Mace/ Pepper spray - help!

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Sportcat

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My wife has shown an interest in acquiring some self-defense skills and equipment. I recently got her a Surefire G2 and would like to get her some spray.

Now, I know there is all kinds of ways to classify and categorize this stuff (oc, pepper, mace), but what do you guys recommend?

She will most likely keep this stuff in her car.

Websites, prices, and personal experiences are appreciated!
 
There has been some significant discussion of this topic recently. Try searching for "pepper spray". I started a recent thread discussing 1st hand exposure to the spray.

There are 3 predominate brands

Fox Labs www.foxlabs.com
Vexor
Bodyguard

Fox labs is the most common and they sell to us civilians.

Vexor is the best (some say) but they only sell to police or security agencies. We've been trying to find a way around this.

I'm not sure about bodyguard brand.
 
Based on firsthand experience and info read from various forums, Foxlabs utilizes a propellant that strengthens the take down power it's FOX OC Spray. That sh-t sticks like WD40 and it is not fun.

My experience is Fox has some really kick butt take down power, sprayed the perp and stepped back 5 feet waiting for him to advance at me...he stumbled onto the ground. Applied foam onto face as he tried to get up and used TIGERLIGHT for compliance.

Discharging a firearm into a strong-arm robber doesn't look good.

My recommendation, a can of Fox foam and a can of 4oz stream spray.....spray with stream...once perp is down roll him over and apply the foam all over his head and face.

It will be a bitch for him to wash off and most likely need medical attention...Call the cops and they'd alert the hospitals looking for some dude with serious chemical exposure.
 
I use the fox fog, but am waiting for an LEO to offer to buy me vexor.

Fog is the easiest to use and does a better job of irritating the respiratory system than stream or foam.
 
Agreed but dude you'd contaminate innocent others around you. I travel in the course of my work in crowded areas and on public transportation. I try to avoid contaminating a whole train car!
 
Sportcat,

I have not had the benefit of formal OC training. However, the instructors at my firearms training classes mentioned that they recommend the Mace brand pocket unit for pocket carry.

The primary reason for recommending the Mace unit is not the chemical weapon itself but the delivery package. They said the Mace unit is the best unit to carry in your pocket. Mace's unit incorporates a flip-up cap that is (1) easy to work under stress; and (2) orients the weapon away from the user.

The instructors did not like other pocket units that use safety mechanisms that are less easy to use under stress. For example, the Fox Labs pocket unit has a small tab that the user must slide to one side in order to fire the weapon. In their opinion, this mechanism was too easy to bungle under stress.

They also liked the Mace unit's feature of orienting the weapon away from the user. You cannot fire it if you are pointing it at yourself. It sounded stupid, but they said they have encountered numerous students in OC training who have pulled out (inert training units) OC and sprayed themselves when under pressure from an onrushing guy in a FIST suit.

They did not provide an opinion on the subjects of (1) how much SHU compared to other brands; and (2) fog vs stream vs foam.

IMHO (and this is MY untrained opinion, not of my instructors) the Mace brand's amount of SHU should be enough. I mean 2 million SHU has got to be hot. I know Fox Labs has a lot more SHU (5.3 million) but there's gotta be a certain point where more SHUs gives you a diminishing margin of returns.

Note that all of the above applies to POCKET units only. They had different views on what units should be carried by LEOs and what units should be kept in the home.

Justin
 
Fox now has the same flip-top system that Mace does (I carried the Mace, but gave it to a girl at work who needed it, and bought the Fox). However, even the small Fox is a lot bigger than the Mace.
 
Sprout - that is good to know. I'll have to get one of those.

BTW are you the same Sprout who attended the Univ. of Delaware circa 1988-89?
 
Crypto and Sprout,

Hey guys, just a heads up. I don't know what your status is, but be aware that CA has a limit on the amount of OC non-LEOs are "allowed" to possess. I don't recall the exact size, but it is around 2 oz. 4 oz. is definitely a no-no.
Wouldn't want you up on a stupid charge like that if the worst happens. Oh, how I hate CA laws!
 
I have accidentally sprayed myself with small amounts of Fox and PepperBloc by DMA (available through CTD). I found Fox's spray extremely uncomfortable. PepperBloc's spray felt like like skin was going to melt off.
 
Having used Fox and Vexor, my recommendation for the best pepper spray is Cap-stun, made by Zarc International, same company that makes Vexor. In our field testing, Cap-stun worked much better than either of the other two, but unfortunately is only sold to military and law enforcement.
 
i lost interest in vexor when i found that it only comes in 1 oz...in my opinion 6 half second sprays isn't enough.
 
Leaky pepper spray would seem to be a bad thing :D

I have a Fox Labs unit with a flip top, the stream unit (4 oz). I have not sprayed anyone but did test it to make sure it did spray. Because I am not very intelligent i did this in my garage, and found that even cleaning it up can be a very uncomfortable experiance.
 
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