If you don’t have a law enforcement background, there’s a chance that you’ve never even seen a stun gun, TASER device, pepper spray canister, or any of the other self defense products. These products are becoming more and more popular for self defense, but still far too few people think to arm themselves to fight back when being attacked. How do you choose between all of these popular devices for self defense? All of these devices are designed to be easy to use and effective, but if you don’t know the differences between them, you might have a hard time choosing. Here are the more popular types of self defense weapons.
Pepper Spray – This is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself. If you can use a spray can, you can use pepper spray. The spray contains a chemical derivative of hot peppers known as Oleoresin Capsicum (OC). When sprayed at your attacker, OC acts as an inflammatory agent, causing burning, watery eyes, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms to take down your attacker quickly. The chemicals in pepper spray are hotter than even the hottest jalapeno peppers – in fact, about eight hundred times hotter. You can hit an attacker with a good stream of pepper spray from up to fifteen or twenty feet away, and they will be incapacitated for at least 20 or 30 minutes, although there are no long-term health effects after being sprayed.
Stun Guns – Stun guns are devices that use an electrical current to disable your attacker. When you hit the ‘on’ button, the device emits a loud crackling noise that will make your attacker think twice without you even having to use the stun gun against them. Though they are very effective at making your attacker unable to control his muscles to fight you, the stun gun must come into physical contact with his body in order to affect him. Even thick clothing will lessen the effect of a stun gun. Still, these are very powerful devices that will stop an assailant in his tracks.
TASER Devices – TASER devices fire a wire with a barb that will attach to the attacker, delivering a pulse of energy. This energy disrupts the assailant’s nervous system, and, similarly to a stun gun, makes him unable to continue attacking you. Most TASER models have a range of about fifteen feet. They are easy to aim and fire, and will penetrate several inches of clothing. In addition, most TASER devices can be used like a stun gun if your attacker is too close for you to aim and fire the device. The drawback is that the TASER barbs can only be fired once with each replaceable cartridge. Also, TASER devices tend to be among the more expensive of your self defense options, though they are also among the most effective.
Keychain self defense – Many forms of personal defense come in a handy keychain form. You can purchase small canisters of pepper spray on a keychain, in addition to a kubuton (self defense stick), which allows you to fight back using your own strength. A personal alarm is a keychain device which emits an extremely loud noise to alert bystanders to your situation. A kubuton is a good choice if you like the idea of fighting back physically, although it does require some skill and strength to use effectively. A personal alarm has many applications and will draw a lot of attention, which will make many attackers turn and run. Keychain-sized pepper spray canisters are among the most popular types of self defense product.
Knives and firearms – Although these can be very effective, they require a lot of skill to use correctly in a self defense situation. Plus, there are many laws governing the carrying and use these devices. Many people don’t like the idea of carrying a knife or gun, or indeed anything that may cause lethal harm. If you are considering your options for personal protection, a nonlethal device designed to protect you in a self defense situation is probably a more effective option.
By: Richard Armen
About the Author:
Resist Attack has a full range of stun guns both for families and security forces. Also check for current specials on hand held metal detectors.
