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O.C. Spray who makes the strongest?

19K views 51 replies 41 participants last post by  Damsel_Pro 
#1 ·
Hi all,
I'm considering carrying pepper spray as a " less lethal" option while carrying concealed, or as another "layer" of defense. I am going to be the first to say I know very little about pepper spray and that is why I've turned here. I'm looking for something small ( key chain size or slightly larger) that has good stopping power. Is there different levels of what I'll call " heat"( for lack of a better term) in the spray? If so which is the hottest and how does one tell? Any insight to who makes the hottest or which is the " better " of the brands to buy. Like I mentioned I want something really strong, after using this, my next level of protection will be drawing my weapon. I'm just looking for some schooling on something I know little about so please be nice ;O)
G
 
#4 ·
I'm partial to the Kimber Blaster for a few reasons.

1) It is pyrotechnically charged (like a bullet), so there is no aerosol to leak or spray malfunction.
2) It is a gel blast, so you won't end up spraying yourself - even downwind.
3) Small form factor, grips like a firearm with sights. Accurate even at minimal distances.
4) Supposedly, it is pretty potent.

Cons:
Only 2 shots. Make em count.
And it's not cheap at $40.
 
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#5 ·
#15 ·
I actually disagree ..... I think if you are going to carry it you should be sprayed with it. Yes I am crazy but it really a good point to know exactly what effects oc has. Also, proper technique is not just to spray in someone's face.... Just like shooting a hand gun, technique can make or break your success. If someone is serious about using spray, I always recommend buying trainer that sprays water.... It is a skill that must be honed and maintained just like shooting


Some people are like slinkies.... There not really good for much, but you can't help but smile when you push them down the stairs
 
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#8 ·
I have a mid-sized keychain unit of Sabre Red. Its a pepper gel. Wife carries the same thing but MACE brand, which I think is a cone fogger. More vulnerable to wind, but also less chance of missing like my gel stream.

Best part was that they were only about $10 each.
 
#9 ·
I'
m a Kimber guy, 2 shots and no worries about blowback. Now when I go to Alaska I carry Bear spray so if Kimber was not available I'd go to some form of bear spray. Hate to shoot it indoors though. Really hate that!
 
#12 ·
I have been lead to believe that Fox Labs is at least tied for "hottest formula on the market" so that's what my wife and I carry.
 
#16 ·
For use on people? Saber Red. It's LE/Mil rated OC.
I can tell you first hand it works, and it works well. I've seen a guy stopped mid-throw of a punch, and the guy was the size of a Volkswagon, and really ticked off.
One shot to the face, and he stopped swinging, stood there a second, then screamed like a girl, and ran off in the opposite direction.
 
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#17 ·
Everytime I see one of these threads it reminds me of cadet training an basic training it sucks being hit with either cs or pepper spray. On several occasions have seen people walk right through both types it does not replace a sidearm. When alone against a bg use your sidearm, if he walks through your spray you are now in a hand to hand situation. When you have backup its great one can cover one can spray. Dont give up your safety trying to be less lethal just MHO
 
#23 ·
I have sprayed approximately 40 people or so while on duty as a cop, and I agree with Easy8, it does not work on all folks. Out of the street level "gasings" I have done I can recall 3 or 4 that did absolutely nothing to the guy. Be it due to drugs, alcohol, or in one case of being completely "Bat Stuff Crazy", there is a segment of the population that can spray that stuff on ribs and have a BBQ. Even then there are others who will react to it on a delay, which means they are likely able to fight or fire for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. That kind of time is an eternity in fight and a whole lot can happen.

Having said that, I will say the best I ever used was Aerko's Freeze +P, which is a mixture of CS and OC in a combined solution. It does work on dogs also, which might be another reason to keep some handy.
 
#18 ·
We use saber red OC at work. Working armed security at a strip/night club isn't quite like walking across a dark parking lot. We get flat out brawls in the parking lot, and we have to hose down groups at a time with the stuff, so we buy it in huge cans we hang from our tac vests, so we just reach up with one hand and spray. No need to pull a canister from a belt scabbard, etc.. If that doesn't work, then we have other options, like handguns, an AR, shotguns, etc.. and a good old punch in the nose works pretty well, too.. but it's the whole continuum of force thing, so we can't go straight to the gun unless the situation warrants it.
Usually it's just a bunch of drunks getting rowdy, or their girlfriends trying to kill each pther for some perceived insult.
Typically we spray em, and send em home, or cuff em and call the cops to haul em off.
We have had to shoot a few of them.
 
#22 ·
I got a similar product for my mother to put on her key ring since she isn't interested in carrying a firearm. I wanted her to have something so I bought her a stun gun, and a key-ring canister of OC that has UV dye in it, and can be refilled. Great little products. I believe both came from DamselInDefense
 
#20 ·
I just dip my JHP is pepper juice. I figure you are getting the best of both worlds. Like hot ice. Just kidding I have no idea. Never have like pepper spray because some of the LEOs I know have had it blown back into there face by the wind. Almost got them I to a deep pile of &H!+. I carry a key chain with a survival weave handle about 8 inches long with a steel carabiner on the other end. I can have it in my hands all the time if I want to. If not I just let the keys hang out of my pocket for fast and easy access. This is about as less lethal that I want to go. I can carry it into places like a courthouse where I can't carry a gun, knife, or pepper spray.
 
#21 ·
Fox Labs Mean Green: only because the name sounds cool.

Maybe if they named it "Hot Pink" I could get my wife to carry it.
 
#24 ·
I carry Fox Labs Sabre Red OC spray daily. I also keep an extra one in each vehicle driver door map pocket. Your state probably has a law restricting how much you can carry on your person at a time. Find out what that amount is and abide by it. If you ever have to defend your use of pepper spray on the curb to an officer or in a court of law, you want to be within the legal limit.

Gels can be wiped off whereas a spray can/will be inhaled. An attacker can use his hand and wipe off most of a gel. With it on his hand he can now smear it on you! Whoops! Table is now turned and he is on you! LE doesn't carry gels any more for this reason among others.

All types of OC/mace are susceptible to wind. Foggers are especially so. Remember if you can, to be upwind if you spray an attacker. You don't want the spray blowing back onto you.

The UV dye that Glass Wolf mentioned is useful to identify an attacker later if LE arrives and tries to locate him. The dye will adhere to his skin and clothing and cause him to stand out under a blacklight.

I think OC spray is an excellent non-lethal weapon. It is part of my EDC as well as a knife and a .40 semi-automatic pistol. It is part of the force continuum that Glass Wolf mentioned. If you don't know what force continuum is, do a Google search. Reading some of those entries will get you up to speed.
 
#26 ·
I have one of these
in the bottle holder on my bicycle. When not cycling it's clipped to my backpack within easy reach.

Make sure you're upwind when discharging this can. It's a heavy cone shaped pattern rather than a stream.
 
#27 ·
Yeah, we go through cans of that saber red just about nightly at the clubs. It gets crazy down here. I saw my friend spray one guy who looked like Mike Tyson.. the guy just smiled and kept coming and said, "Is that all you got?"


...my friend then hit him about three times with his ASP and the guy dropped like a rock.

just gotta pick the right tools for the job :)
 
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#29 · (Edited)
My results with OC spray are mixed bag much like Ghostmaker posted. We used Defense Technology MK-3 10% OC. For individual use the stream spray works pretty well but if there are multiple targets the open spray or fogger style works better.
Be sure to "test" what ever you use to see how the spray pattern works. Defense Technology sells inert spray canisters that can be used for practice/ training w/o the side effects. Good luck!
 
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#31 ·
I thank you all for the insight you've provided for me!!
I was just adding this as another level of protection as I mentioned( so I do not expect it to be a liquid bullet). I've been looking into the products mentioned above and my next question is about the spray pattern, I see a " fogger " style or stream style. I'm going to reason that a fogger is for a " up close " contact where as the stream ( I think fox advertises a distance of 19ft) will not let things get so " up close and personal" and considering the 21ft rule this might be the way to go.
Am I wrong in my reasoning and the fogger actually has a quicker effect because of it getting into the eyes. nose, throat and also being inhaled, where as the stream would be more of a slower effect because of being locally applied to the eyes ( i.e. shoot for the face since it is a stream)? Do any of the oc companys offer a " best of both worlds" spray pattern, something in between a fogger and a stream?
Thanks again!
G
 
#32 ·
Nah. Both hit pretty much instantly. We use a stream canister at work, and that stuff comes out hard and fast with a very heavy stream. If you're even close to the person who gets it in the face, you're going to be severely affected by it the instant it hits. We usually end up spraying anywhere from one person to a whole crowd during a brawl or a big parking lot fight outside a club, and we've never sprayed someone and had any sort of delay in reaction that would have been any different with a fogger, and we've used foggers for mass deployment of OC into a crowd before, too.
 
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