There are no guarantees when it comes to personal safety. Nice neighborhoods, fine dining establishments and local shopping malls may all appear to be relatively safe places to enjoy. However, when you least expect it, you may find yourself living the clichéd expression “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” This is where a PepperBall pistol comes in handy.
A PepperBall Pistol Is Effective and Legal
No matter if it’s a mugger, a drunken bar patron or someone out to do you very serious harm, you need to have something on hand to help even the odds against an unprovoked attack. The options are numerous. From knives to batons to mace and firearms, the self-defense products available today range from barely useful to extreme overkill. They may even bring you many more problems, mentally and legally, afterward.
However, one product on the market skirts the boundary between non-lethal and highly effective, the PepperBall line of self-defense gear.
These items offer the irritating stopping power of pepper spray, but in a condensed “ball” with powerful projection from a safe distance. Once impacted, a cloud of intensely irritating powder envelopes the attacker, stopping him in his tracks. This will give you enough time to flee to safety.
How It Works
The design of the Pepperball family of products offers a method of self-defense from a distance. Peperball products are deployable at a greater distance than other non-lethal options like a baton, taser or conventional pepper spray. It’s a proven fact that as an attacker approaches and closes the gap between himself and his intended victim, the success rate of the victim to employ an effective self-defense tool to deter the attacker diminishes greatly. Stress, the inability to get the self-defense aid in ready mode and the overall effectiveness of the non-lethal weapon all contribute to the victim’s inability to deter the attacker in time. Distance is the key to success, and PepperBall devices deliver in a big way.
No matter which PepperBall unit you prefer to use, the underlying operational mechanics are all similar to one another. First, the ammo. The “rounds” are very similar to a paintball gun ammo. They are spherical, hollow and will burst upon impact. But instead of storing paint within their shells, they have pharmaceutical-grade pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA) pepper powder inside. Upon impact, a 12-foot cloud of pepper irritant disperses around the impact point, causing anyone within range an immediate reaction. The reaction includes eye, nose, and throat irritation, as well as dizziness, headache and overall discomfort. These effects last about 15 minutes, more than enough time for the intended victim to flee the scene and seek help from the authorities.
Self-Defense at a Distance
The Pepperball devices project the balls using compressed-gas cartridges. Depending on the device, the “rounds” can travel an incredible distance—between 30 and 150 feet. Let’s put this in perspective. As stated, the shortest distance a pepper ball will travel is 30 feet. This is approximately the length of one and a half SUVs, end to end with one another. This gives you, the intended victim, some distance to attempt to deter the advancing attacker. And bear in mind that you don’t have to hit the target directly—a shot hitting the ground in front of him or a car next to him will still disperse the irritating powder with enough room to make your shot highly effective.
If you carried a Taser, your distance for a successful hit to the victim falls to only 15 feet, and for traditional pepper spray, only 12 feet. This may sound like a person has enough distance to react but remember that an aggressive attacker can cross that gap within a few seconds. The speed of encounter, along with the stress level of the victim, decreases the success rate of other non-lethal options. Under these conditions it is harder to ensure a center-mass taser shot or hitting the attackers face with pepper spray.
Carry Options
The PepperBall group of weapons offers different designs, for different needs, but produce the same effect on an attacker.
The simplest unit, by far, is the PepperBall Compact. As its name implies, it is small, easy to conceal and can be taken just about anywhere without attracting attention. It holds one round and is fired using N2 gas under high pressure. This PepperBall unit is ideal for anyone who travels with minimal gear or bags, as it can be stored in a coat pocket, small purse or interior vehicle compartments with ease. It also makes a great secondary or backup unit to a larger PepperBall device, for those just-in-case moments. It’s never a bad thing to have “plan B” in mind.
The PepperBall Mobile Unit
Moving upward in both size and power is the PepperBall Mobile unit. This device offers a flashlight-like shape, and features a large trigger, a dual LED flashlight and an integrated laser pointer. It has a three-round capacity and fires the projectiles using an 8-gram CO2 cartridges. The unit is lightweight, portable and easy to operate. It is an ideal choice for walking the dog, quick trips to the store or walking city streets at night.
The Lifelite Personal Defense Kit
The LifeLite Personal Defense Kit is another piece of PepperBall equipment, and this handy unit means business. It was originally designed for the military, so it’s both tough and reliable. It holds five rounds and fires them swiftly at a target using CO2 cartridges. This device is professional-grade craftsmanship at its best, with a built-in 350-lumen flashlight, targeting laser light and a safety switch to help avoid accidental discharges. The LifeLite is the perfect non-lethal weapon to sit on your end table in your bedroom, for protection at your business, in your car’s glove compartment or to have always at your side with the optional holster.
The PepperBall TCP (Tactical Compact Pistol)
The final device is the TCP Launcher, or PepperBall’s Tactical Compact Pistol. This unit resembles a semi-automatic handgun in both appearance and function. This gun-shaped projector has no recoil, and features a safety switch to help prevent accidental firing. It is powered by both CO2 and N2 cartridges. The unit features a six-round magazine and sends the projectiles a whopping 150 feet with incredible accuracy.
However, as with all the other options, you don’t need to hit a target directly for the irritant to work properly. A close miss will be enough to disperse the powder and cause the attacker to wish he never chose you as a viable target. A holster is available to carry your weapon, and this “gun”—like the other PepperBall items—requires no license or waiting period to purchase. That said, you should always check local laws concerning the carry and use of PepperBall products prior to purchasing.
Ammunition
Concerning ammo, the Compact and the Mobile units come with ammo included, and cartridges that are not compatible with the LifeLite or the TCP Launcher. But there are refill kits available, when you use up the included ammo or if you just want some spares, just in case. For the LifeLite and the TCP Launcher, you will need PepperBall Live SD, or the Live-X Police Grade Projectile ammo. The Live-X Police Grade Projectiles pack double the amount of PAVA chemicals compared to the SD variety. Simply put, these Live-X versions take the irritant’s power to the next level—definitely not good news for anyone victimizing a person holding a PepperBall launcher.
Finally, inert rounds are available for all PepperBall units. These allow you to practice shooting without causing trouble for anyone nearby. Remember, practice makes perfect! The inert rounds allow you to perfect your aim before an unfortunate conflict comes your way.
Experiences
PepperBall sent over a few samples of their products to handle and test, providing a real feel for the gear. First and foremost, their products are solid, in both construction and operation. There were no cheap outer shells that felt weak or flimsy, no parts that didn’t assemble easily and with minimal effort and no outward indications that these projectile weapons wouldn’t perform exactly as described.
The LifeLite’s bright flashlight feature provided very good illumination in pitch-black conditions. The feel of the unit in hand mimicked that of a traditional flashlight, being only slightly heavier than most flashlights of similar size. The buttons were clear to view, as well as large enough to operate with little effort, even in low-light conditions.
Performance
Inert ammo was provided, and that was perfect for my testing. I fired the Lifelite against the side of a barn on a friend’s property away from other people and other structures. The inert ball fired from the LifeLite unit smoothly and swiftly and just missed my intended target—an “X” marked on the barn’s wooden boards. I blame my own aim for the miss—yet, as the company states, you don’t have to hit your target for it to be effective. The inert powder spread over the mark I’d made on the wall.
The TCP Launcher was next. This had the feel and weight of a true semi-automatic handgun. You operate the TCP just as you would a traditional firearm. You load the ammo into the magazine, along with the cartridges, and you release and insert the magazine the same. What I did like was the secured safety switch to help prevent accidental firing. Once this was engaged, I felt comfortable handling and inspecting the weapon.
Firing the TCP Launcher was a true joy. With its semi-automatic design, one ammo ball after another splattered against the wall, taking out the target with little effort. Perhaps the true gun-style shape made aiming a bit easier, but in any case, the ability to rapid-fire many balls toward the target area certainly helped a lot.
Verdict
What initially interested me about PepperBall products, before I began to investigate them deeply, was the idea of having a self-defense option that occupied the middle ground between items that may possibly work if conditions are just right (they seldom are), and weapons that take it to the other extreme, where the assailant’s death is the most likely outcome. Either situation—either too little or too much force—brings a slew of complications to the problem.
The PepperBall family of products, though diverse in design and options, offer effective stopping power without harmful or serious lasting effects, and they accomplish this with you at a safe distance from the perpetrator. You truly can’t go wrong with these amazing self-defense tools. To find out more, visit pepperball.com or pblifelite.com.
The Compact Details
Launch distance: 30 feet
Capacity: 1 round
Propellant: N2 gas under pressure
MSRP: $25
Special features: Easily concealable, reasonably priced, extremely lightweight
The Mobile Kit Details
Launch distance: 40 feet
Capacity: 3 rounds
Propellant: 8g CO2
MSRP: $200
Special features: Integrated laser pointer, large, easy-to-use trigger, safety switch
LifeLite Personal Defense Kit Details
Launch distance: 60 feet
Capacity: 5 rounds
Propellant: CO2
MSRP: $350
Special features: 350-lumen flashlight, safety switch, included holster
TCP Launcher Details
Launch distance: 150 feet
Capacity: 6 rounds
Propellant: CO2 or N2 cartridges
MSRP: $400
Special features: Easy to load, traditional “handgun” design, safety switch
This article was originally published in the Personal Defense World Aug/Sept 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.
