Shocker or gas spray - what to choose for self-defense?

The right to protect oneself from aggression is natural and inalienable for any Russian. And the way to exercise this right is everyone’s personal choice. Someone is engaged in martial arts, someone starts an evil dog, someone gets permission for a traumatic or gas pistol.

What to do if none of these methods suits you? Buy stun gun or gas can? What are the pros and cons of the most common unlicensed self defense devices?

Gas cartridges: pros and cons

The gas canister (GB) is the simplest self-defense device available. Spray cans are based on the action of tear gases - CS, CN, CR, “pepper” or mixtures thereof. With a sufficient concentration of the active substance, GBs are a very effective weapon. Their main advantages:

• Low price - from 500-700 rubles. However, in general, spray cans are designed for only one application, after which they will have to be discarded, as well as after the expiration date.
• Compact and easy to use. A couple of workouts are enough for learning how to use the gas cylinder; they actually do not occupy a place (average size - 10x3 cm).
• The ability to use at a distance is usually no more than 2 meters, but there are models that emit gas at 3 meters or more.

But this weapon has a significant minus: most GBs are dangerous when defending indoors or outdoors in bad weather - you yourself can become a victim of your own “defender”. In addition, many spray cans often work poorly at low temperatures - given the harsh Russian winters, this is a pretty big drawback.

Pros and cons of stun guns

Electroshock is a weapon that strikes an opponent with discharges of high voltage electricity and low amperage. The shocker is not life-threatening, but can neutralize the enemy by disorienting, stunned, paralyzing him, or (in the case of the most powerful models) by knocking out. Also stun guns are buying in order to scare away dogs, who are mostly afraid of high-frequency cod idling.

The popularity of electric shocks is due primarily to:

• Instant effect. If the shocker works, then immediately and for sure, you will not have to wait from 3 to 10 seconds, as with a spray can.
• The ability to scare off an aggressor - a four-legged, and sometimes a two-legged one.
• Long service life. With proper care, the shocker is able to work for many years, moreover, it does not need any expendables other than electricity.
• Security for the owner. Electroshock is a melee weapon, ideally suited for confined spaces: porches, elevators, stairwells, where most attacks take place. But the aggressor will have to come close, and this is risky.

As we can see, neither a shocker nor a spray can have an unambiguous advantage, it all depends entirely on the user's preferences. Gas cylinders are suitable for those citizens who prefer to eliminate the threat from afar, from a safe distance for themselves. And electric shocks are usually chosen by self-defenders who are confident in their abilities, have some hand-to-hand combat skills and are not afraid to look the threat directly in the eye - in the literal and figurative sense.