When choosing to carry a tool of non-lethal self-defense (which by the way I think is a great idea for every responsible, law-abiding, citizen) the question that most often arises is which product works best. The 2 most popular forms of non-lethal self-defense certainly seem to be stun guns and pepper spray and between these 2 you have advantages and disadvantages over the other. As such it isn’t so easy to answer the question ‘which is best?’ because it will often depend on what exactly you are looking for and who will be carrying these items. So let us discuss both and the advantages that either one may have over the other and perhaps you can decide for yourself which would be more beneficial to you personally.
Let us talk about stun guns first. Stun devices work by emitting a high-voltage electrical charge that disrupts the central nervous system of an attacker, rendering him or her helpless to continue the attack as they are no longer in control of their own motor functions. These devices are wonderfully effective and one distinct advantage that I can see with a stun device is that the attacker cannot ‘work through the pain’ and continue attacking because a stun gun doesn’t really work by distributing pain so much as just attacking the nervous system and putting down an attacker regardless of that attacker’s pain threshold. This also helps if the attacker is high on drugs as the electrical charge to the nervous system will work the same way it would with someone who is not on drugs. One major disadvantage to a stun device is that unlike with a Taser there are no projectiles and hence a stun device has very limited range. The stun gun must actually be physically touching an attacker to work and that can make for a potentially hairy situation if the person using the stun device is considerably slower and/or weaker than the attacker. This makes stun guns a better choice for someone of decent physical shape.
Stun Device Advantage: Highly reliable and effective against any attacker. Disadvantage: Range
Pepper spray can also be very effective. Pepper spray works by emitting a spray that swells mucus membranes of an attacker and causes intense pain and burning in those mucus membranes. This includes the eyes (which can cause temporary blindness), nose, mouth, throat and lungs. The advantage that pepper spray has over a stun device is without question its range. Most defensive sprays have about a 6-8 foot range wherein they can be effective (depending on wind conditions and what have you). The disadvantage can be that if the spray is not directly sprayed in the assailants face the assailant can continue to attack and even if they are sprayed in the face there is a chance the attacker, unlike with a stun gun, can ‘work through’ the pain and continue to attack. These may be a better choice than a stun gun for elderly people or for people who will be considerably slower than and/or not as strong as their potential attacker.
Pepper Spray Advantage: Range Disadvantage: May not be as effective as a stun device.
Both of these items can be very reliable life savers and I would certainly recommend one or the other to just about anyone looking to feel secure while walking the streets of this fine nation. I didn’t mention price as a disadvantage for either as they are both extremely affordable. Hopefully I’ve explained the advantages and disadvantages of each with enough clarity for you to make your own choice as to which would work best for you.
Stay Safe,
Carl Vouer
To see where to buy pepper spray or where to buy stun guns please visit us online.
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