As opposed to mashing a button, the Pepper Blaster II has rudimentary sights and a trigger, which makes it more instinctive for a shooter to use.

As opposed to mashing a button, the Pepper Blaster II has rudimentary sights and a trigger, which makes it more instinctive for a shooter to use.

“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” This popular quote, attributed to Abraham Maslow, is particularly relevant for concealed-carry permit holders. When you’ve opted to arm yourself with a handgun, it tends to become your go-to option when you feel threatened. However, sometimes your gun is neither a tactically sound nor legally defensible option.

A concealed handgun could save the day when faced with a deadly threat, but drawing it when the threat is less significant could exacerbate the situation, sending you down a slippery slope that could ultimately lead to unjustifiable injury or death to your assailant and your subsequent incarceration.

As a case in point, let’s assume an unarmed person of your approximate size were to point at you and threaten to “kick your ass.” Are you going to draw your gun in response? Sure, depending on other facts and circumstances, doing so may be warranted. However, if we were to take this scenario at face value, bringing your gun into play to thwart the mere threat of physical violence could be difficult to legally justify.

In such case, having a reliable, less lethal option would be ideal. Something like pepper spray could enable you to temporarily incapacitate the would-be assailant while maintaining distance and allowing you to escape. For those unfamiliar, here’s a thumbnail of what pepper spray is and how it works.

Oleoresin capsicum, better known as OC spray or pepper spray,  is derived from the cayenne pepper plant. Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent that affects the eyes and mucous membranes, typically resulting in temporary blindness and an intense

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