The Use of Pepper Spray

posted on February 28, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
2012228143246-pepperblaster_m.jpg

In regard to my Unarmed Defense blog, questions were asked about my thoughts about pepper spray, and why I was not carrying any when visiting Las Vegas for SHOT Show.

My thoughts on pepper stray are simple: Any tool that can be utilized to keep body and soul safe should be considered and used if that is your best option. Up until recently, my wife carried a Kimber PepperBlaster in her purse. The reason she doesn’t still have it is because it had a use by date, which had expired, and I decided to kick it off in my in-law’s backyard in South Carolina over Thanksgiving.

The PepperBlaster sent both shots the promised 12 to 14 feet, which really is all I can say about it since no one would let me hit them with it, including myself. I cannot testify to its strength, but believe that it would stop the average attacker.

Now as to why I wasn’t carrying pepper spray in Vegas? That is a simple question. Taking pepper spray onto a plane requires the same hassles of traveling with a gun—must be in checked luggage and declared—or possibly more if it is pressurized. If I was going to go through that, I might have well have carried my Kimber.

I don’t carry pepper spray because I carry a gun. In most places that I can’t carry a gun, I can’t carry pepper spray. However, I would love to know, without taking a shot of it, what being hit with pepper spray is like. Can anyone describe that feeling?

Latest

Keltec Pr3at 1
Keltec Pr3at 1

The PR-3AT: KelTec's Magazine-Free .380

At its heart, the KelTec PR-3AT is a compact concealed-carry pistol chambered in .380 ACP that uses the same rotary-barrel and top-loading, magazine-free design as the PR57.

The 1911 DS Warrior: Kimber's Budget-Priced Double-Stack

With its new 1911 DS Warrior, Kimber is offering a more affordably priced option to handgun enthusiasts looking for a do-it-all double-stack that still retains key 1911 features.

Staccato Expands HD Lineup With C4X Carry Models

Staccato announced a new flagship model in its HD line of guns at SHOT Show 2026: the HD C4X.

Deciphering (Mostly Nonsensical) Cartridge Nomenclature

If you’re perplexed by the naming practices used by our wildcatting forefathers and cartridge makers but are still curious about what they mean, read on.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 19, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

"9 mm Optimized, But 10 mm Capable:" Dead Air's New RXD910Ti Suppressor

The new Dead Air RXD910Ti harnesses the technology of the patented Triskelion baffle system to make for a 9 mm-optimized silencer that is also capable for use with 10 mm pistol cartridges and more.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.