Pepper Spray - highest quality and where?

Midget

Midget

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Jun 1, 2002
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Anyone know a good brand pepper spray/mace and where I can get it?
A smaller, more handheld/concealable canister is preferred.



I tried a search, but for some reason it hasn't been working for me recently. Moderators, any ideas?


Thanks a bunch.
 
Speaking of pepper spray, I wonder what effect bear spray would have on humans.
 
Still curious, although I got impatient already and put down for two 2oz. cans of Fox labs brand spray.

It's here:
http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/pepper.htm

I heard the bear spray stuff will work on humans as well, although the "manner" of spray may not be suitable? For bear sprays, the spray kind of comes out as a thick and direct fog, so it seems like if you were to use it on a human attacker, you might end up getting a lot of it on you. Plus, the canisters are pretty big, it seems, and that would really interfere in some people's daily activities. But then again... after seeing all those "what's in your pockets?" threads, an 8" canister like that is peanuts compared to the rest of stuff you people carry in your pockets. :)

My Fox sprays that I just ordered come with a medium spray nozzle, so I guess the user doesn't have to aim. I got it for a girl, and she's not the tactically inclined type, you know? :)

Anyway, I could be wrong about the bear spray thing, I've only done like 12 minutes of research on the stuff.
 
Seems to me that the best I keep hearing about is Fox. Pretty strong stuff... IIRC something like 5.6 million SHU in a 2% formula. That's pretty freakin' hot!

By all means stay AWAY from Sabre Defense(black can with blue label usually). I know from personal experience that that stuff is flammable!!! Not a good thing for pepper spray.

Where to get it? Any police supply shop. If you live in a big metro area there is probably at least one nearby(I know of at least three here in Portland) and there are of course the internet shops...

http://www.galls.com/

http://www.streichers.com/

And there are a few others around but I usually buy from these guys or the local Blumenthals.
 
While I'm on the topic, anyone know if there is a shelf life on pepper sprays? Are the nozzles, aerosols, peppers affected by changes in temperature (put in the pocket, taken out, put in the pocket...)??

Story time.

This past summer I had the pleasure of spending quality time in Berkeley, CA to study physics. I lived right on Telegraph Rd. (a very major street that leads to the university, overflowing with hobos, hippies, whatever you want to call them). One night, I hear glass break outside my apartment window. Being the ******* I am, I ignored it, cause I'm a lazy and a prick. Two or three minutes later, I hear glass break again, and I remember that my car is parked outside my apt. building, and that's enough to get a lazy ******* on his feet. I grabbed my Strider SA (which I later found out was illegal to carry in CA), my long maglite, and some cheap pepper spray (i forget what brand). Long story short, a friend and I chase the guy away (who was systematically breaking into cars down the line, and was JUST in front of my car); he runs away; we call the police numerous times, get the BUSY signal; literally FLAG an officer down in his car (there's seriously a cop on every block in Berkeley), was told to "call another department (lazy fu*king cop); so we roam the streets for a half hour or so, and what do you know, the guy is still jacking cars on the street about 6 blocks away. As we approach, we see he has a partner waiting in a car. It was about then when my friend bailed and ran off, leaving me kinda stuck. The jacker sees us, gets in his car, and they haul ass.

Pretty ****** story, huh? The point is, I had full intent of using my pepper spray, cause my strider and maglite aren't too kosher "defensive" weapons, and I bet the cops would frown on that, and I'd like to avoid that sort of confrontation if I can. So I go home, bummed that I didn't get a facial description or even a license plate, and inadvertantly test my pepper spray out the window. It makes a slight gurgle sound, and a few drops of spray dribble out of the nozzle and roll down the side of the canister. So in retrospect, if I had stuck my neck out armed with the spray, I would have certainly gotten my ass kicked. Bummer, huh?

So, back to my question. Shelf life? How can you preserve the functionality of pepper sprays?

Sorry bout the rambling.
 
Yes, there most definately is a shelf-life. Usually 2 years from what I've seen.

You should shake the can regularly...otherwise solids precipitate to the bottom of the can and you'll spray a less-viable solution when the moment of truth happens...
 
I've also read the 2 year shelf life, from where I don't remember. And I remember reading to shake the canister once a month.
 
Yeah, they like to shake 'em up before they spray... Never heard the once a month rule though.

Shake well before use... No, silly, the pepper spray! Put the bad guy down.
:rolleyes:

OK, I have a lousy sense of humor.
 
The cans do leak propellant, which over time can reduce the pressure enough that you get only fizzle, not spray. This is especially true of the small, keychain-sized units. I think that high temperatures, such as what you get in parked cars during the summer, also causes problems.

I should add that I haven't seen the propellant problem with my Fox 2 oz. cans, but I replace them every year anyway.
 
Punch II works great. I have been sprayed with it multiple times and it will flat put you in pain. Our department requires you to be sprayed with it if you are going to carry it on duty. They feel once you see its effects first hand, you will be more tempted to use it instead of some other force option. The shelf life is usually two years. The OC will still work great well after two years, it's the propellant that looses its strength.
 
tarsier, out of curiousity...

whats the knife in your avatar? it looks like a meerkat, but with a linerlock...

?

thanks for the replies, guys.
 
Originally posted by Midget
oh wait, is it the navigator, or something?
Click to expand...
You are correct, sir. It is a G10 Navigator, which was discontinued in favor of the Almite-handled version, which was also discontinued.

I like mine.

:)
 
cap stun always has worked for me, and i have heard nothing but good about fox,

i have had a propellent prob myself, worked ok first 2 sprays then quit, lol, luckily the first 2 did the job. this was with an early brand(late 80's), cant remember the name right now, i guess it leaked?? i always got a new can every yr after that, lol,

as far as expiring,a rep told me that it is ok for 6 mos after date, or 30 months total but get a new can after that. it will go bad.

if its in date, got proppelent, shaken and aimed correctly though, it will usually work in my experience,

greg




*edited to add- the older spray that leaked on me was S&W "mace" brand IIRC, and most of my experience has been with def tech (another good one) and cap stun.
 
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