in any real way. Repeat experience and training have led me to be able to remain calmer and more effective when directly exposed to OC.

before you experience this you might want to make sure you dont have to drive anywhere for the rest of the day, perhaps even the next day also. have some sunglasses handy for indoor wear in brightly lit rooms.
Get some soft absorbent towels and some cold water. Blow your nose really well before you get sprayed too.
The first time i got sprayed was 10%. It was not fun but it didnt bother me much after 2 days. some people were more greatly affected (some up to 6 days).
20% (I got blasted pretty well) ruined my week.
another thing to keep in mind is the SHU rating. For some reason the SHU (scoville heat units) bears no relation to the concentration.
While a high concentration is preffered so is a high SHU.
the concentrations relates to the percentage of pepper oil in the solution (and how hard it will be to remove), the SHU will tell you how potent that oil is.
Many police departments use fox labs (often it seems at around a 5% concentration) but i think that it clocks in around 5 million SHU (quite potent)
the 20% stuff I was sprayed with was 7 million SHU and while some people were barely affected it rocked my world.
Pure OC is 16 million SHU and will cause skin burns on contact rather than inflammation and discomfort.
 
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