I need help selecting an OC device for my Wife. We just found out that her employers no weapons policy does not include OC devices.
Long story short, we're both going to get OC devices to carry.
I really like the idea of the Kimber LifeAct Guardian Angel, but there are other options for us as well. Help me choose. Any input as to why you would choose one over the other would be great too.
When I carry OC, I use a little "keyring" size Fox Labs unit. I like this one because you have the option of using the split-ring to attach it to keys or a lanyard, or using the pocket-clip that's attached to the case.
I use the Kimber Guardian Angel. I know it only has two shots, but it has a pyrotechnic charge to propel each shot of OC. That way by not having a gas propellant to leak out over time it can stay in your wife's purse for four years and still work reliably.
I would go with some pepper gel i belive thats the best.
And give a big NO NO to the kimber just because its limited to two shots thats easly can miss the target
Order a few extra (all for one shipping cost) and you can sell them locally for slightly more $$$ than you paid...and then that's like getting the one for your Wife FREE. :yup:
Thanks for all the input so far everyone. I hadn't really considered DPS but I will look at them hard. Sabre is used by the WSP and I've been a secondary 'casualty' when they responded to a tussle I was in with a shoplifter. Other than that one experience and their recommendation, it's also easier to get around here. DPS seems well respected by many departments as well, however...
I think the reason I liked the kimber is that my wife is a ... well... sissy. Since it's gel and it's fired by an explosive charge, I suspect the highest concentration of the stuff is away from the user, even if she one-hands it.
They're so inexpensive I may just order one of each and test them out in the woods. We'll see...
Please keep the recommendations coming. Thanks! :bier:
I like the MSI brand stuff because of the container. Most of the stuff that's keychain sized is hard to aim and can activate in your pocket, purse, car, etc. The flip top containers are easy to aim and use, but hard to unintentionally fire. I have no concerns over their quality. Mace Personal Defense
I just wish they would make the foam/gel in the smaller sizes.
A lot of the nurses at the local ER would carry the Lifeact in their purses or in little "cell phone" cases, if they were allowed to carry OC at the hospital I think I'll end up with one or two for me and the wife, too.
Sabre Red...I keep it on my key-ring even though it's a little big. One of the members here, morintp works in a prison environment and highly recommends it so if it's good enough to keep convicts in line, it should serve me well enough. Also comes with an expiration date and it's made in America.
Fox Labs pepper spray seems to have the strongest concentration 5.3 million SHU (Scoville Heat Units)
A lot of pepper sprays use a 1-2 million SHU formulation.
You can purchase Fox Labs products here and here along with information about Fox Labs pepper sprayhere.
Another question would be "Do you want a stream or fog spray pattern?" I would recommend a stream pattern as it stands up better in windy conditions and offers less blow back onto the user than the fog patterns do if aren't paying close attention to the wind conditions.
A word of Caution: OC pepper sprays are proven safe with no known adverse reactions. Combination sprays that use OC along with a blend of CN or CS chemical tear gas type products have been known to cause allergic reactions. Also some states such as Michigan, IIRC state it is illegal for civilians to use chemical sprays that contain dye that will stain your assailant for later identification.
Just be sure and use due diligence when you look into buying pepper sprays and check your local laws.
Thanks Bark'n... those links are good and your advice to check local laws is sound. I've already looked into the law and I am fortunate to live in a state that is relatively unrestrictive of tasers and sprays.
Does anyone have any information on what % Fox uses... their base SHU numbers are fantastic, more than double Sabre... which I know first hand is mean stuff.
In my "OC Counter Assault Course", it was explained that the main noticeable difference in percentage is the amount of time it takes for "recovery" or the lasting effects. 2% effects wears off quicker than the 5%.
(Whether that is true or not, I have no idea... It's just what our instructor told us during the course. I have not done any independent verification since to me, it's really not a big deal or issue.)
A lot of officers around here tend to go for the 2% since that means less time the perp is going to be sniveling and snotting all over the back of their patrol car and less time listening to them whimper & whine on the way to jail.
The 5% solution is not any hotter or more incapacitating than the 2%. That is measured in Scoville Heat Units.
If pepper spray is going to work at all against an attacker (and there are a number of reasons why it works on some people and not on others) the 2% is just as good as 5% or 10%. All of them, if they do their job will allow someone enough time to escape an attack and find safety or transition to a higher level of force.
Personally, both my wife and I use the Fox Labs because they are the hottest on the market at 5.3 million SHU's
For me, 5.3 million SHU's has a better chance of having an effect on an intoxicated or drugged person than a 1 or 2 million SHU spray. I'd rather have a positive effect for a shorter amount of time than a chance at no effect at all.
There is OC other than Fox Labs? Not for me or mine, there isn't!
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