Mace/Pepperspray Question (LEO)

RyanMalpiede

RyanMalpiede

Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
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I have a question, what is the best Mace/Pepperspray on the market and why? One of the forum members turned me on to OC Pepper Gas made by Advanced Defense Technologies that I want to say contains 10% active ingredient. The lipstick bottel of this has been my EDC ever since. I can get Sabre brand for close to nothing though, any good? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Ryan
 
I have been sprayed by pepper spray (more than just a couple of times:):) ). It sucks. Bad. Eyes feel like someone poured lava in them, can't breath. You forget about continuing your attack real fast.
I have been sparayed by a number of brand's and I carry Bodyguard. Actually I am carrying a can of MKIV right now (issued) b/c I ran out of Bodyguard. When I buy another can it will be bodyguard. But make no mistake Mace, Sabre, Fox, etc. they all will work if used properly: short accurate bursts (don't hose) with the eyes as the target. Fog works better than stream, stream is more accurate= longer effective range. The only purpose for foams are for use in very enclosed areas (ie hospital room, prison cell) where cross contamination is a huge factor.
Take care,
Chad
 
BTW I've also used OC on subjects were it had absolutely no effect, other people PPCT techniques have no effect. Some people are just wired weird.
check you local laws in many jurisdictions 2% is the max strength for civilians, 10% for LEO's (over 10% causes serious blistering, OC is either a strong base or acid, I forgot which, but it is caustic and will cause major injury if used in too strong of a dose. 10% sprayed at a cow killed it. Also know what the carrier agent is, and if it is flameable.)
The strength of the OC in my experience is that the higher concentrations don't really burn a lot more, but they do burn for a lot longer if you don't decontaminate (flush with lot o' water)
Take care,
Chad
 
My department issues Bodyguard also and I've been sprayed twice in training and at least six times on the street. To say it hurts is an understatement. Though I've never tried it, it makes me think of sticking your face in a bucket of boiling water. Big-time ouch.

The idea, so I'm told, is to look for the highest SHU (Scoville Heat Unit), not the percentage of OC. I believe Bodyguard advertises 1.5 million SHU. Although I've never seen or used Fox, I've read that it is rated at 2 million SHU. All I know is that the stuff hurts.

If you are going to carry it for self-defense, I'd highly recommend taking at least a small hit yourself. That way, you see how you react, and if you do use it, you can testify to that fact in court. Spray a short burst into the wind and walk into the cloud for a memorable experience. Good luck, and keep plenty of cold water around. Dave
 
I've been a defensive tactics instructor for nine years and in that time I've been sprayed in excess of 20 times. (It always hurts!) I hear good things about Fox but I've never used it. First Defense is OK.Punch II is my favorite. The fogger with the square white nozzle is the one I like. We call it the master blaster. A fresh can will make your ears flap!

The Scoville Heat Unit is what you look for. 1.5 million SHUs minimum, 2 million is better. A good dose of 10% pretty much messes me up for 45 minutes. 5% is good for about 30 minutes, 1% works for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The stream and foam are OK for hospitals or places where the central air system will circulate the spray or fog, but they take longer to take effect because they don't get into the lungs. It takes a few seconds for it to take effect if you only get it in their eyes and they don't inhale it.

(Ever seen on the local news where some office building has been evacuated because of a "strange" odor that caused shortness of breath in some people. And the newsfilm shows someone wheeled out on a gurney wearing an oxygen mask? Someones pepper spray went off and got into the air system!)

The people who study such things tell us that pepper spray has minimal effect on about 6% of the population. Chad234 said it best,"some people are just wired different!" I think that estimate is a little high. My personal obsevations lead me to believe 3% is closer to reality.

It is made from peppers so you can ingest it with little harm aside from the fact that it is bitter and really hot!

Be sure to check your local laws before you carry, so you will know what you are in for if you should have to use it and try to get some training if you can.
 
Thank you to all for answering my question so well. :D If any more have comments, please feel free add on.

Thank you,

Ryan
 
PS. Does having a restaurant sized bucket of teriyaki thrown in my face pass as a mace test? I could barely see for two days after. ;)

Ryan
 
Obviously I don't pretend to know more than the LEO's out there, but wouldn't part of the problem be what you plan on using the spray for. I personally carry mace now, but I have used the Sabre as well. I found that it worked well against people, but had little effect against larger dogs. Maybe some of the LEO's out there can explain why that is.
Lagarto
 
I carry Fox, but haven't used it yet (hopefully I won't have to). I bought it because it has the highest SHU rating - 5.3 million. A search in the Practical Tactical forum will turn up a lot more info.
 
I bought my girlfriend a small bottle of Sabre to carry in her purse. One day out of sheer curiosity we took it out to my shooting range and tested it. I was not impressed with the stream at all, however the stuff is potent. There was a slight breeze that day and a little of the mist came back in my face :eek: My nose started to run and my eyes and nose were on fire for about 15 minutes and this was just a tiny whiff! Dave in PA was definitely correct about the memorable experience, I will never forget it! I do not have any experience with any other brands and I am not a LEO but my experience tells me that one spray of this stuff could be a serious deterent to any two legged creepy crawlies ;)
 
The stuff I carry right now seems pretty tame... Sabre Defense. 10 percent 500,000 SHU. I've tested it a few times(not on a person). Never even noticed it. Stick you nose on the nozzle after spraying and it smells like hot sauce. I'm going to order some Fox as soon as I get around to it. The one time I tried my ASP Key Defender(also 10 percent, not sure about the SHU's), I got a small wiff of it and I was coughing and teary eyed for 15 minutes, and that was just from spraying it - didn't even have the spray blown back at me or anything. I think it's also more of a fog spray than the stream of the Sabre. Can't wait to get my hands on the Fox...
 
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