A Pepper Gun is an Inexpensive but Effective Self Defense Device

A pepper gun is one of the most popular non-lethal self defense weapons on the market. Not only are they easy-to-use, but they are also not expensive, and they will usually stop assailants in their tracks.

Pepper guns are nothing new, they are said to have been used by the ancient Chinese people who would package ground-down, burning hot, ground cayenne pepper in rice paper and then throw it in the face of an opponent. Traditional Japanese ninjas are said to have done the same thing, also to disable opponents.

Today the best pepper spray is made with Oleoresin Capsicum which is extracted from red hot chilies which are part of the capsicum family. The active ingredient in the self defense spray that is used in a pepper gun is called capsaicin. If you have handled or cooked with chilies you will probably have experienced the intense pain when you put a finger in your eye by mistake! The strongest concentration of capsaicin is in the pips - which is why people often remove them before cooking - but it is also quite strong in the soft ribs inside the peppers. Even if you wash your hands, capsaicin continues to have an effect on mucous membranes, for instance in your eyes, nose and mouth, and on even on your skin. The same applies to the pepper spray ingredient.

Because the capsicum is finely ground before the capsaicin is extracted, this ingredient is often combined with a gel or foam so that it is more effective when shot under pressure. But there are also pepper gun models that are like foggers. When you trigger them, the pepper content expands and vaporizes into a protective cloud, so that you can make a quick getaway.

Most self defense pepper spray guns come in the form of a canister of some sort. These are usually small enough to be carried in your pocket or purse - although the secret is to keep them so that you can grab them at any moment. There is no point in having a pepper gun in your purse if it’s not quickly accessible in the event of an attack!

But there are other types of pepper spray gun, some of which - surprise surprise - actually look like a real gun. Others look like little canisters and others appear to be keychains. You may also want to check personal safety training options.

Many people compare the effectiveness of stun guns and pepper spray. The effect of each is, of course quite different, but pepper spray can have quite a radical effect, causing temporary blindness for as long as half an hour. It can also affect the skin in a most unpleasant manner for up to an hour.
While a pepper spray canister may not look as threatening as a small stun gun, you can bet that it will have an effect. In some cases it can make a person cough so badly they find it difficult to breathe or speak for 15 minutes or more.

Capsaicin isn’t soluble in water, and so it won’t wash off - although flushing your eyes with water does help. There is not much you can do to soothe your skin either. Generally anyone who has been attacked with pepper spray will have to wait until the effect wears off on its own. More personal alarm options