OC - glasses - any benefit?

Very hard to know quite where to put this one Bumper!

I got to thinking ... if a BG had OC spray and decided to use it on me - would my glasses give me something like a chance? I have not put this to the test and not do I wish to but - in an imaginary situation where this might be tried - it struck me as me having an ''edge'' if wearing glasses - and maybe still a chance to get clear, or even draw if he was armed also.

That of course could be seen as bringing up another question! If you are sprayed and know not whether your adversary has anything more up his sleeve (read gun) - what would be acceptable to do?? To draw and fire when assailant only ''armed'' with OC - would seem like bad juju! But - reflexes are reflexes??

I don't think that glasses would completely protect you from OC but I would much rather get an indirect dose of it rather than a direct shot to the ole eyeballs. I'm not sure what, legally, you could do if you got OC'd. I think it would be bad juju. I would probably back up as fast as I could and get the gun on him (since he was the agressor), unless I also had OC. Then maybe we could have an old western showdown to see who could spray the other first. Seriously though, I would probably ask myslef what a LEO would do if I pulled OC on him and he didn't have a baton/stick. I think I would find a gun on me. Am I wrong?

I think re LEO Bumper - you'd be right. But sure makes me wonder what would sit OK with ''one of us''.!!

I think you would still breathe the OC, not to mention that the stuff is on your face and some residual will probably get to your eyes.

The upside is that if a BG uses the stuff against you, you might have a limited amount of time to get in a final lick.

As for the proper response, in Wisconsin it is a crime, a felony I believe, for using OC when not needed. If you were being mugged, I believe that meets the criteria.

I know I would use any means necessary to bring major harm to a mugger under these conditions.

("Officer, this dead guy attacked me with OC...")

For whatever it's worth, here's a portion of a recent post on THR in regards to pepper spray as a defensive tool.

Quote:

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(from another poster)
Unlike CS, which depends on pain compliance, OC causes actual physiological impairment:
Quote:
capsaicin produces an immediate inflammatory reaction in mucous membranes. In the eye, it produces blepharospasm probably caused by irritation of corneal nerves, extreme burning pain, lacrimation, conjunctival edema, and hyperemia. In animal studies, it has also been shown to produce miosis and aqueous flare.

In the nasal mucosa, capsaicin produces burning pain, sneezing, and a dose dependent serous discharge.(34,35) Contact with the skin produces burning pain and erythema without vesiculation.(36) Capsaicin inhalation results in transitory bronchoconstriction, cough, and retrosternal discomfort.

- http://www.opt.pacificu.edu/ce/cata...018/pepper.html

In English, that's, among other effects, involuntary eye closure, eye tearing, pain, eyelid swelling and narrowing of the airway.

Being high won't stop the eyes from closing, the throat from constricting, the coughing or the tears. Get the spray.(end quote)


Be that as it may, when I went through chemical training in the police academy, the instructor emptied a can of OC in my face. Zero effect, other than a stinging sensation. He then tried pepper foam. The foam worked, after 30-45 seconds. At the time, I was 295, and fit. I can put most average folks into a world of hurt in 30-45 seconds.
I carry OC as a less than lethal option, but I wouldn't rely on it alone, given a choice.

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I would recommend that anyone who carries OC test it on themselves. Have someone you trust nearby, and a garden hose to flush your face with. The effects aren't permanent, and they really aren't as bad as you would think. It's nice to know ahead of time how you'll react when the wind blows your spray back in your face. :chillisad

Glasses can deflect part of the spray, but you'll still get drips. Foam will run down behind glasses. Myself, if sprayed with OC, I'd most likely shoot, because if that OC kicks in, how do I keep my attacker from my weapon?
Remember, if you carry, every encounter involves a weapon.....

Fjolnirsson - thx for finding that piece - I had seen it but would not have found it!!

Quote:

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how do I keep my attacker from my weapon?

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THAT is indeed a major factor - and I confess, not one that had fully registered as I thought on it. VERY valid point indeed.

If someone pulls OC on me while in uniform, they will be drawn down on for sure. I know I have at least 5 secs before my eyes slam shut after a full blast directly into the eyes (~ 2sec worth) at 3ft.

The likelyhood of you getting that good of a shot or that close is not much, but you have to think of it this way... He probably has a gun (yours) after your eyes go shut. Best to act first.

As a armed citizen, it's an attack and having been sprayed in the academy and for OC quals, I will use that fact to articulate fear for my life, knowing at least one of us has a deadly weapon.

Don't mess with people who attack you with OC or a stun gun. Take immediate and appropriate action. ie. runaway if possible. :)

If someone sprays you with OC they are putting you in a position of disadvantage. You can assume they did so with the intent of using your disadvantage to their advantage. Draw on them and don't think twice.