In our last article, Non-Lethal Self Defense Guns and the Laws Regarding Them, we went over what pepper ball guns are and how they were a good alternative for those who can’t own traditional firearms. In this article we are going to discuss how effective are these guns for self defense in the real world and we will start with some actual stories involving these non-lethal pepper ball guns.
Road Rage Incident Diffused By Sight Of Pepper Gun
Rob was driving in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii when he pulled into a busy parking lot. Suddenly, the man in the truck in front of Rob’s jumped out and began approaching Rob’s window. As the man put his hands on Rob’s truck, nearing his driver’s side window, Rob, a retired military veteran, flashed his Byrna .65 caliber pepper ball pistol.
Upon seeing the pistol, the road rager put his hands in the air, said “OK” then turned around, walked away and got back into his truck. Luckily in this instance the mere sight of the pepper ball pistol was enough to end the conflict. In the city of Honolulu alone, 11 instances of violence have been stopped by these non-lethal pepper ball guns in the last couple of years
Robbery Stopped By Pepper Ball Gun
One of the worst scenerios are multiple attackers againist one victim, but in this instance the victim was prepared. Mike was walking on a down town street (location withheld for this story) when he was approached by several individuals in an attempt to rob him. Mike was carrying a pepper ball pistol in his inside the waist band holster and drew the weapon when he realized a confrontation was imminent. Once again upon seeing the weapon, the attackers realized Mike was not an easy target and retreated. Mike still wonders what might have become of him if he didn’t have the weapon on him that day.
Home Intruder Stopped By Non-Lethal Byrna Pistol
In this video you can see a person walking by this home. The person drops their belonging on the ground and walks up to the front door. From the video the person appears to be mentally unstable and talking to themselves. He then proceeds to open the front door and look inside.
The home owner happened to have a Byrna pistol nearby and used the weapon to force the intruder out of his home and off of his property.
More Context : According to the home owner in this video he had just unlocked his door for his cousin who was about to arrive for dinner. The man had just gotten the Byrna pistol in the mail that day and was checking it out when he noticed this man walking up to his front door. The home owner was shocked when the man suddenly opened the door and stuck his head inside. The sheriff was contacted right after the incident and the man was charged with misdemeanor entry. Location of this video was California.
Pepper Ball Gun Stop Dogs From Attacking Child
Florida police deputies arrived on scene to find a 5 year old girl getting attacked by a pack seven of dogs. The police officers positioned a person to grab the child, as the person approached the child the dog pack turned towards the rescuer. Police when began firing pepper balls at the dogs, stopping their attack, causing them to flee the area. Police were able to save the child as a result of firing pepper balls that the animals.
What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Using A Pepper Ball Gun
The biggest benefit of a pepper ball gun compared to other non-lethal methods for self defense is the distance it can create between you and an attacker. Some pepper ball guns have an effective range of 150 feet, though to be realistic the odds of proper shot placement at this distance would be greatly diminished. Nonetheless, using a pepper ball gun can keep an attacker away from you giving you time to escape or giving you time to counteract an attack.
When the pepper ball hits the target, it releases a cloud of irritant powder. This powder cloud covers an area of approxiamately 12 feet. The pepper ball irritant causes the following symptoms for anyone within the 12 foot area of this irritant cloud:
- Gasping
- Wheezing
- Burning Throat
- Gagging
- Shortness of Breath
- Inability to Breath
- Coughing
- Burning Eyes
This cloud will remain in the air for up to 15 minutes! Anyone who suffers the effects of a pepper ball will experience the effects for several hours!
You Must Use With Caution Though!
Just as mentioned above, anyone who comes into contact of the pepper irritant cloud will suffer the effects of it. If you do have to use this weapon, make sure you create distant immediately and say clear of the area.
One shooter had this to say, “Less than one week of getting my gun I caught someone stealing from my business on evening. I shot the thief and the effect was immediate! Unfortunately the pepper lingered in the air and I got a taste of it myself, but it did stop the thief!”
Most Potent Pepper Balls
The pepper ball itself can vary in potency depending on the maker and how much capsaicin is used them. Byrna’s Pepper Projectiles are some of the strongest pepper balls on the market, containing a blend of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) + PAVA making it a popular choice among bounty hunters.
Ron P. was approached by an attacker one evening and was able to fire a round hitting his attacker in the chest. The pepper ball exploded releasing it’s cloud of irritant. “The attacker went down immediately and it totally incapacitated him until help arrived“ Ron said.
How Difficult Is It To Purchase A Pepper Ball Gun?
It’s not difficult at all. Unlikely traditional firearms, no special permit is required and the guns can be purchased from popular retailers like Amazon. You do have to be at least 18 years or older to purchase the gun however.
From my research the Byrna SD is a solid, reliable choice for those looking to purchase a pepper ball gun. You can also fire non-pepper balls from the gun allowing you to practice with the weapon without having to worry about the pepper irritant.