Self Defense Products Review
Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2005
by Julia Lambert
http://www.firsthomesecurity.com
You decided you need some kind of self defense device to protect yourself
from possible crime situation. But with so many defense gadgets on the market
it's not an easy choice. Read on to find out the difference between self defense
products, how they work and which one meets your needs most.
Lets take a look at four main categories of defense items: pepper sprays,
stun guns, personal alarms and firearms.
Pepper sprays. The active ingredient in pepper
sprays is oleoresin capsicum, commonly referred to as OC. OC is a natural, oily,
resin-like substance derived from hot peppers, the same peppers used to "heat
up" spicy foods. Pepper sprays induce an almost immediate burning sensation of
the skin and a burning, tearing, and swelling of the eyes. If spray is inhaled,
the respiratory tract becomes inflamed resulting in a swelling of the mucous
membranes lining the breathing passages and temporarily restricting breathing to
short, shallow breaths.
Many people ask what's the difference between
mace and pepper spray. Mace is just a brand name. The company Mace International
manufactures self defense sprays and security & surveillance devices. There are
other companies that manufacture pepper sprays but in my opinion Mace has the
most powerful spray - Triple Action pepper spray. It combines OC pepper and CN
tear gas which causes profuse tearing, an intense burning
sensation to the face and disorientation. CN tear gas is an extremely strong irritant.
Self-defense sprays have been around for more than three decades and were
used mostly by police officers. But in the past 10-15 years pepper sprays have
seen increasing use by average citizens. Self-defense sprays are probably the
best devices for personal protection. They are inexpensive, small, don't require
any special training, have a good range to keep an attacker away and stop
assailants instantly without causing any permanent harm.
Stun Guns.
The way a stun gun works is by interrupting the communication signals from the
brain to the body. A stun gun does not harm a person permanently it only
temporarily disrupts the way our body functions. A stun gun won't cause damage
in the long run because the electricity that it delivers into a person's body is
very high voltage but low amperage electrical charge. In this way, the charge is
not intense enough to cause any long term damage to the person. Voltage range is
between 80,000 and 900,000 volt at a rate of three milliamps.
So when you press the stun gun against a person and deliver the shock to them, a
few things happen contributing to their following [stunned] condition. The
electric shock delivered by the stun gun will combine with the electric signals
from the brain and this will confuse your body and make it hard to move. Another
effect the stun gun can have is causing a person to do excessive amounts of work
directed towards nothing in a particularly short period of time. This will use
all of the persons energy so that they will temporarily be unable to do
anything.
When triggered, the stun gun emits a bright electrical blast that is quite
intimidating and makes a very loud popping noise that will attract the attention
of anyone within earshot.
But stun guns have one disadvantage: the probes must be touching the
assailant to be effective. This means the victim has to be much closer to the
attacker. Further, stun guns require batteries to provide the electrical charge.
And as with all battery-powered gadgets, the possibility of battery being
discharged is always present.
Personal alarms. Personal alarms are electric or aerosol devices that emit an
extremely loud screech or siren sound. The alarm distracts an attacker and makes
him afraid of the attention. The most obvious disadvantage of personal alarms is
their inability to disable an assailant. The alarms might help in some cases but
if the attacker is determined, he can continue despite the loud siren of alarm.
Firearms. Most handguns are purchased for personal protection. But they are
not a good option for self-defense. Their use can have serious consequences for
the user even in a perfectly justified situations. Most people don't know when
to shoot and when not. Even if you have a special training, it's hard to make
the right decision. Also there is a possibility that children could get their
hands on a handgun with a tragic results. And most people simply don't need the
power of a firearm, especially considering the effectiveness of self-defense
sprays.
So what to choose?
For jogging, walking on the streets I'd say pepper spray, since it's more
compact than a stun gun and easy to carry. Cell phone stun gun can be used if
you don't want anyone to know you have a self defense device. If you are in a
car, stun baton can be useful, since you can
stick it out the window into an attacker's face. Most crimes happen in the dark
and in that case flashlight stun gun with alarm can be used.
Pepper foam is good for indoor use because it produces less fumes than pepper
spray.
At First Home Security you can find different types of pepper sprays,
stun guns and many more self defense products at discounted prices.
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