I have a very love-hate relationship with OC spray. On one hand, I despise the idea of a pressurized liquid, foam, or aerosol that can splash back on me when I use it — and which will likely affect me if I have to deploy it while engaged in a physical confrontation. On the other hand, pepper spray/OC spray is one of the few self-defense implements explicitly legal in my state (although it is almost begrudgingly so). I’ve also experienced pepper spray first-hand, so I know just how evil the stuff is. You give up all pretense of “fighting through the burn” once you’ve experienced pepper spray in person.
Can you activate the unit under stress? How easy is it to point the canister the wrong way? Is there any danger of setting it off in your pocket, if you’re carrying it that way? When the unit expires, can you get a replacement easily? If you accidentally inhale some of the stuff, how debilitated will you be?
This last can only be learned by spraying the “live” OC spray (again, in an open field far from people and animals) and deliberately getting a whiff of the stuff. When you feel your nostrils and your tongue burn, you’ll be right on the cusp of inhaling it. It goes without saying that you should consult your doctor before you try. I turned down the opportunity to spray a friend of mine for this review because I was worried about causing him medical distress. Pepper spray usually doesn’t cause permanent harm… but it’s nothing to mess around with. It’s not a toy and it’s the most unpleasant thing you’ll experience if you get a face full.
With all that said, I can unreservedly recommend at least one brand of OC spray, and that is Reflex Protect‘s home defense unit. They sell a home-defense system that comes complete with a neutralizing gel (handy for when you expose yourself to the OC) and a plastic docking station for mounting the live unit. It comes with an inert trainer, too, as well as mounting hardware for the docking bracket. In other words, Reflex Protect can give you everything you need to mount what is essentially OC-spray blaster in your home. There, it can be quickly accessed and deployed.
The canister is a substantial one, even in my big mitts. It comes complete with a plastic trigger block. You point the canister like a gun — and, thanks to the trigger design, you can’t point it at yourself — and you put your finger in the guard. This action pops the trigger block free. You must also use your thumb to push the safety forward. I am delighted with this two-step system because it eliminates my fears about accidentally discharging the OC unit (or spraying myself down under stress).
The spray head is, in fact, patented, It’s both intuitive and easy to use. In fact, it feels like nothing so much as a household spray gun, something we’ve all used with cleaning products. I should point out something here, though, which is that this is not OC spray at all. It’s something the company calls “Presida©,” a CS gel that sticks to the target (and makes that target miserable in the bargain), That’s why the neutralizing solution is so important if you’re exposed to the stuff — which you absolutely could be if you have to fight someone off. The company’s proprietary “Reflex Remove” neutralizes and cleans the CS gel. I’m told effects abate in about two minutes (as opposed to 15 minutes, the standard for competing products).
I mentioned how important it is to test your OC spray so you know what to expect of it. Reflex impresses me because the company offers safety policy implementation, user training, and certification. The home defense kit containing my spray, inert training unit, and neutralizing gel even came with hand towels, a target, and a bunch of product information. It’s good attention to detail, all in slick and well-thought-out packaging.
In use, the spray is easy to deploy. The controls would be reasonably easy to operate under stress, while the spray that is produced is a Super-Soaker style stream that travels five paces easily. You could absolutely hose down an attacker with this thing, while back-splash is minimized by the nature of the gel. It’s far superior to a fogging unit and blows the doors off any of those key chain self-defense units.
I highly recommend Reflex Protect’s gel products. This is a great home-defense system for use when you can’t or don’t want to have a firearm in place. It will also supplement a firearm when you want less-lethal options. Check out the company’s products at ReflexProtect.com — and tell them Phil Elmore sent you.