Paint ball with pepper spray?

[toddedger]

I know carrying a firearm is just to big of a hassle these days, but what about a paintball gun that uses compressed gas and is non lethal? Would other countries consider this to be a firearm? I see it is now possible to fire balls loaded with pepper spray along with welt forming nylon balls at a range of two hundred feet. They can be loaded in clips like regular guns, or shoot semi auto from funnel shaped hoppers. I'm wondering what some of you more experience cruisers have to say about the idea.

[robert sailor]

Get a real gun, which is fraught with all kinds of issues or make access difficult for an intruder and keep a couple of cans of bear spray on board.

[Suijin]

The only thing more dangerous than carrying a gun is carrying something that looks like a gun but isn't.

[Sondor]

It's like anything else in the self-defense realm. Rules vary greatly country by country.

Here's a quick little wiki on pepper-spray laws by country: Pepper spray - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Having played paintball several times, my personal opinion is that paintball guns are just too failure prone to consider for self-defense.

I'd also think that the pepper-spray balls wouldn't be very effective at close-range because you'd be inhaling nearly as much as the aggressor.

They would of course have a few lovely welts and bruises but when adrenalin is flowing, you ignore them until later when you are amazed at the visible damage you've taken!

I did once see a guy who's ear was split nearly in half from a paint-ball strike to the lobe. That's just gotta hurt!

For the record, he didn't notice anything really amiss until the game was over.

Medium to long-range deterrent? Maybe...but I'd only use it if there "alternatives" aboard in case of emergency.

[Sondor]

Originally Posted by Suijin

The only thing more dangerous than carrying a gun is carrying something that looks like a gun but isn't.

Ignore my post and see Suijin's again if it didn't sink-in!

(Btw, is it considered bad form to use the term "sink"-in on a boating forumn?)

[captain58sailin]

What a cool idea! Maybe you could put some kind of dye in them too, so if the red eyes and runny nose didn't give the perpetrators away the pink dye would.

[Steadman Uhlich]

I recall seeing a video on youtube showing a man who voluntarily was shot in the chest with a pepper paint ball. It did NOT disable him, nor did it seem to be a good deterrent to an attacker.

Notice in the video that the man is hit by TWO pepper balls, but does not seem to complain or rub his eyes or have difficulty breathing etc. In short, the "pepper" did not seem to have any effect. The balls may have hurt some at such close range shot in the chest, but the pepper seems ineffective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU5_tcy2_Wg

When backpacking in Alaska, as a test I shot bear spray (large can) to a target 20+ feet away and hit the narrow target (a telephone pole) with accuracy. Despite choosing to shoot the spray with the wind not coming to my direction, the wind blew enough of the pepper spray back to me to cause my eyes to sting (even from that distance). So, I do believe that "pepper spray" can be good to have, but I don't think the pepper "paint balls" would be as effective.

Hope that helps.

[toddedger]

This is a better video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGCLL-rxQVQ

In the wike that Columbia is the only country listed in the caribbean.

[MarkJ]

The problem is the balls for normal paintball guns are made of a cellulose biodegradable materiel that melts when stored in the gun.
So when u want to use it u need to open a new canister then load the gun.

But if u can do that quick and the pepper is effective then its a great longer range non lethal idea along with flare guns.


Mark

[captain58sailin]

Something I have heard, is that people who eat a lot of jalapenos or habaneros are not adversely affected by pepper spray, so if you are in south/central America or Nigeria it may not be effective to be shooting pepper spray.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by toddedger

This is a better video.

n.

Both videos show how effective it is. But the above video uses quite an expensive looking unit with expensive looking cartridges. But super effective!!!
If you are being attacked by a fast small boat and can hit the guy at the engine controls you have stopped that attack.

And thats what non lethal defensive products are meant to do.

Excellent!!!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Suijin

The only thing more dangerous than carrying a gun is carrying something that looks like a gun but isn't.

Truer words were never spoken.

[rognvald]

"If you are being attacked by a fast small boat and can hit the guy at the engine controls you have stopped that attack.

And thats what non lethal defensive products are meant to do.

Excellent!!!" MarkJ


Mark,
There is a difference between deferring an attack and stopping an attack. No civilized person wants to consider the possibility of being in a situation where your life or the lives of your loved ones are in imminent mortal danger. There are only two ways to avoid this situation: 1.) sail in areas where there is minimal or no real risk based upon statistics and hope you are not an anomaly, or 2.) Be prepared to use whatever force is necessary to stop the attack. The problem with using the above method as seen in the video(paint ball gun with pepper spray) is that you may not be able to stop the potential adversary and quite possibly may further enrage his attack. And, if we complicate the situation further with a drug fueled opponent, you have just created the perfect storm. As we are in the process of preparing for our next extended adventure, these issues are imminent in our plans since, in many ways, we believe certain areas of the world have changed for the worse since we last lived aboard. This is truly a topic that should be taken seriously where there is a unanimous consensus among everyone aboard as to the "rules of ship" as they pertain to self defense. Good luck and safe sailing.

[Reefmagnet]

Can't beat a good old machete. Legal everywhere and just waving a decent sized one around should deter the opportunists. For those more serious and less dissuaded attackers, I think you would need to be in possession of proper armaments.

I like this bear spray idea. Is it possible to disguise the can as something else effectively enough to avoid detection in areas where it's not legal (like wasp spray or something)?

[Rhapsody-NS27]

This is the best I've seen.
Fox Labs International - Pepper Spray, Mace - Most Intense Pepper Spray Available

I have been sprayed with it for training and know it works. The Fog size will spray out 15ft. An attacker WILL feel it. The larger Fog size is the one I was sprayed with.

Do not use bear spray. It's NOT for human use and can cause someone to go blind. You want to go to jail for permanent damage to someone?