Harry's Army Surplus Blog

Posts Tagged ‘sabre’

Pepper spray is an excellent non-lethal self defense item. You can find a variety of self defense sprays / pepper sprays at Harry’s Army Surplus. In order to maximize the effectiveness, you need to know how to use it properly. Don’t get caught off guard fumbling for your pepper spray during an attack. The best time to learn how to properly use pepper spray is before you find yourself becoming a potential victim. Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

Do:

• Shout “STOP” loudly as you aim and fire. Anything to disorient your attacker helps.
• Make sure you have the range in order to make the spray contact your attacker’s face.
• Spray in 2 to 3 second bursts. If needed, you can spray again.
• Sweep across the attacker’s face in a Z pattern, making sure to hit the eyes and nose.
• Pay attention to wind direction. You don’t want to end up with the spray blowing back into your own face.
• Shoot and back up. The goal is to give yourself the means to escape.

Don’t:

• Extend your arm all the way out to fire. Your attacker could grab your arm and try to pull or disarm you.
• Close your eyes. Keep your eyes on your attacker at all times. You may need to re-aim.
• Keep pepper spray in a hot car. The heat can damage the rubber seals causing the contents to leak.
• Expect pepper spray to completely incapacitate a person. It is designed to disorient so you have time to escape.
• Let your pepper spray expire. Keep an eye on that expiration date and replace it before it loses its effectiveness.

Get used to carrying and firing your pepper spray. Try to have it in an easily accessible location and keep it there so you are not searching for it in a time of need. Practice firing the spray so you are aware of the shot distance and whether the consistency is oily or foamy.  It will take a few seconds for the burning and stinging to take effect, and the effect can last anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes.

Harry’s Army Surplus has a wide selection of pepper spray to fit all needs. If you are in the Metro-Detroit area, stop on by and check us out or order online!