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I have to admit, I've become somewhat of a fan. The unit is light and compact enough that it can be conveniently carried by dropping it in a pocket (unless you wear your pants too snug for that). It drops easily into any purse or jacket pocket. It offers an effective option to your force response level for self-defense.
Kimber PepperBlaster II: A Review
While I am a huge proponent of the 2nd Amendment and am strongly in favor of every law abiding adult being able to carry a handgun for self-defense, there are times, places and circumstances that don't permit the carry of a handgun OR wherein lethal force simply isn't justified. For many of those places and times there is another option - and no, it's not a knife, impact weapon, keychain flail weapon, etc. It's the Pepperblaster II from Kimber and, put simply, it's a derringer-style OC (pepper spray) weapon that's highly effective.
When I say "derringer style," I use the term loosely. I am referring to the fact that the Pepperblaster II has two barrels in an over/under configuration that it is shaped (roughly) like a handgun and that it's a relatively compact unit. I measure my unit at 4.5" long, 3" tall and 1" wide. It only weighs a few ounces.
The unit fires an oleoresin capsicum based semi-liquid under pressure. The 10% OC mix has been proven effective over the past couple of decades as we've seen it used in numerous OC (pepper spray) products from multiple manufacturers. To measure how "hot" the OC mix is, however, we use something called Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). To put "hot" in perspective, your typical jalapeno pepper measures at 2,500-8,000 SHUs. Tabasco Sauce measures between 7,000-8,000 SHUs. A Habanero Chile pepper typically measures between 100,000 and 350,000 SHUs. Call me what you want, but I find the typical jalapeno pepper too spicy (although my family members love them).
The OC blend in the Pepperblaster II is rated at 4,000,000 SHUs. That's over ten times "hotter" than a habanero chile pepper.
The 4,000,000 SHU rating puts the Pepperblaster II just in the high end of commercially marketed OC products in the United States. A common OC product will measure between 2,000,000 and...