Self-defense products have been around for millennia. When you get right down to it, even back in biblical times when people used to throw sticks and stones at each other self-defense items were any thing that could disable your foe. The birth of modern-day self-defense products is much more recent.
Two best-selling self-defense products for personal defense and personal security are pepper sprays and stun devices.
“The use of chemical compounds as weapons dates back thousands of years. In 428 BC, Spartans burned wood saturated with pitch and sulfur to create toxic fumes. Dating back to ancient times the Chinese put ground cayenne chili pepper in rice paper and flung it in the face of their opponents. Additionally, during Japan’s Tukagawa Empire, police used the ‘Mitsubishi’, a box used to blow pepper into the eyes of opponents.”
Pepper sprays or defensive sprays are also known as OC spray (from Oleoresin Capsicum.) Capsicum is a mixture that causes tearing of the eyes, pain and even blindness temporarily. It has been used by military and law enforcement agencies for crowd and riot control. The temporary blindness allows police officers to more easily apprehend suspects.
The main ingredient in pepper spray is a chemical derived from plants including chiles that is mixed with a solvent like ethanol. The solvent is then evaporated leaving a resin. Then emulsifier is used to suspend the OC in water, then pressurized to make an aerosol.
Pepper sprays usually come in small canisters that can be easily carried or concealed in a pocket or purse. Some come with UV marking dyes so assailants can be identified.
Civilians use it for self-defense, personal security and personal defense quite effectively. The biggest selling brand name is Mace.
And I learned today that the origin of the stun gun was in the late 1800’s after batteries were developed. The “electric prod pole” or “cattle prod” was a forerunner for the modern-day stun gun.
All Stun Devices send an electrical current through an assailant. It disables them for 5 to 10 minutes. Stun devices can be disguised as other products-most commonly flashlights or cell phones. Some newer ones look like lipstick containers. The voltages on stun devices these days have risen to an enormously high level; some as high as 5,000,000 volts or more. It is a far cry from the 5000 volt cattle prod of a bygone era.
Stun devices and pepper sprays are extremely effective self-defense products but they are on average only 90% effective. Tasers on the other hand, are nearly 100% effective. They are a more effective type of stun device carried by law enforcement officers around the world.
Pepper sprays and stun devices are the two most popular self-defense products in the world. They are carried by law enforcement officials in the performance of their duties and by civilians for personal security and personal defense. Some cities and states have restrictions on their use. Check with your local police department before you get one.
We have one of the largest selections of Pepper Sprays in the country. One of them has your name on it.
The Home Security Superstore is one of the oldest and largest independent distributors of high quality home security, surveillance, spy, self-defense, survival and safety products. We carry a wide range of self-defense products including tasers, stun guns, pepper sprays and other nonlethal weapons that can save your life in the event of an attack.