Pepper Spray Gun

The pepper spray gun is a new generation self defense weapon that you can use to save your life.
While pepper spray in its current form is a reasonably recent invention, the basic substance, which is extracted from hot capsicum peppers, is believed to have been used for self defense for centuries. In ancient China, Japan and to a lesser extent in India, cayenne peppers were used to deter assailants. For example, in China warriors used to wrap ground cayenne pepper in rice paper and then literally throw the fiery little parcels into the faces of their opponents or enemies.

Japanese ninjas also used ground cayenne pepper to disable opponents. During the 17th century Tokugawa Empire (which lasted for more than two centuries), Japanese soldiers used a special kind of box filled with pepper spray that they would throw at captured political opponents.

But the use of pepper as a self defense weapon really came of age with the development of aerosol spray cans. This way it became possible to use the can device to spray the pepper directly into the face of attackers.

It didn’t take long for someone to come up with the idea of a pepper spray gun that looked like a lethal weapon, but didn’t actually kill. Not only do these guns look scary, but they also have an inimitable effect because the hot pepper spray that is used to arm the guns attacks the mucous membranes and inflames everything it comes into contact with. It makes the attacked person cough, cry, gasp for fresh air, and sometimes temporarily blinds them as well.

The chili peppers used for pepper guns are an ancient plant that was first cultivated in the Valley of Mexico more than 9000 years ago. The name in the region’s native language was chilli and this name was subsequently applied to all members of the plant’s genus. When Christopher Columbus was busy exploring the world in those early days, chilies were still a well-kept secret (that was in the 1400s). But the Portuguese explorers did manage to distribute chilies all over the world, in particular to the East Indies, Asia and to Africa.

Today chilies have become a much loved ingredient in many recipes.

Pretty well all chilies fall into the genus Capsicum, but there are hundreds of different varieties – more than 150 in Mexico alone. And it is an extract of Oleoresin Capsicum that is used in most types of pepper spray gun today.

If you are looking for a pepper spray gun for self defense purposes though, you need to be sure that the design will suit your personal needs. You don’t want to choose it simply because it looks like a real gun. You need to be sure that it will do what it is designed to do. Remember it won’t kill or even “wound” your attacker. What they are intended for is to ward off an attacker and make it a lot easier for you to get away – without actually harming another person permanently. Personal security alarm devices can add to your safety. More on self defense weapons and stun gun devices.

Personal safety training can be another interesting option.