PlanetMace Blog

Pepper Spray Verses Stun Guns: Which is Right for Me?

When considering non-lethal self protection, there two classes of products you should consider buying: pepper spray and stun guns, and each has their own inherent benefits to consider. While both self defense devices provide adequate means of disabling an attacker during a violent assault, people should consider their own physical limitations and circumstances and do some research on each of these products before purchasing a self protections product.

Pepper spray is essentially pepper extract from the plant Oleoresin Capsicum known as ‘Capsiacin’ that has been concentrated into a potent resin. This is combined with a propellant and a binding agent that carries the resin as it is released from a pressurized canister, and often a concentrated dye that can be helpful in identifying attackers after the assault. Pepper spray is an inflammatory that works by causing intense swelling in the eyes and upper respiratory system of an attacker and can disable attackers of any size in just seconds. Once afflicted, an assailant will be unable to see; as his eyelids swell shut and his pupils dilate, and breathing capacity will be reduced to the level where he can barely gasp for enough air to retain consciousness. This condition will typically last for anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, which is plenty of time to get away from danger and alert authorities of the situation.

Stun guns, on the other hand, work by rapidly transferring a high voltage, low amperage energy dump into the attacker’s muscles, causing them to do a rapid amount of work in a short period of time. This exhausts the stored energy in the muscles, and interrupts brain signals to that control the bodies functions, causing the assailant to fall to the ground and loose consciousness for up to 10 minutes, which is enough time to escape and get a safe distance from danger.

Recognizing that each of these devices has its own practical utility, there are still some advantages and disadvantages to each of these personal protection devices, and understanding how these differences apply to your lifestyle is essential to selecting a product that will be best suited to saving your life in the face of a violent attack.

For pepper spray, the advantages are that it can be used at a distance, provides adequate stopping power for disabling an attacker, and keeps an attacker our of commission for up to 45 minutes. The drawbacks are that pepper spray may be less effective in windy or rainy scenarios, as the stream of the spray can be diffused by these inclement weather conditions. Additionally, as there is a short 2-5 second delay from the time pepper spray is discharged onto an attacker and the full effects of the spray are realized, there is a slight chance that an aggravated assailant will have time to briefly attack before being completely disabled. Stun guns, on the other hand, are not affected by weather, and work instantly to disable a violent aggressor.

But stun guns have drawbacks of their own as well, chiefly that they require close contact with an attacker in order to be deployed, and therefore pose the risk of being hit or disarmed from a defendant and possibly even used against them- though many come with a safety pin that disables the device if removed from the bearer’s wrist. This is particularly relevant in the case of wild animal attacks, which are rather alarming if hand-to-body contact is required to effectively disable an attacking beast. Another limiting factor is that stun gun victims recover more quickly, which means they are more likely to escape before authorities arrive on the scene.

Before you make a decision to buy either of these tried and proven self defense devices, make sure you also check with your local state and county laws regarding pepper spray and stun guns, as many of these products are controlled and can only be bought at licensed distributors and in controlled concentrations and voltages. Make sure you are thoroughly trained in how to use your devices, and do some research online to further educate yourself about the proper use and diversity of products available so that you are sure to find something that suits your lifestyle and personal safety needs.

Of course, you can’t go wrong in purchasing both a pepper spray and stun gun device, but even so, there are still benefits and detractions for each product for different situations, so even when preparing yourself for all types of violent encounters, you know which self defense weapon to use in each varied circumstance.