Gas weapons took a leading position as an effective and accessible means of self-defense. Among the large selection of this kind of means, due to the availability and ease of use, the most popular is the gas cartridge.
Choosing a gas cartridge
The use of a gas cartridge depends on where the spray will occur. Therefore, choosing the best gas spray, you should pay attention to its type of spray.
In areas where there is no active movement of air, there is a risk of irritating substances in the respiratory tract of the spraying. In an open area, the wind becomes an important factor, and there is a danger of spraying gas past the one to whom it was intended, and to get to yourself, as the gaseous substance can easily change its direction.
Types of gas cartridges
Gas cartridges are designed to stop the violent actions of the criminal and to ensure the possibility of escape from him. By the nature of spraying, the cans are divided into:
- Jet, which emit a thin stream of tear-action substances;
- Aerosols that spray a cloud of damaging substance;
- Gel (or foam - an earlier model), producing sticky gel (foam) and having several advantages over other types.
The gel adheres to the skin and eyes, thereby accelerating the effects of the composition, and the stickiness prevents you from quickly getting rid of it, makes it difficult for the offender to view and breathe for a relatively long period of time. In addition, the gel gas spray is equally effective both indoors and outdoors. Its main advantages include accuracy and range of application, regardless of the direction of the wind, in addition, the spray gel does not dissipate, so you can safely use it indoors. The downside, of course, is the inability to use this type of spray against multiple attackers at a time.
However, the most common form of self-defense today is an aerosol gas spray that creates a gas curtain of tiny particles. The use of an aerosol-irritant substance makes it possible with one touch to hit several people at once, since there is no need to aim. But this caused a small range of destruction: up to 1.5 meters, and the insecurity of use in a head wind or in a closed room. It is this type of gas cartridges that is considered the best protection against dogs, superior to the efficiency and usability of stun guns and ultrasonic repellers. The effectiveness of the impact on the animal devices of the latter type is generally questionable. By causing physical pain or irritation of the nervous system, they can cause even more aggression.
Features pepper spray cans
Pepper spray, on the contrary, you can quickly disorient the dog. Extract of hot pepper, which is contained in sufficient quantity of gas pepper spray, causes irritation of the mucous mouth and eyes of the animal. On the forums, you can read life stories like pepper spray, even with an expired date, repeatedly saved people from being attacked by a wild animal. The basic rule of successful protection in this situation is to aim the dog in the nose and eyes. Unfortunately, this method is not the most humane, so, having avoided the threat, you should not continue to poison the dog, but just try to quickly leave the dangerous place.
Gas pepper sprays have a caustic and persistent respiratory effect. Many volunteers agreed to such an experiment: first, a man splashed such a balloon into the air at a distance of his hand, then became in the spray area. As a result, particles of irritating substances (oleoresin capsicum) got into the respiratory tract and mucous eyes. Even from a small concentration of such a gas, a burning sensation, a cough, was observed for half an hour.
The merits of inkjet models
Inkjet gas cartridges are somewhat less in demand. Of their merits can be called a range of up to three meters, they do not form the smallest particles that poison the air, are safe with the wind, they have a large degree of damage when they hit the eyes. But such cartridges require accuracy, and only one person can hit at a time.
When choosing a can, in addition to the type of spraying should take into account its size. The smallest is 25 milliliters. Such a can can easily fit in a small purse or pocket. But gas will be enough only for 1-2 uses. A popular model in this size range is Lady Black (manufactured by Techkrim). Their cute design and pink colors will not leave any girl indifferent.
Universal and most sold are products of 65 and 75 milliliters. They lie comfortably in the hand, which simplifies the spraying process. According to the results of research, the contents of such a canister are only completely used in 10% of cases.
Well, for lovers of large volumes, developed 100-milliliter and 650-milliliter. Such cartridges are ideal for use during cycle walks, as well as in the car and at home.
In the civilian arms market, gas cartridges from the leading Russian manufacturer and developer of gas weapons Tekhkrim have received high praise from consumers. The composition of the fillers of these cartridges are among the most effective.
Choosing the "right" model of gas canister
If your goal is to protect yourself and your household from the attack of gangsters at home, choose a gas cartridge with a volume of 650 milliliters (for a girl the easier option is 100 ml.) With foam spray type. Such a spray will not harm others, but will undoubtedly scare off the robber. The same can be advised to people who spend a lot of time behind the wheel with unfamiliar passengers. Gas spray Torch (650 ml.) Jet type from "Techkrim" can be used by truckers as a measure against criminals from the "high road". He has a very strong jet, instantly blinding, even from a distance of 2 meters. A lighter version is the gas cartridge Sword (100 ml.). There are analogues of smaller volumes - jet "Sword" (75 ml.) And aerosol "Torch-2" (65 ml.), Which are much more convenient for everyday wear. "Torch-2" has a large force of ejection of tear substance, creating a curtain of tiny particles. It will not fail in the dark when visibility is obstructed.
In an effort to bring together the best of different models, the developers of Tekhkrim launched the Black gas spray, combining jet and aerosol spray types in it. Its counterpart, which received a lot of positive reviews, is a gas spray "Control-UM" of an aerosol-jet type from Tyumen Aerosols LLC.
The feature of these cartridges is the combined composition of the active substance: extract of 100% natural hot pepper as the main active ingredient is sprayed in two ways:
- Jet, which has a red color, which facilitates the process of hitting the target, as the trajectory is clearly visible;
- A cloud of the smallest particles of tear substance that provides the widest and fastest impact on the enemy.
Manufacturers indicate that this type of spray has a wide range of action - it is equally effective for people with mental disorders or in a state of intoxication, and physically hardy, as well as aggressive animals. Getting into the eyes, mouth, on the skin, the active ingredient instantly causes a painful burning sensation, coughing, tearing, which leads the aggressor to loss of orientation in space. Pain shock lasts about 20-30 minutes.
When asked which gas cartridge is better, more experienced users answer that it is better to have two cartridges of different tactical and technical characteristics at their disposal. This may be a combination of a jet cartridge for a more accurate hit and a powerful aerosol for maximum pacification of hooligans, or a set of a small gas canister, which is always at hand, and more capacious to repel an attack of a pack of dogs or several hooligans simultaneously. True, the statistics says that in a group attack, an attempt to poison all of the attackers with a single spray was often not very successful, because not everyone had a strong pain effect, therefore, when choosing one or another combination, the rule is two: Do not forget that one is always better than nothing at all.
Changing the composition of the gas in modern models
The popularity of gas cartridges in the market of authorized self-defense weapons has increased in the last five years, thanks to the fact that the composition of fillers has changed significantly. Previously, the manufacturer used only tear gas (CS) as the active compound, which significantly affected the reliability of such self-defense means. The latest generation of gas cartridges - blend, using a combination of tear gas and hot pepper extract, with a substance ejection rate from 7 to 10 grams per second. One second of spraying is enough to completely neutralize the bandit.
There is a myth about the loss of the basic properties of an irritant in the composition of the canister in the winter time at low temperatures. However, it was experimentally proved that efficiency does not decrease by one percent even at minus 30 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the most important component of effective self-defense is not only the availability of protective equipment, but the ability to use them at the right time. Of course, the practice of using a gas cartridge will increase the chances of success in self-defense, so many companies offer to purchase a so-called “training” cartridge, which differs from the standard ones by its low price and composition that does not contain irritating substances.
In order to purchase a gas cartridge, a license or a special permit for its purchase, carrying and storage is not required, since it is classified as a means of civil self-defense. Administrative or criminal liability can only come in the case when the cartridge was not used for the purpose of protection and caused harm to a third party (depending on the severity).
Summing up, it can be argued that gas cartridges today are an easily accessible, inexpensive, reliable and effective, legalized tool that has saved life and health of civilians more than once, avoiding contact with the aggressor in 98 out of 100 cases.
