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Pepper
spray also known as OC spray
(from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas,
and capsicum spray, is a chemical
compound that irritates the eyes to
cause tears, pain, and even temporary
blindness. This is why pepper spray
is useful for personal self-defense,
including defense against dogs and
bears as well as human attackers.
Pepper
spray is considered a less lethal
agent and therefore it is the
choice of many customers who are not
candidates for using a gun or other
weapon to defend themselves.
Pepper
spray is naturally derived.
The active ingredient in pepper spray
is capsaicin, which is a chemical
derived from the fruit of plants in
the Capsicum genus, including chilis.
Getting oleoresin capsicum from peppers
involves finely ground capsicum, from
which capsaicin is extracted in an
organic solvent such as ethanol. The
solvent is then evaporated, and the
remaining waxlike resin is the oleoresin
capsicum. An emulsifier such as propylene
glycol is used to suspend the OC in
water, and pressurized to make it
aerosol in pepper spray.
How can
you tell how powerful a pepper
spray you are buying? A technology
called liquid chromatography (HPLC)
is used to measure the amount of capsaicin
within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat
Units (SHU) are used to measure the
concentration or "heat" of pepper
spray. So, you can look at the product's
Scoville units to determine potency.
What
happens to an attacker? Pepper
spray is an inflammatory. It causes
immediate closing of the eyes, difficulty
breathing, runny nose, and coughing.
The duration of its effects depend
on the strength of the spray but the
average full effect lasts around thirty
to forty-five minutes, with diminished
effects lasting for hours, thus giving
you a chance to escape.
We stock only new pepper sprays by
the leading manufacturers. You can
choose from...
- Personal Defense Sprays
- Animal Repellents (dog and bear
mace)
- Home Protection Sprays
- Law Enforcement Police Model Sprays
- Sportsman Scent Systems
- Civilian Models with Keychains
& Other Features
- Powerful Yet Attractive Fashion
Model Sprays
Here's
a Really Good F.A.Q.
Q. Will cans of
Muzzle have shortened use life (the
propellant effectiveness) if they
are shaken on a daily basis? I ask
because I carry mine in a front pants
pocket and, since I walk fast, it
gets shaken up a lot....four or more
miles per walk. Thank you."
A. Don't worry.
The shaking from walking or running
won't affect the effectiveness at
all. You can jiggle it all you want,
and it won't decrease the propellant
effectiveness. Here is some more advice
from police who carry pepper spray
all the time...
"As molecules of propellant
tend to leak past the seals over time,
it is recommended that you test spray
your pepper spray a couple of times
a year to make sure its operating
properly and has not lost pressure.
All pepper spray products use a nitrogen,CO2
or Freon propellant which is nonflammable
and provides a consistent and reliable
spray pattern for years and in a wide
range of temperatures. These products
have a shelf life of around 4 to 5
years (may be less for 1/2 oz. units
due to its small size and small amount
of propellant). The OC spray does
not deteriorate like tear gas. It
is only the pressurization of the
propellant which declines over time."
Also, please note that Muzzle works
on dogs with muzzles and not pug face
dogs because their tear ducts are
not the same. A regular pepper spray
will actually be more potent and will
work on dogs with muzzles, so you
can carry any pepper spray and it
will work on dogs. The SPCA and animal
lovers like muzzle the best because
it is kinder to dogs, but a lot of
folks decide to carry regular pepper
spray for possible dog attacks or
whatever attacker may come. It is
a personal choice.
Does
Bear Spray Work? Research says YES
An Associated Press article of April
21, 2008 reports - ANCHORAGE, Alaska
- A study concludes that bear spray
works 98 percent of the time in warding
off bear attacks, and that in the
few cases it did not work, the problem
was in aiming the spray - not the
spray's effectiveness.
Biologist Tom Smith and others have
published a paper of their research
in The Journal of Wildlife Management.
The study says bear spray is effective
98 percent of the time.
The researchers looked at 83 cases
where bear spray was used and found
that none of the incidents involved
any serious injuries. The red-pepper
spray causes painfully swollen eyes
and nasal passages on its targets.
Smith spent years working in Alaska
as a bear biologist for the U.S. Geological
Survey. He now is a professor of wildlife
science at Brigham Young University.
In the report, Smith noted the risk
for injury is greater with firearms,
the other main means of self-protection.
Wounded bears sometimes turn on people,
he said. For example, Johnny McCoy,
a Baptist minister and former North
Pole mayor, was hurt in 2001 by a
grizzly bear that attacked moose-hunting
partner Gary Corle. Corle shot at
the bear with his rifle, but missed.
The bear then turned on McCoy, who
needed surgery to reattach his ear
and close large gashes in his forehead,
arms and hands.
Bear spray has been used in Alaska
for more than two decades. No similar
attacks against those using spray
in self-defense have been reported.
"Bear spray represents an effective
alternative to lethal force,"
the researchers wrote. But bear spray
also has its limits. Smith notes there
have been problems with the spray
in the wind, although its biggest
drawback may be the one-shot limit.
Smith reported that in "7 percent
of bear spray incidents, wind was
reported to have interfered with spray
accuracy, although it reached bears
in every case."
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